Camphill Families and Friends is supporting the Our Life Our CHOICE campaign for people with learning disabilities to have access to the full spectrum of housing and care options, including well-run shared and village communities alongside smaller supported living arrangements.
On 17 February 2026, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued an explanatory note to its Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture guidance, promising clarity.
But, in an email to supporters, Our Life Our CHOICE said that the note had “not delivered”, noting that “Changes are minimal: although the CQC removed its stance on not ‘favourably rating’ village communities which the CQC term congregate settings, it still frames them as falling short of ‘best practice’, expecting providers to move away from them.”
Our Life Our CHOICE says this “suggests continued bias against village communities. The definition of congregate settings remains problematic, portraying them as isolated and lacking dignity or choice—an assertion which the CQC’s own inspections dispute.”
David Wilks, chair of the campaign, said that concerns continue to be ignored and urges Stephen Kinnock, Minister for Care, to engage and protect genuine choice.
For more information:
- go to www.ourlifeourchoice.co.uk
- watch the Our Life Our Choice campaign video
- contact Katie Birch, Campaign Officer, on contact@ourlifeourchoice.co.uk/tel 07852 974461 or David Wilks (Chair) on 07971 088701
