Care England has called on the government to fix social care after a new report revealed around 2,000 people with a learning disability and autism are in inappropriate care settings.

New research from the University of Birmingham and the rights-based organisation Changing Our Lives, ‘Why are we stuck in hospital?’, explores the barriers people with a learning disability and autistic people face when trying to leave long-stay hospitals in England.

Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: “A government commitment to fix social care, backed by appropriate levels of funding and true collaboration between all relevant stakeholders, is needed. Social care providers have shown many times examples of people being supported 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 in hospitals, and then with effective holistic, respectful support in capable environments, they can reduce that gradually over time.

“There needs to be a greater level of trust and support for care providers through joint partnership working between health and care professionals, and the provision of appropriate services within the community. It is well established that hospitals represent an inappropriate care setting, with models of care that are reactive and fail to meet the complex needs of these individuals, and it should not take another national scandal for the government to react accordingly. The development of high-quality residential services would allow for individuals located in inappropriate hospital settings to be discharged into a setting which can support their needs and at a pace that is sensible and person-centred in approach.”

The research by the University of Birmingham and Changing Our Lives shows a complex system where people are subject to labels and overcomplicated care as a result of a miss-managed and unorganised system that struggles to plan, coordinate, and deliver effective, person-centred care for those that need it. This can lead to mistreatment, and patients falling through the cracks without the proper support.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have published an action plan to improve access to community-based support for people with a learning disability and autistic people, supported by additional targeted funding of more than £90 million by 2023.

“This will help us reach our target to halve the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people being treated as inpatients by March 2024.

“We are also making up to £7.5 billion of funding available to support adult social care and discharge over the next two years – the biggest funding increase in history. Local authorities have flexibility to spend this funding to support their communities, including on services for people with learning disabilities and autism.”