About Key

Key was set up in 1977 by a small group of parents concerned about the lack of good quality supported accommodation, and committed to developing alternatives to institutional care for people with learning disabilities. Carers are still at the heart of our Committee of Management, which now includes people with a wide range of backgrounds, all of whom bring experience that is relevant to our work.

Key now provides a wide range of support services and accommodation. Our main aim is to provide individualised support to people with learning disabilities in a range of home and community settings. We are a social care organisation as much as a housing organisation.

Central to everything that we do is the involvement of the people who we support, in deciding on their own support, in infuencing and advising Key at local and national level. A network of Tenant Advisory Groups exists, involving almost 100 people throughout Scotland, and enabling people to discuss issues and express their views on things relating to their lives with Key and the support we provide.

Back in 1977, there was very little community based provision for people with learning disabilities. For most people the alternative to the parental home was a long stay Hospital.

Key's first supported housing development was completed in Glasgow in 1982. We were one of the first organisations to provide full tenancies to people with learning disabilities in Scotland.

Over the years, we have developed support services and housing in 15 Local Authority areas across Scotland. As a Registered Housing Association we can obtain capital funding from Communities Scotland (Scottish Homes). As a social care organisation, we have contracts with Local Authorities for the funding of our support services.

We now support over 800 people throughout Scotland and employ over 1000 staff in our support services. Our housing is in a range of small scale integrated developments.

As well as building our own housing, we work with over 25 other Housing Associations and Local Authorities to provide housing opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Our housing and support services are quite separate. People can live in Key's housing and be supported by another agency. Equally, many people are supported by Key, but live in accommodation provided by other landlords. People supported by Key have a support agreement as well as a tenancy agreement, and can change their support provider without affecting their housing rights.

In 1995, Key formed Community Lifestyles to provide highly individualised support to people who are not tenants of Key. Lifestyles now supports over 100 people in their own homes, mostly in the Glasgow area, and has developed a community support service in East Kilbride.