Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to change funding incentives to help ensure that funding follows need for the right support in the community for autistic adults.

The Health and Social Care Committee’s report, The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities, included recommendations in relation to assessing the costs of care and support, and redesigning financial incentives in the healthcare system, for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Government response to the report and position on the recommendations was published 27 July 2022.

In the response, we noted the wide range of capital and revenue funding sources and the range of support that a person may draw on from multiple services. This makes an assessment of costs practically challenging. The response set out that we are clear there must be credible alternatives to inpatient care so that people can live independent, fulfilled lives in their community, without financial incentives or disincentives which prevent this from happening.

To improve our understanding of funding flows, including any financial incentives or disincentives, the Department commissioned an independent specialist consultancy firm, RedQuadrant, in September 2021 to undertake a rapid review of funding flows associated with Building the Right Support. The work concluded in March 2022 and a report was published in July 2022.