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More Than a Provider: Fairer Funding, Stronger Partnerships, Better Lives
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At Choice Support, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live a gloriously ordinary life — with the right support, in the right place, and on their own terms.
That belief is at the heart of our involvement in More Than a Provider — a collaboration of six leading not-for-profit providers working together to shape a better future for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Together, we support people in 80% of local authorities in England and Wales, with a combined annual budget of £650 million. We favour supported living over institutional models because it offers greater independence, choice, and control — and we work in partnership with people and families to make that a reality.
We also work closely with commissioners to help them make better use of the funding already in the system. That means moving away from 'time and task' commissioning and lowest hourly rates, and towards values-based, person-led approaches that prioritise independence, connection, and wellbeing.
This autumn, we’ve launched three major contributions to the future of social care:
1. A new website
This is a space for bold ideas, practical tools, and shared learning — designed for commissioners, policymakers, and anyone who wants to see support done differently. It brings together the collective voice of six organisations who are committed to working in partnership with people, families, and local authorities to deliver better outcomes.
2. A new thought leadership report
Securing the sustainability of supported living for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
This paper sets out seven practical, evidence-based policy proposals to help unlock the full potential of supported living. These include aligning social care pay with NHS Banding, embedding supported housing in local planning frameworks, and rethinking commissioning around outcomes and inclusion. It’s a call to action for national and local government to work with providers and people to build a more sustainable, person-led future.
3. A new tool
The Sustainable Supported Living Costing Framework.
This is the first tool of its kind — developed by and for the sector — to bring transparency and fairness to the way support is costed and commissioned. It helps providers and commissioners understand the true cost of delivering high-quality, person-led support. It’s flexible, evidence-based, and designed to support fair pricing and sustainable markets.
We’re calling for national commissioning principles with local flexibility, a recognised and fairly paid social care workforce, and a shift in power towards people — through co-production, positive risk-taking, and investment in independent advice and advocacy.
At Choice Support, we know that support isn’t just about meeting needs — it’s about enabling people to live full, connected, and meaningful lives. That’s what we mean by a gloriously ordinary life. And that’s what this work is all about.
We’re inviting everyone — people who draw on support, families, commissioners, and policymakers — to join us in building a future where support is sustainable, inclusive, and rooted in partnership.
🔗 Explore the work at: www.morethanaprovider.org.uk
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