This report summarises the findings from an Australian longitudinal study of the quality of support in group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. The study aimed to identfiy the organisational factors that influence the extent to which staff provide Active Support and sustain its practice in organisations.

Background: Supported living is perceived as more flexible than group homes for people with intellectual disability. This study identified costs and factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in supported living and compared this with group homes. Method: Thirty-one residents in supported living participated in a survey incorporating measures of service user characteristics and QOL...

By investigating service user experiences of supported living this study aimed to identify how the potential of supported living might be better realised.

Although small scale, this study has added new knowledge to the limited understanding of the supported living arrangements for people with intellectual disability in Australia, and to the wider literature.