Residential schools for children with learning disabilities in England: recent research and issues for future provision

Approximately 3000 children and young people with learning disabilities attend residential schools or other residential placements. Many of these young people have complex needs, and their placement reflects a failure of local provision to support their families and provide inclusive local services. Such placements reduce family contact, increase young people's vulnerability and accentuate the difficulties of transition to local adult provision. We should reduce the need for residential school placements by substantially improving the quality of family support and the capacity and inclusiveness of local services. Returning young people to their local communities requires a significant improvement in local authority planning so that local capacity can be developed to meet their needs.