Exemptions welcomed under new supported housing licensing regime

Older people’s services, Ofsted services and extra care will be exempt, and these schemes will still be able to access exempt supported accommodation rents.

The government is also exempting domestic abuse provision commissioned under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

This duty requires local authorities to monitor and evaluate support commissioned in safe accommodation locally.

Alistair Smyth, director of policy and research at the NHF, said: “The strength of the sector-wide response is clearly reflected, and we strongly welcome the vital amendments the government has made to its proposals.

“We support the act’s aim of tackling poor practice where it exists and ensuring that all supported housing residents receive the high-quality standard of accommodation and services they deserve.

“We’re pleased that the government has taken on board our concerns about the potential impact on the sustainability of the broader sector and made significant changes – including an exemption from licensing for older persons’ housing – that are more proportionate and risk-based, reducing unnecessary burden and duplication.

“Supported housing plays an important role in helping people live safely and independently. These changes will help protect the supply of these vital homes at a time when funding pressures and rising costs mean many services are already at risk – despite rising demand.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the government to secure a more sustainable financial settlement for supported housing.”

The government has also confirmed that it will only require one licensee per licensing authority, as opposed to the initial proposal of one per service.

Where care is provided in a supported housing scheme the care provider must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Any service in supported housing that is not registered care must comply with the National Supported Housing Standards, unless otherwise exempt.

A new condition will ask that the licence holder ensures that a needs assessment is completed when the resident moves in or, if that is not possible, within four weeks of the resident moving into the accommodation.

For those in charge of this type of housing, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are required for all staff working with residents.

In addition, the government is creating a new licensing condition, to ask that licence holders assure themselves that their service managers have the character, capacity, appropriate experience and skills to undertake the role.

Lee Buss-Blair, director of operations for Riverside Care and Support, said: “At a time when the supported housing sector faces significant and sustained funding challenges, the regulations as proposed in the initial consultation would have made many of those much-needed services unviable.

“We welcome the changes made by the government in response to our, and others’, feedback. The government’s decision not to place new regulatory burdens on the landlords of commissioned managed agent services has safeguarded the future of many thousands of units of supported housing and other much-needed homelessness services.

“We also welcome the government’s decision to exempt older people’s services, Ofsted services and extra care while not barring them access to exempt supported accommodation rents.

“Only requiring one licensee per licensing authority rather than one per service is also a common-sense decision that removes unacceptable levels of burden on more junior colleagues.

“We are very pleased the government has listened carefully to the concerns of providers of commissioned services and responded accordingly and we will continue to work closely with the government to make this legislation a reality.

“We are also very supportive of HM Treasury’s Value for Money review. At a time when £2.8bn is being spent nationally on poor-quality temporary accommodation, too many providers of supported housing and homelessness services are struggling financially and closing services.

“The Treasury’s review provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset funding so that money is being spent better to help people access good-quality supported housing or homes which improve access to employment, education and opportunity rather than languishing in poor-quality [temporary accommodation].”