National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

• Most service users currently residing in low and medium support HSEaccommodation would be capable of making the transition to independent living withthe support of the community mental health teams and other community and socialsupports that may be required from time to time.9.17 The transition to the new configuration will be implemented on a phased basis andwill be subject to a number of variable factors such as ongoing clinical assessment andreview of individual service users; discussion with service users, their advocates, whereappropriate and their families on their preferred choice of accommodation, the availability ofappropriate housing, living environment and tenancy arrangements; the availability ofappropriate community mental health services; and the adequacy of other community andsocial supports required to facilitate independent living. It is envisaged that the newconfiguration will be implemented during the lifetime of this strategy.9.18 The HSE report, The Efficiency and Effectiveness of Long-Stay Residential Care forAdults within the Mental Health Services 77 , reviewed 4,709 long stay beds in the adultmental health services 78 . Table 9.5 below shows a detailed breakdown of these beds.Table 9.5:Long Stay Beds in the Adult Mental Health ServicesTotal community beds 2,790 Total hospital beds 1,919High support (24/7 care) 1,613 Hospital long stay 1,439Medium support 547 High dependency/secure 181Low support 630 Rehabilitation 299In relation to accommodation, key findings from the review were:• HSE should withdraw from the management of low and medium supportedaccommodation;77Prepared under the Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative and published in 2009. The census on whichfigures are based was conducted on 10 October 2007.78It encompassed all residential accommodation where individuals had been accommodated for more than a year- this included community residences, hospital in-patient units, high dependency/secure units andrehabilitation units, but did not include patients who were receiving acute (short-term) psychiatric hospitalcare.106106