Characteristics of staffed community housing services for people with learning disabilities: a stratified random sample of statutory, voluntary and private agency provision.

Within the staffed housing model relatively little is known about the characteristics of different types of provider agency. Data on size, homeliness and physical integration of settings, organisational culture, working methods, staffing levels and resident characteristics, were collected on a stratified random sample of provision in South-West England and Wales. Provider agencies did not differ significantly on three of the four variables relating to residents' characteristics. Nor did they differ in terms of the homeliness or physical integration of settings. However, there were significant differences between providers on the important variables of working methods and staffing levels. Resident ability correlated with staffing levels and organisational culture, but not with staff working methods. The results and their implications are discussed in the context of other research which has used the same measures.