Daytime Activities, Shared Lives and Short Breaks services survey

Between 6 July and 3 August 2026, we carried out a survey to understand the experiences and views of people with a Learning Disability and Autism on:

• Daytime Activities
• Shared Lives
• Short Breaks (Residential Replacement Care)

Alongside the survey, we held focus groups and other engagement activities to ensure a wide range of people, including individuals with lived experience, carers and providers, had the opportunity to share their views.

What People Told Us Is Working Well

We were encouraged by the positive feedback received. People told us that:

• They receive the support they need to feel safe, secure and supported in living their lives.
• Information about services is generally easy to understand.
• Accessing support for these services is straightforward and accessible for most people who responded.

Areas for Improvement

While feedback was positive overall, people also identified areas where further improvements are needed.

Key themes included:

• Greater access to community-based activities, including gyms, parks, exercise opportunities and physiotherapy.
• More affordable and accessible transport options, including community transport services.
• Increased availability of sensory equipment and sensory-friendly opportunities.
• A wider range of local daytime activity options and concessions for activities such as swimming.
• Better support during evenings and weekends to enable people to participate in activities within their communities.
• Increased awareness of Carer's Assessments and Care Act Assessments, as responses suggested many people may not be aware of the support available.
• More support to help people understand and attend health appointments, including access to advocacy, buddying or befriending services.

We are committed to ensuring that the feedback received translates into meaningful action. To support this, a number of Task and Finish Groups have been established to drive forward the priorities within both the Learning Disability and Autism Strategies.

These groups bring together people with lived experience, carers, providers, health partners, community organisations and council representatives to review current provision, identify gaps and develop practical solutions. Their role is to ensure that the voices of local people remain at the centre of service development and improvement.

Work Already Underway

We have already begun taking action in response to the issues raised:

1. Employment and Skills

We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver joint learning sessions with DWP coaching staff, focusing on hidden disabilities. This will help staff better understand and support people with learning disabilities and autistic people when accessing employment and benefits support.

2. Health Inequalities and Access to Healthcare

In partnership with Turning Point and Public Health, we are running a Lunch and Learn session for health professionals and partner organisations. This session will focus on reducing stigma, improving communication, promoting positive language and increasing understanding of the barriers experienced by people with learning disabilities and autism when accessing healthcare.

3. Improving Frontline Customer Experience

We are working with our customer contact centre to ensure staff complete the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. This nationally recognised training helps staff understand how to communicate effectively, make reasonable adjustments and provide accessible, person-centred support to autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities.

4. Market engagement

We continue to have strong market engagement with our providers, enabling us to better understand market pressures, identify opportunities for development, and shape services that reflect local priorities and demand.

Strengthening Community Opportunities

Many of the themes identified through the survey, including access to community activities, transport, advocacy, health support and meaningful daytime opportunities, align with several of the strategic priorities, particularly Promote Independent Living, Providing Quality Support in the Community, Integration of Health and Social Care, and Prevent Loneliness and Social Isolation.

The relevant Task and Finish Groups are already exploring opportunities to address these issues by working collaboratively with partners to identify existing community resources, improve awareness of available support, and develop new approaches where gaps in provision have been identified. This work will help ensure that services and community opportunities are shaped by what people have told us matters most to them.

This structured approach will enable us to monitor progress, maintain accountability and, most importantly, demonstrate how the voices of people with learning disabilities, autistic people, carers and families are directly influencing service development and improvement. The work from the task and finish groups will feed into the Learning Disability and Autism steering groups.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and suggestions. Your feedback is helping to shape future developments and ensure that services continue to evolve in ways that are meaningful to the people who use them. We will continue to work alongside people with lived experience, carers, providers and partners as we take this work forward.