Condition guide
Learning disability support in England: home care, supported living and care homes
About 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. Good support helps someone live the life they choose: a home of their own where possible, work or day activities, relationships and control over their own care.
In England there are 7,181 home care agencies registered for learning disability care (89% of those rated Good or Outstanding) and 4,930 care homes registered for learning disability care (86% of those rated Good or Outstanding), according to the CQC register.
Reviewed 20 October 2026 by The Care Panel editorial team · Next review April 2027 · Editorial policy
Kinds of support
- Support at home: visits or 24-hour support from a home care agency in the person's own or family home.
- Supported living: the person has their own tenancy, in a flat or shared house, and a registered agency provides the support. It gives more independence and rights as a tenant.
- Residential care: a care home registered for learning disabilities, where accommodation and support come together.
What good looks like
CQC expects services for people with a learning disability or autistic people to give choice, control and independence, and to be small and part of the local community. Ask how the person will be supported to go out, keep in touch with family, and make their own decisions, and how staff avoid restraint.
Funding
Most adult learning disability support is funded by the council after a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. Many people take their funding as direct payments to choose their own support. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with extra costs, and housing costs in supported living are usually met through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
Find learning disability care near you
Home care agencies: learning disability care
- Birmingham 185
- Smethwick 158
- Leicester 154
- Bilston 149
- Buckhurst Hill 148
- Tipton 145
- Coseley 144
- Oldbury 143
- West Bromwich 138
- Wednesbury 124
- Wigston 120
- Chigwell 119
- Sedgley 118
- Willenhall 114
- Manchester 108
- Aveley 108
Care homes: learning disability care
- Croydon 63
- Redbridge 45
- Sutton 36
- Enfield 32
- Hastings 31
- Birmingham 29
- Royal Sutton Coldfield 28
- Stoke-on-Trent 26
- Brent 25
- Smethwick 24
- Sunderland 24
- Harrow 24
- Kingston upon Hull 23
- Taunton 23
- Richmond upon Thames 23
- Colchester 23
Our guides
Questions
What is the difference between supported living and a care home?
In supported living the person rents their own home and an agency provides support; in a care home, accommodation and care come together under one provider. Supported living usually gives more independence and tenancy rights.
Who pays for learning disability support?
Usually the council, after a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. The person may contribute from their income, and can choose to take the council's funding as direct payments.
Free download
The care home visit checklist (40 points)
Print it before visiting: three columns, 40 questions on care, staffing, rooms, costs and the contract.
Checklists
Visiting a care home · Choosing a home care agency · Live-in care · Dementia care · Easy Read: care costs
Questions people ask
Sources: NHS: learning disabilities · Mencap · CQC: Right support, right care, right culture. Provider counts from the CQC register (Open Government Licence v3.0). This guide is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice.
Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.