Individuals who become vulnerable may need support to enable them to continue living in their own homes, including access to Supported Housing. This support can take a wide variety of forms of housing provision and is sometimes part of a wider package of commissioned housing-related support, health and/or social care.
With the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act (opens new window) setting a framework for new standards and obligations for the supported housing and older person’s housing sector, the resources listed below - including policy guidance, tools and examples of good practice - should be helpful to local authority, NHS commissioners and supported housing operators or providers of housing related support services.
Supported housing: report by House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts
This report finds a sector riddled with long-standing challenges and warns of a lack of protections for vulnerable people being housed in poor-quality accommodation, with unsuitable or no additional support provided.
Supported Housing – raising standards and improving the quality of support
To coincide with Starts at Home Day 2023, Ian Copeman, Business Director at Housing LIN, welcomes the introduction of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act that will enable local authorities to ensure that organisations providing supported housing meet the proposed national quality standards for supported housing.
Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act became law on 29 August 2023. This new legislation sets a framework for new systems for the supported housing and older person’s housing sector.
Specification: Supported Housing Accommodation
Written by Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, this document sets out their expectations and requirements for all types of supported housing developments for different people groups.
The economic and social benefits of housing support
This paper, published by UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, looks at the increasingly important, yet under researched, area of Housing Support that has evolved from a traditional focus on landlord-tenant activity to being a key mechanism that supports wider economic and social benefits (including health and community outcomes for individuals).
Exempt Accommodation Third Report of Session 2022–23
This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. In short, the Committee describe the system of exempt accommodation - that is, accommodation exempt from locally set caps on housing benefit - as "a complete mess".
Starts at Home Day: A Housing LIN perspective
For this year’s Starts at Home Day, Ian Copeman, the Housing LIN’s Business Director, shares his thoughts on the role of supported housing to help people live as independently as possible and what experience the Housing LIN has supporting commissioners and operators of supported housing.
Supported housing for people with long-term care and support needs
This Housing LIN report sets out what is required to ensure there is sustainable development of supported housing for adults with long term care and support needs.
Housing and disabled people: A toolkit for local authorities in England - Tenant Support
This toolkit focuses specifically on support to sustain tenancies. It is principally aimed at leaders and practitioners in housing, health and social care.
Thinking ahead: Housing and related care options in later life
This guide from Carers UK and Care & Repair England is designed for carers to assist them with housing and care options for older people.
Supported housing: Understanding need and supply
This report highlights the growing shortfall in supported housing places, examines the causes, and highlights potential solutions. It estimates that there are 109,556 available places in supported housing...
Commissioning Sustainable Care & Support Services: A call for action
In an opinion piece for Inside Housing last year, Brendan Sarsfield, CEO of Family Mosaic, called for reform of the way care and support services are commissioned. He highlighted that the 'Wacky Races'...
What is the Future of Supported Housing?
In this Housing LIN Viewpoint no 51, the author considers the history of supported housing, where we are now and where we might go in the future. He argues that supported housing has provided an important...
Carers and Housing: Addressing their needs
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, with Department of Health support, launched the first national report on housing issues affecting the UK's six million unpaid family carers on 23rd March 2010 at...
Delivering Social Inclusion - The role housing associations can play in PSA 16
This guide highlights the role housing associations and support providers can play in delivering PSA 16. It looks at some of the opportunities and approaches that housing associations and local authorities...
Putting People Centre Stage
The aim of this Housing LIN Report and the accompanying case studies is to emphasise the real benefits to commissioners and providers of housing with care and support which arise from the genuine engagement...
Unmet Housing related support needs in Wokingham
This Housing LIN case study No26 describes research in Wokingham to determine housing support needs. It describes the options identified to meet the gaps in housing support needs across vulnerable groups...
Housing with support and the efficiency agenda - a toolkit
Published by Tribal Group this toolkit contains advice on achieving efficiency whilst maintaining or improving the quality of housing with support and floating support to people in general housing. The...
Reducing re-offending housing and housing support framework
Published by National Offender Management Service, this framework sets expectations for the work of Regional Offender Managers and regional Reducing Re-offending Partnership Boards' Accommodation Pathways....
Durham Integrated Team - a practical guide
This Housing LIN case study No19 describes the experience in Sedgefield Borough of establishing five integrated teams to for vulnerable adults to provide a single point of access to prevent illness,...
Commissioning Housing Support for health and wellbeing
This report commissioned by the Integrated Care Network explains what housing related support services are and the funding streams and national programmes they sit within. The role of housing related...
Substance users and supported housing - what's the score?
A Housing LIN Report comprising three linked reports which give an overview of the relationship between drug and alcohol service provision and the delivery of housing with support. The reports are designed...
Housing support can be offered as an integral part of a tenancy, lease or home ownership, for example in Extra Care or sheltered housing. You will find resources related to Extra Care (including sheltered housing) on the Extra Care pages.
You will also find some resources that are specific to particular service user groups on relevant pages (Dementia , Mental Health , Physical Disability , Learning Disability , Older People )
consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or visit our consultancy pages .
Building on the Housing LIN’s learning and improvement ethos, we offer bespoke advice to help your organisation draw on the lessons highlighted on these pages. To find out how the Housing LIN can support your operational and/or strategic plans, please contact us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or visit our consultancy pages.