Care Management Arrangements in Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Results of a National Study.

Background Care management is the formal mechanism for linking people with intellectual disabilities with public services but little is known about these arrangements. This paper present findings from a national survey. Materials and Methods The questionnaire covered aspects of care management arrangements and was specific to services for people with intellectual disabilities. They were sent to all social services departments in England. Results The response rate was 81%. Variations were found in organizational arrangements, the performance of key care management tasks, and the degree of differentiation in approach according to need. Local authorities also differed in arrangements for person centred planning. Conclusions Further review of the relative efficiency and effectiveness of different care management approaches is needed to inform policy development and promote consistency in services for people with intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]