From awareness to action: SCIE’s toolkit for local authorities to develops supported housing options for autistic adults

A practical framework to support local areas 

The Housing Toolkit was designed to support local authorities to take a more structured, evidence-informed, and co-produced approach to housing strategy development. 

It brings together ten steps that guide local areas through key stages—from understanding demand and identifying what people want from their homes through to understanding cost and benefit and engaging with stakeholders. 

Although the toolkit focuses on both autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, it is important to recognise that these are distinct groups. People’s experiences, support needs and housing preferences vary, and the toolkit is designed to help local areas understand and respond to this diversity, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. While developed with these groups in mind, the approach is intentionally adaptable. The principles of combining robust evidence with meaningful co-production are relevant across a wide range of housing and support contexts. 

At its core, the toolkit is about bridging a common gap: the disconnect between high-level strategy and the lived reality of people’s everyday experiences. 

Learning from the pilot 

To test how the toolkit works in practice, SCIE partnered with Norfolk County Council and Cumberland Council between October 2025 and March 2026. The pilot focused on the areas that local authorities identified as most critical to strengthening their strategies. Across both areas, a consistent message emerged: having a structured approach helped teams move forward with greater clarity and confidence. 

The toolkit provided a shared framework that brought together different partners—including housing, adult social care, data teams, and people with lived experience—helping to align perspectives and priorities. It also supported a more consistent way of working, particularly in how evidence is gathered, interpreted, and used. 

Importantly, the pilot reinforced that co-production needs to be embedded throughout the process. When people with lived experience are involved in shaping not only the outputs but also the approach itself, the resulting strategies are more grounded and meaningful. 

What difference did it make? 

While each local area applied the toolkit in a way that reflected its context, several common benefits were identified. 

Greater clarity in decision-making. Local teams reported that having a clear structure made it easier to move from broad ambition to more defined strategic thinking. 

Stronger connection between evidence and action. The approach supported a more systematic way of linking what is known about local need with what should happen next. 

More joined-up working across teams.  The process helped break down silos, creating space for collaboration across services that do not always work closely together. 

Building local capability. Rather than relying on external outputs alone, the pilot focused on developing tools, approaches, and shared understanding that local teams can continue to use. 

These changes may seem subtle, but they are critical. Developing a supported housing strategy is not just about producing a document, it is about strengthening how decisions are made. 
 

The updated toolkit  

The Housing Toolkit has now been updated to incorporate learning from the pilot and is available online for local authorities and partners to use. These updates strengthen clarity, usability, and the flow between steps, making it easier for local areas to apply the approach in practice. 

The Toolkit, as well as SCIE’s ‘Toolkit for place-based plans for housing for older adults’ and ‘Co-production: what it is and how to do it’ guide, were cited in the Government’s statutory guidance for councils in England on preparing and delivering supported housing strategies.  

As more local authorities begin or continue developing their supported housing strategies, there is an opportunity to use and adapt the toolkit to reflect local needs and priorities. SCIE can support this process, helping ensure the approach is applied in a way that works for each area. 

Moving beyond awareness 

Autism Acceptance Month is an important reminder of the barriers many people continue to face. But it is also a moment to focus on how systems can respond more effectively—not just by understanding these challenges, but by taking practical steps to address them. 

Housing is central to this. Having the right home can support independence, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging. When housing does not reflect people’s needs or preferences, it can limit choice, increase reliance on crisis responses, and reduce quality of life. 

The work through the Housing Toolkit—and the learning from the pilot—shows how local systems can move towards a more person-centred approach. By bringing together better evidence, meaningful co-production, and clearer planning, local areas are better equipped to develop housing options that reflect what people actually want and need. 

This is closely linked to the idea of autism acceptance. Acceptance means recognising autistic people as individuals with their own preferences, strengths, and ways of living—and ensuring that services and systems are designed with this in mind. In housing, this means creating options that are flexible, supportive, and shaped by people’s own experiences. 

While change takes time, this work demonstrates that there are practical ways to improve how decisions are made—and, ultimately, to improve outcomes for autistic people and people with a learning disability. 

If you would like advice, guidance or simply an exploratory chat on how we can support you, contact us here.  

And to find out more about Autism Acceptance Month, click here.