L'Arche
L'Arche is a UK charity operating 11 inclusive communities across England, Scotland, and Wales, providing person-centred residential, supported living, and day services to 283 adults with learning disabilities through a life-sharing model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersSilsden, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What L'Arche does
L'Arche is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee that operates a federation of 11 inclusive communities across England, Scotland, and Wales, providing person-centred support to 283 adults with learning disabilities through residential care, supported living, housing, day services, and life-skills programmes. The organisation's defining feature is its life-sharing model, in which people with and without learning disabilities share daily life in ordinary homes within local neighbourhoods, supported by live-in assistants, interns, apprentices, and volunteers. L'Arche is part of a global federation founded in France in 1964 by Jean Vanier, with 160 communities across 37-38 countries and 17,000-plus members worldwide, headquartered in Paris.
L'Arche is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (England), the Care Inspectorate (Scotland), and the Care Inspectorate (Wales), and is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. The organisation employs 509 staff (72.5% female, with a 0% median gender pay gap as of 5 April 2025) and is led by National Leader Laura Harper alongside a National Leadership Team and a Board of Trustees chaired by Aedan MacGreevy. Community-level leadership is decentralised, with individual Community Leaders and Registered Managers for each location.
The revenue model combines three streams: government social-care funding via local-authority placements, fees charged to individuals and families for care and support services, and charitable donations including regular giving, legacies, community fundraising, and corporate partnerships. L'Arche's go-to-market is community-led, acquiring members and families through referrals from social services, local-authority placements, word-of-mouth, and self-referrals via the website, with growth driven by the appeal of the life-sharing model. Technology plays a limited operational role: the organisation uses Mailchimp for email marketing, Google Forms and SurveyMonkey for surveys, and a SharePoint intranet, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. In 2020, the international federation published findings of an independent inquiry confirming abusive behaviour by founder Jean Vanier, prompting an external Study Commission that reported in 2023, and the organisation continues to operate within this reformed governance context.
L'Arche firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L'Arche
- Legal name
- L'Arche
- Website
- https://larche.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- L'Arche is a UK charity operating 11 inclusive communities across England, Scotland, and Wales, providing person-centred residential, supported living, and day services to 283 adults with learning disabilities through a life-sharing model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L'Arche industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Care Services for People with Learning Disabilities
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990), Home Health Care Services (62161)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)
Keywords
Where L'Arche is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silsden
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
L'Arche business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, major donors, and fundraising campaigns including events, legacies, and community fundraising activities.
- Government Social Care Funding: Funded support packages from local authorities and government bodies for adults with learning disabilities receiving care services.
- Fees for Care and Support Services: Fees charged to individuals or their families for person-centred support, residential care, supported living, housing, and day services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
L'Arche product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L'Arche provides person-centred care and support for adults with learning disabilities through 11 Communities across England, Scotland, and Wales, using a life-sharing model in which people with and without learning disabilities share daily life together. Core paid services include residential care, supported living and housing, day services and life-skills programs, and inclusive community spaces such as cafés, creative workshops, and retreat days. L'Arche also offers engagement programs including the L'Arche Internship, live-in Community Worker roles, care apprenticeships, and local volunteering opportunities.
Product overview
L'Arche is a charitable organization providing person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities through a network of 11 communities across England, Scotland, and Wales. The organization offers a multi-layered service portfolio comprising core residential services (supported living, housing, and residential care), day services and life skills programs, and multiple engagement programs (live-in assistant roles, internships, apprenticeships, and local volunteering). Services are delivered through physical communities where people with and without learning disabilities share life together, supported by centralized financial and fundraising operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Supported Living and Housing Residential support services providing accommodation and daily assistance within L'Arche Communities for adults with learning disabilities, enabling them to live as independently as possible in an inclusive community setting.
- Residential Care Full-time residential care services for people with learning disabilities living within L'Arche Community homes, regulated by CQC, Care Inspectorate Scotland, and Care Inspectorate Wales.
- Day Services Day activities and life-skills programs supporting people with learning disabilities to develop independence, social connections, and community participation.
- Live-in Community Worker Program International live-in option for visa applicants wanting to join L'Arche for a year, sharing life with people with learning disabilities and participating in reflective learning and community living.
- Live-In Assistants Year-long live-in assistant positions where participants share life alongside people with learning disabilities and participate in reflective learning programmes focused on personal growth and community living.
- The L'Arche Internship A year-long program sharing life alongside people in L'Arche with a reflective learning programme focused on community development, personal growth, and change-making.
- Care Apprenticeships Apprenticeship programs for those seeking to develop careers in care and support for people with learning disabilities, combining on-the-job learning with structured training.
- Volunteering Opportunities Local volunteer opportunities at L'Arche Communities, allowing individuals to share time, skills, and create friendships with members.
- Community Café and Creative Workshops Inclusive community spaces offering café activities and creative workshops for people with and without learning disabilities, funded in part through charitable donations.
- Inclusive Retreat Days Retreat experiences for people with and without learning disability to spend time together in inclusive settings, supporting reflection, community building, and shared life.
Quantifiable outcome
- 283 members with learning disabilities supported across 11 UK communities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use L'Arche
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
L'Arche technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
L'Arche partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreRegulatory body for health and adult social care in England. L'Arche is registered with and inspected by CQC as a care provider.
- Care Inspectorate (Scotland)coreScottish care inspectorate regulating care services in Scotland. L'Arche is registered as a care provider in Scotland.
- Care Inspectorate (Wales)coreWelsh care inspectorate regulating care services in Wales. L'Arche operates communities in Wales.
- MailchimpminorEmail marketing platform used by L'Arche UK to manage newsletter subscriptions and marketing communications with supporters and donors.
- Fundraising RegulatorcoreL'Arche is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and follows the Code of Practice for fundraising.
- UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)strategicL'Arche International was granted special consultative status with UN ECOSOC in 2015, enabling advocacy on disability rights at the United Nations.
- Kingston University (The KIND Research Group)strategicL'Arche London member Richard Keagan-Bull is part of a research team at Kingston University led by Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, conducting studies on adults with learning disabilities including the 'Growing Older, Planning Ahead' project (2020-2023).
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
L'Arche competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Certitude: Certitude is a London-based charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs through supported living and community services. It overlaps L'Arche in geography, mission, and service model.
- United Response: United Response is a UK disability charity providing supported living, residential care, and community-based services for people with learning disabilities and autism. It operates a similar person-centred support model with multiple local services across England and Wales.
- Voyage Care: Voyage Care is one of the UK's largest private providers of supported living and residential care for people with learning disabilities and complex needs. It competes with L'Arche for local authority contracts and offers a similar but more standardised service portfolio.
- MacIntyre: MacIntyre is a UK charity providing lifelong learning, supported living, and residential services for children and adults with learning disabilities. It shares L'Arche's commitment to person-centred support and community-based living.
- Sense: Sense is a UK disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, deafblindness, and sensory impairments. It provides residential, day, and community services comparable to L'Arche's portfolio.
- Hft: Hft (Home Farm Trust) is a UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities through supported living, residential care, and day services. It is one of the largest learning disability charities in the UK and competes with L'Arche for local authority placements and family referrals.
- Mencap: Mencap is the UK's largest learning disability charity, providing supported living, residential services, employment support, and advocacy. While much larger than L'Arche, it directly competes for the same families, commissioners, and donor base.
- Camphill Communities: Camphill Communities are intentional life-sharing communities for people with learning disabilities and other vulnerabilities, operating across the UK. They are structurally the closest peer to L'Arche given the shared life-sharing, co-residential model.
Broad incumbents
- Turning Point: Turning Point is a large UK social enterprise providing learning disability, mental health, and substance misuse services. It overlaps L'Arche in supported living for people with learning disabilities but operates at much greater scale and across broader service categories.
- National Autistic Society: The National Autistic Society is a large UK charity providing services for autistic people, many of whom also have learning disabilities. It offers supported living, residential, and day services and overlaps with L'Arche's customer base and commissioning relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
L'Arche social profiles
Digital presenceL'Arche compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
L'Arche financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L'Arche leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
L'Arche funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L'Arche M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L'Arche
What does L'Arche do?
L'Arche provides person-centred care and support for adults with learning disabilities through 11 Communities across England, Scotland, and Wales, using a life-sharing model in which people with and without learning disabilities share daily life together. Core paid services include residential care, supported living and housing, day services and life-skills programs, and inclusive community spaces such as cafés, creative workshops, and retreat days. L'Arche also offers engagement programs including the L'Arche Internship, live-in Community Worker roles, care apprenticeships, and local volunteering opportunities.
Is L'Arche a public or private company?
L'Arche is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was L'Arche founded?
L'Arche was founded in 1964. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is L'Arche based?
L'Arche is headquartered in Silsden, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does L'Arche make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are government Social Care Funding and fees for Care and Support Services.
Who are L'Arche's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Certitude, United Response, Voyage Care, MacIntyre, Sense, Hft, Mencap and Camphill Communities. Broad incumbents are Turning Point and National Autistic Society.
Does L'Arche have an API?
No public API is recorded for L'Arche.
What industry is L'Arche in?
L'Arche's product category is Social Care Services for People with Learning Disabilities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support, with a secondary code of BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8300.