This report presents learning from the pilot of Toolkit: housing for autistic adults and adults with a learning disability- SCIE. The pilot was undertaken during 2025/2026 in partnership with Norfolk and Cumberland councils and explored how elements of the toolkit could support local authorities developing supported housing strategies in practice.
Although the toolkit includes 10 steps, the pilot focused on two foundational areas identified by the participating authorities as priorities for their strategy development: Step 1 – understanding demand in the local area and Step 4 – identifying preferences and needs through structured co-production. These steps are central to developing credible supported housing strategies, helping local authorities connect demographic evidence, lived experience and planning decisions.
The report draws on interviews with staff involved in the work in both authorities, including colleagues from housing, adult social care, commissioning and information and analysis teams. It reflects on how the toolkit was applied in practice and what local teams learned through the process.
What the pilot showed
The pilot highlighted how structured approaches can strengthen supported housing strategy development in several ways:
- Stronger demand modelling: in Norfolk, collaboration between housing and analytical teams led to the development of a projection calculator combining national and local evidence to estimate future housing need.
- Structured co-production: in both Norfolk and Cumberland, engagement activities such as surveys, one-to-one conversations and facilitated discussions were aligned with strategic questions to ensure lived experience informed planning decisions.
- Cross-directorate collaboration: the work brought together housing, adult social care and analytical teams, helping connect evidence, engagement and commissioning discussions.
- National–local partnership: SCIE’s role provided structure, analytical support and reflective challenge while local authorities retained ownership of decisions.
Learning for the sector
The pilot shows that supported housing strategies are strengthened when three elements are brought together: clear analytical evidence, structured lived experience input and early consideration of delivery. When these elements are aligned, strategies move beyond descriptive documents and become practical frameworks for planning and commissioning.
The experience of Norfolk and Cumberland suggests that structured tools and collaborative approaches can help local authorities organise complex strategy development processes, build internal capability and strengthen the connection between evidence, engagement and delivery planning.