ARC England is involved in a variety of research projects in and around the learning disability and autism social care sector. We regularly partner with universities and commercial organisations in order to ensure the voices of people with lived experience are at the heart of research focussing on health inequalities, life expectancy gaps and inclusive, co-produced methodologies. 

We are always interested in exploring and becoming involved in new research projects - please contact us to discuss. contact.us@arcuk.org.uk

Research projects and findings

1. Fee Rate Maps

Since 2022 we have sought fee rate data from every local authority, and more recently every Integrated Care Board, in England and Wales via Freedom of Information requests with our data mapping partner Polimapper. This has provided a comprehensive dataset going back to 2017 of the fee rates and fee rate uplifts paid to learning disability and autism services across England and Wales. 

2. Sector Census

The Sector Census was designed by ARC England and BMG to measure the size and profile of the learning disability and autism sector across metrics such as the size of the workforce, how services are funded, the numbers of people being supported and the types of service being provided.

3. Social Care Barometer: Our Social Lives - report now published at Our Social Lives Peer Research Project
Part-funded by the RTR Foundation, the Social Care Barometer is a research project that started in October 2023, led by people with learning disabilities who created and carried out a survey asking supported people about their social lives and community experiences.

The research asked supported people directly how they feel about the services they draw on. A grant from the Rix Foundation meant that the focus of the research is people’s social lives.

Since its original conception the project has been entirely co-produced. The work was overseen by a Steering Group entirely composed of experts by experience (supported people and family carers), who wrote the questions and analysed the responses for a final report. 25 supported people from across the country were trained to interview their peers, and the training was also co-produced and delivered.

The report is out now: Our Social Lives Peer Research Project