Guidance

Supported housing: national statement of expectations

Published 20 October 2020

Applies to England

Foreword

Supported housing provides crucial help to some of the most vulnerable people in our country. It can have an enormous positive impact on an individual’s quality of life: from their physical and mental health to their engagement with the community.

We are pleased to announce the National Statement of Expectations (NSE) for supported housing. It sets out government’s vision for ways of working in the sector and recommendations for standards in accommodation and is an important step in establishing what good looks like and how it can be achieved. This is part of our work to improve oversight, ensure quality and value for money.

We know that most supported housing providers already deliver high quality accommodation and go above and beyond minimum standards, including continuing to deliver during the unprecedented challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is imperative that we make clear what we would like to see from all provision and that people have accommodation which meets their needs and allows them to thrive.

We have drawn on expertise and examples of excellent practice from across the sector to develop our recommendations for planning, commissioning and delivering supported housing. There can be no ‘one size fits all’ approach, but best practice from across the country, highlighted in our case studies, show the innovative ways that local authorities and providers deliver the best for residents. The best examples involve collaboration across housing, health, commissioners, providers and the third sector.

We hope that the NSE is useful to anyone looking for guidance on ‘what good looks like’ in supported housing accommodation. We look forward to continuing our conversation with you on how we can best achieve this. Thank you to everyone who has helped to bring this together.

Kelly Tolhurst MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping and Housing
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Baroness Stedman-Scott OBE
Minister for Work and Pensions (Lords)
Department for Work and Pensions

Introduction

Good quality supported housing is vital: providing a safe, stable and supportive place to live can be the key to unlocking better outcomes for vulnerable people, from tackling poverty and disadvantage to managing crises, rehabilitation or maintaining people’s independence.

This National Statement of Expectations (NSE) has been developed in collaboration between the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with input from local councils and the supported housing sector. Together, we are committed to seeing delivery of good quality supported housing which meets residents’ needs and represents value for money.

In 2018 the government announced that housing costs for supported housing would continue to be funded by Housing Benefit^{[footnote 1]}. At the same time, we announced a commitment to improve oversight of supported housing to ensure good quality and value for money. The NSE is an important step in establishing our vision for accommodation standards, quality and value for money in supported housing. Beyond this, we will continue to work closely with local authorities, providers and other partners in the sector to develop and test measures to improve oversight.

What is this guidance and who is it for?

There is a high level of commitment and high standards demonstrated by the majority of supported housing providers, and, ultimately, we would like to see these embodied across the whole sector. To date there has been no definitive set of guidelines on what should reasonably be expected from the accommodation element of supported housing.

This NSE therefore includes:

• Guidelines on what good looks like in supported housing
• Guidance and best practice examples for achieving expectations, including:
  • Part 1: Assessing local need and planning effectively to meet demand
  • Part 2: Delivering accommodation which is good quality and value for money
• Annex A: Accommodation standards and tenancy-related housing services for supported housing landlords and managing agents
• Annex B: Related strategies, guidance and useful resources

All parties, including central government, play an important role in achieving the best outcomes for residents. Adhering to the NSE is not a statutory requirement. However, we hope that the wide range of organisations involved in the provision of supported housing will use, adopt and find these principles and examples of best practice helpful. This includes:

• local councils – including commissioners, Revenues and Benefits departments and Adult Social Care teams
• Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
• housing providers (across all types, including both commissioned and non-commissioned)
• registered and non-registered providers
• other local partners

We know that many local councils and organisations already exemplify best practice in areas covered by this document, and that some of the suggested standards will not be applicable or appropriate to all. The standards on which local councils may choose to focus will be informed by the local area’s current stock, circumstances, future demand and organisational resource.

This NSE focuses on the accommodation element of supported housing. It does not cover the support services provided. However, effective supported housing which delivers positive outcomes requires both high quality accommodation and support, and we would encourage organisations to take separate steps to ensure any accompanying support is of a good standard and meets the needs of residents.

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed greater organisational and financial pressures on local authorities and providers of supported housing. The NSE will reference the government’s relevant COVID-19 measures as appropriate throughout but, overall, the NSE sets out the broad principles to be observed in the delivery of supported housing.

Definition: Providers – in this guidance, ‘providers’ refers to the landlord or managing agent of the property. This does not include organisations who are solely contracted to deliver support.

What is supported housing?

In supported housing, accommodation is provided alongside support, supervision or care to help people live as independently as possible in the community. This includes:

• older people
• people with a learning disability
• people with a physical disability
• autistic people
• individuals and families at risk of or who have experienced homelessness
• people recovering from drug or alcohol dependence
• people with experience of the criminal justice system
• young people with a support need (such as care leavers or teenage parents)
• people with mental ill health
• people fleeing domestic abuse and their children

These are not always distinct groups and many individuals may have multiple needs.

The supported housing sector is diverse, comprising housing associations and local council housing, as well as charities and voluntary organisations. Housing providers and schemes can vary significantly in size and scale: from large organisations with tens of thousands of residents across the country, to smaller local providers who may own one property.

The way accommodation and support services are delivered also varies between schemes; some organisations own properties, some provide support (either within their own or another property), and some may do both. This can impact where legal and regulatory responsibility lies for each property.

This guidance has been designed to apply to all supported housing to the greatest extent possible; however, the diversity of the sector means that not all expectations in this document will be appropriate to every client group, scheme type or provider.

How does the NSE fit with other guidance?

The standards set out in this document are not statutory or regulatory requirements and this guidance does not supersede any existing regulatory requirements that providers may be subject to.

As there is no single regulatory system for supported housing, different types of organisations providing supported housing are regulated by different bodies, such as:

• registered social landlords regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing
• charities regulated by the Charity Commission
• Community Interest Companies regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

In addition to this NSE, there are several government strategies which aim to improve support for client groups using supported housing. Some of these are subject to specific statutory requirements which local councils must have regard to. While the standards set out are not statutory requirements, they are suggested good practice and we would encourage local councils and providers to work closely with local partners on other related strategies to promote an integrated approach. A list of related guidance and strategies is included in Annex B.

What good looks like

It is our ambition that all people who need it can access safe and good quality supported housing at the right time. We want residents of supported housing to have safe, appropriate accommodation which meets their needs, and which delivers positive outcomes, whether this means living as independently as possible or moving onto more independent living over time. We also want supported housing to provide value for money for residents, commissioners and the taxpayer, while recognising that costs can be more expensive than in general needs housing due to the specialised requirements.

To achieve this, we believe that all parties involved in the delivery of supported housing benefit from working collaboratively to:

• assess local demand for supported housing
• plan effectively for the required provision
• deliver accommodation which is good quality and value for money

We are aware that many organisations are already working in this way and delivering positive outcomes as a result - below are some examples of suggested standards and good practice. Local councils may also meet expectations in ways not described below.

Guidance and best practice: summary

Assessing local need and planning effectively

• There is collaboration between local councils, providers and local delivery partners to assess, plan and deliver supported housing.
• Local councils consider implementing oversight arrangements to support joined up working between partners and deliver on planning and commissioning.
• Local councils are recommended to carry out an accommodation needs assessment across all groups of people with a support or a care need.
• Local councils plan strategically to map supply against the current and future supported housing needs of vulnerable people in their areas.
• Strategic planning aligns with local authorities’ obligations to reflect the needs of older and disabled people in their planning policies, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
• Planning identifies how any required new supply is delivered, with alternative plans to meet need in the event there is a shortfall in planned provision.
• Planning identifies care and support for any planned provision will be funded, considering the different needs of residents and the different options available for support.
• In meeting these needs, local councils consider options across the spectrum of support and care services, such as preventative services or support in people’s own homes, as well as the use of supported housing.
• Planning accounts for how the supported housing fits with wider local support pathways, including health and social care referral pathways.
• Cross-authority arrangements are developed, for example setting out where a client group can access services if there is no provision in a local area, or where it is more appropriate for the individual to be housed outside their local area.
• Local councils are transparent and accountable on delivery against local strategic planning - plans are made public, with annual public reporting on delivery.
• Local councils keep a database of supported housing providers and schemes (both commissioned and non-commissioned) and share with all agencies who might be making referrals.
• Local councils ensure that all relevant teams (including across upper and lower tiers) are aware of plans to commission and deliver supported housing.
• Commissioning teams seek opportunities to work collaboratively with other organisations to plan and commission supported housing

Ensuring safe and good quality supported housing

A detailed list of suggested accommodation standards for landlords and managing agents is included at the end of this document.

• Accommodation is assessed for its suitability in meeting the needs of residents.
• Housing is accessible, appropriate, safe and hazard-free
• Landlords fulfil their role in compliance with all relevant guidance
• Providers ensure staff are safe and suitable to be in contact with and work with vulnerable client groups
• Staff working as part of the supported housing scheme demonstrate an understanding of services and receive comprehensive training.
• Housing meets all building-related and environmental statutory requirements, including those on fire, access and health and safety.
• There is regular communication and collaboration between local council housing services, landlords, managing agents, support staff and commissioners of support services, to share information so that arrangements can be adapted as resources or residents’ needs change.
• Communication and information for residents are appropriate to their needs. Residents are consulted and involved in the service development and their preferences considered.
• Clear, simple and accessible complaints and redress procedures are in place.
• Residents are given the most secure form of tenancy compatible with the purpose of the housing and their needs and circumstances.
• Quality standards are in place for response and repair times for both routine and emergency repairs.
• Referrals into supported housing involve two-way communication between referring organisations and supported housing providers on individual needs and suitability for a scheme. The individual is involved in the referral process and their input is sought to address their objectives.
• Organisations making referrals into supported housing carry out a housing needs assessment for residents and place them in accommodation which is appropriate for their circumstances. Referring organisations involve support providers at an early stage and the supported housing provider also completes an assessment to verify the suitability of the referral.
• There is effective communication and information between the referring organisation, any care provider and housing provider on the individual’s needs to confirm the suitability of the referral.

Ensuring supported housing provides value for money

• Costs for rent and eligible services charges are transparent and reasonable.
• We would encourage supported housing providers to participate in sector-led accreditation and benchmarking schemes which demonstrate compliance with standards and are aimed improving transparency and performance on value for money and quality of housing services.
• We would encourage Revenues and Benefits departments and commissioners to share knowledge and data internally and between neighbouring authorities to benchmark the level of service required in different types of supported housing schemes and appropriate costs for rents and associated service charges claimed. This can include seeking input from trusted local providers.
• Local councils consider using their existing powers relating to both housing, health and safety and Housing Benefit to enforce minimum housing standards in supported housing and to ensure housing costs are not excessive.
• Both local councils and providers ensure they take a consistent approach to administration and information sharing.

Part 1: Assessing local need and planning effectively to meet demand

Local councils have the lead role in planning to meet local demand for supported housing. To be effective, councils need to plan strategically to ensure that supply aligns with the current and future supported housing needs of vulnerable people in their areas. This will include any appropriate supply of accommodation that might come from private market development, including non-commissioned and leased provision.

To plan effectively and assess current and future needs of all client groups, local councils must ensure joined up working between teams, for example housing, public health commissioners and adult social care, authority tiers, local health commissioners (Clinical Commissioning Groups) and other local partners.

A list of useful resources and guidance on strategic planning for supported housing can be found in Annex B.

It is essential that local councils and their local partners consider the impacts of COVID-19 when assessing capacity of schemes. Housing providers may have had to reduce the occupancy in some properties to facilitate social distancing and shielding of vulnerable tenants.

The examples of good practice below are primarily aimed at local councils, but all stages of strategic planning will benefit from input from providers and other partners.

Working collaboratively to plan supply

Local councils, providers and local delivery partners collaborate to assess, plan and deliver supported housing which will support improved outcomes.

Case study: Bristol’s Housing Related Support Strategy

In 2017, Bristol had the sixth highest rate of rough sleeping in England. Commissioners recognised a bold new Housing Related Support (HRS) strategy was required to address cyclical homelessness and create permanent routes to sustainable accommodation.

Engaging with a network of third sector organisations, Bristol City Council developed new HRS pathways for adults and young people with complex needs experiencing homelessness. The Salvation Army leads the men’s pathway bringing together specialist Registered Social Landlords and charities to supply high quality accommodation.

The Bristol men’s pathway comprises over 340 units of supported housing across 50 sites, spanning high to low levels of need.

People entering the pathway have their housing needs assessed and triaged through centralised fortnightly Operational Management Groups (OMGs), where all lead partners are represented. This promotes joined-up decision making, matching people’s housing needs to the right pathway and accommodation.

As a result of this approach, Bristol City Council has seen increased move on to independent accommodation. Through joint working, providers have also improved the consistency of support available to people post move on, offering greater consistency to residents at a time of heightened stress.

As an integrated pathway, providers have a unified understanding of relevant Key Performance Indicators. The men’s pathway is benchmarked against other pathways within the model to ensure consistency of delivery and promote best practice across the city.

In two-tier authorities, upper and lower tier authorities are encouraged to work collaboratively on their strategic planning, as well as with other local partners. Plans will be most effective where they take all client groups into account.

Local councils may also benefit from extending such partnership working to include other neighbouring local councils to manage supply across boundaries.

Providers can play a valuable role in local planning for supported housing. They are expected to be aware of, and have regard for, assessments of the local area’s needs and priorities and strategies for delivering supported housing. This may include planning by local councils and health bodies.

Case study: Developing a community-led approach to age friendly housing in central Bedfordshire

“There has never been a better time to harness the interest and contribution of local residents to develop housing that meets the changing needs of our population.” says Councillor Eugene Ghent, Council Executive Member for Asserts & Housing Delivery. He explains:

“To unlock the potential for communities of place and communities of interest to actively commission and take responsibility in meeting their housing needs, we learned that without local infrastructure, promoting and providing expert advice on the opportunity for communities to take control of their housing needs, development opportunities would remain out of reach for most if not all of our communities.”

Including a local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation at the outset has enabled Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity to pick up the community-led housing (CLH) baton; secured funding to broaden their housing enabling role in achieving accreditation as CLH advisers and helped to establish Eastern Community Homes (ECH) as the one-stop-shop for advice and guidance. ECH provides access to the experienced and influential network spanning the East of England to import good practice and enable CLH to emerge in Central Bedfordshire.

Through a series of CLH workshops and output from Neighbourhood Plans, the Council learned that their communities have a keen interest in development but without the awareness and confidence to step into the driving seat and take control. “With the imminent arrival of New Vista Homes (NVH), the council-owned development company, we add another ingredient to the CLH recipe with the potential for NVH to act as a more accessible community focused developer with the interests of local people at heart,” says Eugene.

Improved appreciation of the depth of the Core Economy deriving from insights generated through the pandemic journey provides the catalyst and next step in identifying and aligning resources, to create genuine opportunities that pursue the mutuality of CLH. The Council believes this will allow people to benefit from supported housing with meaningful opportunities to determine design, delivery, ownership and control of their homes.

Local councils may find it useful to nominate an individual who will lead collaborative working on planning, commissioning and delivering supported housing by liaising with all stakeholders and setting a cross-organisational agenda. Wider partners could also consider nominating a lead individual. Collaboration involves agreement of joint objectives and ways of working, and regular collaboration between partners.

Collaborative working could involve:

• neighbouring local councils
• Health and Wellbeing Boards
• Clinical Commissioning Groups and relevant NHS bodies
• sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems
• safeguarding adults boards
• adult social services
• children’s social services
• directors of public health
• the Police and Police and Crime Commissioners
• local domestic abuse partnership boards
• local drug and alcohol treatment providers
• HM Prisons and Probation Service (including prisons, National Probation Service, Homelessness Prevention Taskforces and Community Rehabilitation Companies)
• Youth Offending Teams and the Parole Board
• community mental health teams
• housing and support providers, including non-commissioned providers, particularly in the sheltered and short-term sectors
• health providers
• community and voluntary sector organisation

Case study: Devon Transforming Care Partnership

NHS Devon CCG, working with three local authorities as Devon Learning Disability and Autism Partnership (LDAP) formerly Transforming Care Partnership, has successfully supported 50 adults to return to live at home since 2015. The Partnership continues to work with NHS and community providers to source suitable packages of care for people with learning disabilities and autism.

The Partnership has facilitated seven property purchases since 2018, using NHS England capital, and jointly worked with a national housing association to provide homes for people within the programme. Properties are sourced based on the person’s wishes and needs, support is commissioned on an individual basis and staff provide support 24/7.

NHS Devon CCG has recently re-launched the ‘Test of Change’ pilot that seeks to encourage more quality supported living providers to the market by developing an enhanced community support specification. Following extensive engagement with the supported living market, the enhanced specification contains a contingency fund to cover emergencies without the need to navigate around complex funding panels, a fixed funding model and the use of the 24/7 grid toolkit to monitor progression from hands on care to enabling care based on the progression model.

The CCG worked with providers and community partners to design services to meet the complex needs of each person, using Individual Service Designs (ISD) to capture the essence of the person and specific likes/dislikes to ensure that the care provided is both person centred and flexible The CCG has offered a clear indication of future need to providers and has encouraged providers to work together to share training costs and workforce plans. An NHS Network has been set up to facilitate joint working and information sharing between providers.

The Partnership has been recognised for their success in joint working and market development. Lessons learned from this approach will be used to support a similar project for children with learning disabilities and/or autism. “The success of the project so far has been down to the system-wide sign-up from our partners”, says Shona Charlton, Head of Learning Disabilities at NHS Devon CCG. “

Local councils consider implementing oversight arrangements to support joined up working between partners and deliver on planning and commissioning.

Formal partnership boards, or cross-sectoral meetings or governance arrangements can be useful to oversee this work, or alternatively existing structures can be used. As well as supporting strategic planning, governance networks between local council groups can be used to share best practice and benchmark quality and costs.

Case study: Lewisham Council

Lewisham Council commission 580 beds of supported housing across 3 supported housing pathways – mental health, young people and vulnerable people. Through the pathways provision of different levels of support, they aim to support people to move to the most appropriate form of accommodation.

Given the emergence of a number of providers aiming to support people with mental health needs that the Council did not directly commission, Lewisham Council took a strategic decision to work closely with a select group of non-commissioned providers to ensure that their services are used efficiently, are of decent quality and deliver positive outcomes for people.

The partnership work with these providers is based on certain criteria, including the standard of accommodation. The commissioning team advises the Revenues and Benefits team on the approach to these providers, who then become part of the council’s pathway with their voids allocated by a central panel. The Council collect data on outcomes for both commissioned and non-commissioned providers, to track the performance of their services and consistency of standards.

This approach has been successful in part because of the Council’s established mental health pathway for supported housing, which helps people to move forward as their needs change. The pathway gives the Council clear oversight of who is waiting for accommodation, and for what kind. The Council and providers meet for fortnightly planning meetings, to allocate people to accommodation and identify where people are ready to move to a different kind of housing. This frees up commissioned beds and helps to ensure that voids are always filled promptly – ensuring stock is used effectively.

Building relationships with non-commissioned providers ensures that people in Lewisham have a greater range of accommodation and support options offered by the Council, and that these meet their standards to help ensure they are receiving the best possible support and accommodation.

Identifying people’s current and future needs

Effective local strategic planning for supported housing will normally be underpinned by a needs assessment, across all groups of vulnerable people.

This would assess current demand and future need to set appropriate strategic objectives and priorities by utilising new and existing data and seeking input from experts and practitioners. This could also draw on existing Joint Strategic Needs Assessments or other plans.

Particular attention may be needed to ensure that all groups of vulnerable people are represented in the needs assessment. This includes less visible groups or groups for whom data is harder to identify.

Case study: Haringey Council’s review of supported housing

In 2014, Haringey Council commissioned a review of supported housing in the borough. The Council wanted to understand:

• what the gaps and demand for supported housing were in the borough
• where council-owned stock was delivering supported housing, and whether this was the best use of it; and
• how cost-efficient the provision of supported housing was and where potential savings were

The review was co-owned across the organisation and the project board made up of representatives from all participating departments. This meant the whole Council was invested in the review and its findings and championed the recommendations and analysis.

Gill Taylor led the review over a year, engaging with teams in and out of the Council and in local health services, visiting supported housing schemes in Haringey and beyond, researching best practice and talking to residents and clients about their experiences.

One of the biggest challenges was the accuracy and quality of the data available, and the inconsistency in how information and data were collected across schemes and client groups. For example, there was a complete lack of information on LGBTQ+ groups. “This was a problem for our review, but the fact that there was such a significant a gap told a story in itself,” explains Gill.

As a result, commissioned services now include a wider range of demographics as part of their reporting. The Council has also commissioned a dedicated LGBTQ+ network to champion the needs, experiences and inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ people in Haringey and the organisations working on their behalf.

Based on the review’s findings, the Council recommissioned their youth homelessness pathways to ensure care leavers can better access youth homelessness services and the wider support needed to sustain tenancies and accommodation. The Council also recommissioned their older people’s housing-related support services to ensure that older people living in all housing types anywhere in the borough are able to access support to stay independent for as long as possible.

“Another benefit of the review is that there is now a much closer working relationship between teams in the Council. Supported housing and floating support services are much more visible, and people better understand the role housing-related support can play in reducing pressures on other services and improving people’s lives” Gill adds.

Planning for supported housing

Map supply against current and future supported housing needs of vulnerable people.

Align planning with the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

The government has strengthened the revised National Planning Policy Framework so that local planning authorities are expected to have planning policies which identify the size, type and tenure of homes required for different groups in the community, including older people and people with disabilities. Further information is included in the Planning practice guidance on housing for older and disabled people.

Identify how planned new supply will be delivered, for example through commissioning grant-funded new build or refurbishment of accommodation, gifting of land, S106 planning consents^{[footnote 2]}, grant-free specialised supported housing or other business models such as leased accommodation.

What funding is available to support supply?

Government capital grant funding is available to support the supply of certain types of new supported housing. This includes:

• Affordable Homes Programme: The government has launched a new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme that will deliver a range of affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26, including supported housing.
• Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH) Fund: This funding aims to support and accelerate the development of specialist housing which meets the needs of older people and adults with learning and physical disabilities, and mental ill health.
• NHS England capital funding: Available to support the provision of accommodation for people with a learning disability, autism or mental ill health. Grants are secured through a legal charge or restriction on title against the property.

In addition, in October 2018 the government abolished the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap, freeing up councils to double delivery to around 10,000 new council homes a year by 2021/22. Councils will be able to use this new borrowing flexibility to help finance the development of new supported housing. To further help councils build, the government is providing a longer-term rent deal up to 2025, providing a stable investment environment to deliver new homes.

Any capital funding bids for sheltered and extra care housing need to be linked to an identified need.

Plan how the care and support for any planned provision will be funded, considering the different needs of residents and the different options available for support.

When planning to meet the housing needs of vulnerable people, consider options across the spectrum of support services, such as preventative services or support in people’s own homes, as well as the use of supported housing. Depending on the needs of the individual, other support services may be more appropriate. The needs of individuals requiring support are always be the primary consideration including – where possible – the individual’s own preferences.

Consider and plan for how the supported housing fits with wider local pathways, such health, social care and criminal justice pathways. For example, the different housing and support options for residents to move onto, and the availability of these services.

Managing local need

Develop cross-authority arrangements, for example setting out where a client group can access services elsewhere if there is no provision in a local area and putting arrangements in place with surrounding authorities for placing people into supported housing out of their areas. This can be particularly important for some groups of people, including those fleeing domestic abuse, people with experience of the criminal justice system, or those recovering from substance dependence, for whom accessing housing outside their own local area may be more suitable.

Be transparent and accountable on delivery against local strategic planning - make the plans public, report against delivery on an annual basis and publish the results. This could include reporting to local partnership boards for scrutiny.

It may also be helpful to keep a record of supported housing providers and schemes (both commissioned and non-commissioned) and share with teams across the local authority as well as with all agencies who might be making referrals.

A record of supported housing schemes in the area can help local authorities to maintain oversight of local provision. Recording information on the costs associated can also ensure that costs are reasonable, transparent, comparable and represent good value for money.

Case study: Sunderland City Council’s record of supported housing providers

Sunderland City Council keeps databases of providers which enable more efficient, joined up working across teams within the Council. For example, they maintain a list of providers which is shared with local DWP and internal colleagues, so they are aware of what schemes exist and which have supported exempt accommodation status.

They also record core rents and service charges across all supported housing schemes, which allow the team to make comparisons and determine whether costs for any new schemes appear reasonable.

Maintaining a record for each provider, with a breakdown of the rent for all their schemes, the charges they have submitted and the amount the Council have agreed to pay, allows the Benefits Manager to determine what the charges represent and whether they are reasonable. When providers submit rent changes for their schemes, this record shows where charges have been increased significantly or where new charges have been added.

This allows the Council and their partners to ensure that costs are reasonable, transparent and represent good value for money.

This record could include a function to capture any additional information which may help with the suitability of accommodation for particular individuals. For example, an awareness of the geographical location of schemes, especially those catering for more specialist or vulnerable groups. Sharing intelligence on available supply will build data on local need and will make referrals easier, particularly for short-term accommodation.

Good practice in commissioning

Local councils ensure that all relevant teams (including across upper and lower tiers) are aware of plans to commission and deliver supported housing.

This includes commissioning teams, Revenues and Benefits teams, adult social care, children’s services and housing. This can also include local health commissioning bodies (Clinical Commissioning Groups) where relevant. Local councils will benefit from engaging with providers and involving them in decisions on commissioning to the greatest extent possible.

It is also helpful to ensure transparent and timely communication with housing providers on matters related to their properties, including informing them when commissioning or re-commissioning support services in their scheme.

For further information on best practice, local councils can refer to the National Audit Office’s Principles of Good Commissioning.

Commissioning teams seek opportunities to work collaboratively with other organisations to plan and commission supported housing.

Case study: Joint commissioning through the Integrated Personal Support Alliance

In south London, the work of the Integrated Personalised Support Alliance (IPSA) is transforming mental health support in the local area.

IPSA began in 2015 as a new approach to the rehabilitation and recovery of people with long-term mental health conditions in Lambeth, involving health services, local government and the voluntary sector. It aims to provide an alternative to bed-based residential and hospital provision through services like community-based supported accommodation.

The Alliance is a partnership between Lambeth Council, Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), and voluntary sector providers Certitude and Thames Reach.

The Alliance has agreed, shared objectives and all partners play an equal role. A single performance framework ensures everyone works to the same outcomes: the focus is on people’s rehabilitation and recovery, not the results of individual providers.

“The Alliance built on the strong, positive working relationships that already existed in Lambeth,” says Denis O’Rourke, Former Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning for Mental Health. For example, his role is joint across the Council and CCG. “But the key to success has been shared values, and outcomes and agreement on the direction of travel.”

While this approach has challenges, such as different organisational and cultural approaches to supporting people, the Alliance has seen positive results. Since 2015, IPSA has saved almost £2.5 million (around 20% of their overall budget) through finding alternative to residential, nursing, inpatient rehabilitations and spot placements. It has led to over a third of the original 200-person cohort finding more appropriate accommodation, such as an IPSA scheme, supported housing or their own home.

Part 2: Delivering accommodation which is safe, good quality and value for money

Supported housing accommodates some of the most vulnerable people in our society; it is therefore essential that it is safe, of good quality, meets residents’ needs and fits with the local community. It must also provide value for money for the resident, commissioner and taxpayer.

The quality ultimately determines outcomes – higher quality means individuals are more likely to experience better outcomes, whether that means successfully living independently, navigating and staying out of crisis or managing their health effectively. This not only results in a better quality of life for residents but can also support more effective use of resources elsewhere for public services and local councils.

Working collaboratively is crucial. We would encourage providers to engage with their local council to demonstrate the safety, quality and value of their service.

All organisations involved in the delivery of supported housing have a role to play in achieving safe and high quality housing, including:

• providers, in making sure housing is safe, well managed, of a good standard and costs are fair
• local councils, in assuring themselves of the suitability, safety and quality of accommodation (in both commissioned and non-commissioned provision) and monitoring costs
• bodies making referrals, including where these are made to other areas or where they have not commissioned or funded directly

It is important that residents are consulted and content with the placement. We would also encourage referring bodies to follow up with individuals or their representatives after individuals are placed in accommodation to ensure that the accommodation meets their expectations and needs.

Safety and quality in supported housing

Delivering safe and high quality supported housing means providing accommodation which is safe, comfortable and meets residents’ needs.

At the end of this document we have included a detailed checklist of both legal requirements and suggested standards for accommodation and tenancy-related housing services, to be used by supported housing landlords and managing agents. These standards are equally relevant to commissioned and non-commissioned housing providers.

There are additional considerations, highlighted throughout this section, that need to be made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect residents and staff.

For supported housing with commissioned support, the accommodation will need to comply with any accommodation standards set out by support commissioners (commissioners may wish to refer to the standards in Annex A). This may be higher than the minimum statutory standards in some cases.

However, all organisations involved in the delivery of supported housing contribute to ensuring good standards of accommodation for residents – we have summarised some of our key recommendations below.

Case study: A Psychologically Informed Approach at Hope Gardens

Hope Gardens is a 27-bed supported housing scheme in West London for individuals with experience of homelessness and complex needs. It is commissioned by Hammersmith and Fulham Council and run by charity and housing association, St Mungo’s.

Hope Gardens was chosen for its residential location, while being close to amenities and local services. The scheme Gardens was refurbished in 2014, in close consultation with residents. The refurbishment was informed by a Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) approach, which recognises how the physical environment, culture and interactions between residents and staff can influence residents’ mental health.

Each resident has their own room with a lock. There are female only safe spaces and there is flexible support for couples. A private room allow residents to spend time with their families, participate in private therapy sessions or meet their key worker.

The spacious communal areas were decorated with residents’ input. Information on display is designed to help residents feel welcome and motivated to achieve their goals and includes photos and information about the staff and the activities on offer.

Residents contribute to the community by helping with breakfast, watering the plants, or running bingo on a Sunday. As a result, residents engage well with the support available. 74% of residents make a positive move to more independent, or other appropriate housing when they leave Hope Gardens – higher than the organisational average.

“Every step of the way, we try to make sure Hope Gardens is a positive environment where people want to live and can feel positive about their lives. The residents really care about the space and this sense of community definitely helps residents to start to rebuild their lives.” Amy Rice, Service Manager at Hope Gardens

General expectations for housing

Accommodation is assessed for its suitability in meeting the needs of residents – by commissioners, bodies making referrals, and landlords and managing agents of supported housing when referrals are made. Individuals are consulted and their views sought in this process.

Housing is accessible, appropriate, safe and hazard-free with adequate protection for residents from COVID-19.

Case study: Delivering Extra Care in a COVID-safe environment at Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group

MSV Housing is a north west based placeshaper and social landlord, with over 50 years spent investing in and serving its communities.

Over the last year, MSV Housing has worked with Manchester City Council and Homes England to develop a 72-unit extra care scheme, as part of a wider development in Manchester. However, the scheme’s development coincided with the emergence of COVID-19.

In future, all schemes will need to consider second waves or future pandemics and these elements should be designed in as standard,” says Charlie Norman, Chief Executive of MSV Housing. “However, our scheme was at an advanced stage when the pandemic hit, so we didn’t have this luxury. We’ve had to innovate and make adjustments to the model to keep people safe.”

MSV Housing has ensured clear messaging in the scheme on the importance of social distancing and good hygiene, especially regular handwashing. In addition, there is understanding among staff, residents and visitors of COVID-19 symptoms and the need to self-isolate and to seek a test if experiencing symptoms.

The scheme has implemented a range of practical measures to keep residents safe, including hand sanitiser stations and mobile screens so that residents can move around. They have added garden furniture with socially distanced spacing and a gazebo. Inside, passing places on corridors are clearly marked and an enhanced cleaning schedule is in place. A visiting rota for families ensures that local guidance and restrictions are upheld. Staff working on the scheme are fully briefed and wear PPE as required when interacting with residents.

The pandemic has changed the nature of extra care and people’s interactions within it. Yet MSV believes the model can be adapted without undermining its core principles, providing providers take a full and active role in creating a COVID)-19 safe environment, recognising the additional risks the virus poses for a disproportionately vulnerable client group.

Landlords fulfil their role in compliance with all relevant guidance, including leasing terms for the building and contractual arrangements with the managing agent where accommodation and support is delivered by different organisations.

Providers ensure staff are safe and suitable to be in contact with and work with vulnerable client groups

Staff are supplied with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) with which to carry out their role for the safety of themselves and the residents.

Landlords, managing agents and all staff working on-site demonstrate an understanding of supported housing services and are provided with comprehensive training appropriate to their role.

Core competencies relating to safeguarding, equalities and building safety are particularly important and training programmes include regular refreshers on key issues and opportunities for learning and development. Staff are supported to acquire appropriate qualifications, where relevant.

Staff are trained in measures to maintain health and safety in the accommodation in light of COVID-19.

There is guidance available from Public Health England to support organisations providing care which provides more detail on using the appropriate PPE.

Case study: Staff training by supported housing providers

Depaul

Depaul UK is a homelessness charity with a focus on young people. It manages supported housing for around 400 young people in 14 local authority areas.

Depaul UK has recently supported all their housing management workers to complete a three-day Managing Safely course delivered by an independent training provider and accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Chartered body for safety and health professionals. The course is the industry standard for conducting risk assessments and staff receive a qualification on its completion.

“Our staff are now better able to identify hazards and potential physical risks to the safety and wellbeing of our residents,” said Carly Lyes, Learning and Development Manager.

Golden Lane Housing

Golden Lane Housing (GLH) works with people with a learning disability to provide supported housing around which they can build their lives. They provide housing for around 2,000 people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Safeguarding is key for this client group. Recently, GLH made the decision to bring their repair team in-house. All staff, including operatives who visit supported housing schemes, receive a comprehensive induction which includes training on the protection of adults at risk. In addition to this, staff receive yearly refresher training on recognising the indicators of abuse and the actions to follow should they have a concern about a tenant.

GLH’s safeguarding policy and procedures further support staff in dealing with any safeguarding concerns. GLH are passionate about embedding a culture where staff understand that it is everyone’s responsibility to help keep an adult at risk safe from abuse.

Case study: Adapting to service delivery for COVID-19 at Evolve Housing

Evolve Housing + Support is a homelessness charity in London, providing housing and support to over 2,000 people each year.

“The pandemic has meant a great deal of change for everyone. We have had to adapt quickly to protect others, change working practices and constantly review our decisions to ensure we are doing everything possible to support our customers,” says Jeremy Gray, Chief Executive. “As soon as we understood the severity of COVID-19, it became our top priority to create a system to protect our homeless customers, many of whom fall into the COVID-19 vulnerability category”.

Evolve’s Business Continuity Plan, which is tested on a biannual basis, was implemented quickly as soon as social distancing became necessary to control the spread of infection.

At the beginning of March, Evolve cancelled all non-essential meetings and postponed all training, secured extra PPE for services, and organised regular virtual management calls. This enabled them to proactively address all new government guidance and to ensure all services were fully supported.

Before the national lockdown was introduced, Evolve issued infection control guidance to support staff to work safely, and wrote to all customers with information about COVID-19. As an early precaution to control the spread of infection, all guests and non-essential visitors were stopped from entering supported housing schemes.

Once restrictions were brought in, Evolve developed clear guidance around new ways of working and infection control and prioritised helping staff who could safely be in work to access key worker services and safe modes of transport. Knowing where there were high levels of staff absence allowed them to redeploy the community team to reduce the need for agency spend.

In preparation for the easing of lockdown restrictions, the organisation have focused on ensuring that all services meet the ‘COVID-19 Secure’ standard. This includes conducting individual risk assessments with each member of staff and reviewing the organisational Business Continuity Plan. Frontline staff have been provided with face masks and hand sanitiser.

So far, Evolve have had no customer confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any of their services. They are now starting to reflect and identify learning which will enable them to act more insightfully in the future, and sharing these with their local authority partners. This will ensure that all services are sufficiently prepared for the possibility of a second wave.

Accommodation

Definition: Accommodation – all aspects of the building, including residents’ living areas and communal spaces.

Housing meets all building-related and environmental statutory requirements, including those on fire and health and safety.

The Regulator of Social Housing requires that all registered providers meet the Decent Homes Standard. We would suggest that all non-registered providers meet this standard as best practice, along with the standards and extra duties for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), both licensable and non-licensable (buildings controlled or managed by registered social landlords are not HMOs under the Housing Act 2004). Providers should comply with local licensing requirements where applicable.

Legislation: quick guide

The Decent Homes Standard sets out that social housing must: meet the current statutory minimum standard of housing, be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities and services, and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

Larger HMOs (classified as those with 5 or more occupants forming t2 or more separate households), are licensable, but local authorities also have the power to declare smaller HMOs subject to licensing. Landlords of non-licensable HMOs must still comply with the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006, which set out duties of the managers of these properties.

Communication

There is regular communication and collaboration between housing teams, landlords, managing agents, support staff in accommodation and commissioners of support services, to share information so that arrangements can be adapted as resources or residents’ needs change. Where applicable, communication responsibilities and expectations could be clarified within any service agreements between stakeholder parties.

Resident communication, information, consultation and involvement is appropriate to their needs.

Clear, simple and accessible complaints and redress procedures are in place.

Security of tenure

Residents are given the most secure form of tenancy compatible with the purpose of the housing and their needs and circumstances.

Repairs

Quality standards are in place for response and repair times for both routine and emergency repairs. Non-emergency repair times may be agreed with the residents, where appropriate, to create a more resident-focussed approach.

Referrals

Referrals into supported housing involve two-way communication between referring agencies and supported housing providers on individual needs and suitability for a scheme. Individuals are involved in the referral process and their input is sought to address their objectives.

Organisations making referrals into supported housing carry out housing needs assessment for residents and place them in accommodation which is appropriate for their circumstances. Referring organisations engage with providers at an early stage and the provider also completes an assessment to verify the suitability of the referral.

Needs assessments assess an individual’s suitability for a scheme based on their vulnerabilities and risk and the appropriate ‘mix’ of residents in a household.

There is effective and timely communication and information from the referring organisation, so that the supported housing provider is aware of the residents’ individual needs and is able to confirm the suitability of the referral.

Case study: Anchor Hanover’s tenancy suitability assessment

Anchor Hanover is a specialist provider of older people’s housing with more than 54,000 homes across England.

They are trialling the use of a ‘tenancy sustainability assessment’ in their independent living and extra care housing schemes. The assessment supports potential residents to make a success of their new home but also ensures that they and other residents will remain safe. Anchor Hanover is already seeing the benefits of this initiative.

This year, Mr Martins* was nominated for an Anchor Hanover housing scheme in Bromley by the Council’s Adult Social Care team. Before accepting the nomination, Anchor Hanover’s Housing Assistant (HA) made a home visit to Mr Martins to complete the tenancy suitability assessment.

During the visit the HA established that Mr Martins was hard of hearing and wore one hearing aid. This information had not been included on the nomination form. Mr Martins told the HA that he wasn’t certain whether he would be able to hear the fire alarm system in bed with or without his hearing aid. Mr Martins felt that for his own and others’ safety, he needed an adaptation to his home and the HA discussed different options with him before making a decision.

The Anchor Hanover team ordered a vibrating pad for Mr Martins’ new home and it was fitted the week he moved in. Housing staff showed Mr Martins how the device worked and how to ensure that it remained charged. His Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan was updated, and the on-site care team were notified of the safety device which required checking at the evening call.

Completing the tenancy suitability assessment and making the appropriate adjustments has made Mr Martins more comfortable in his home and ensured the safety of the residents and building.

*Names have been changed

Case study: Telford and Wrekin Council’s providers forum

Telford and Wrekin Council has developed an extra care providers’ forum to increase joined up working and efficiencies in supported housing.

The quarterly meetings bring together providers of extra care housing, adult social care operational managers, commissioners from housing and adult social care. Other stakeholders, such as the hospital discharge, community learning and participation teams attend on invitational basis. In future, the Council aims to expand the forum to include all providers of housing for older people.

The forum is an opportunity to share best practice in both housing and care and support services. The group works together to address system and process blockages, manages the joint referral process and discusses solutions for complex cases. They also work collaboratively to develop best practice, discussing future models of working – such as how to proactively maintain a balance of resident needs within their schemes.

Providers are encouraged to raise any challenges within their schemes that would benefit from collaboration or improved links with other areas and work with the Council to find solutions.

In early meetings, the group identified access and referral as an issue for both providers (to fill property voids) and for the Council (who were not able to prioritise referrals for voids). The Council and providers worked together to develop a joint access and referral process. As a result, the Council holds a waiting list, completes only one application form and is offered first refusal on all voids.

The providers forum is now also used as a panel arrangement to regularly review difficult cases to identify solutions together.

Value for money in supported housing

As well as helping to improve people’s quality of life by supporting them to live independently, supported housing provides significant benefits to the country and the wider public sector. Every pound spent on supported housing contributes to positive outcomes for individuals, which can lead to more effective use of resources for the NHS, local councils and the wider public sector: for example, through lower health and social care costs, lower pressure on police, probation and prison services and reduced homelessness and rough sleeping^{[footnote 3]}. This in turn enables these services to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable groups.

Case study: Aviary House reducing pressure on mental health services

Aviary House in North Solihull accommodates adults with a history of severe and enduring mental health needs through combined housing and onsite support. They aim to to create a friendly, safe and supportive environment in which people can develop and improve their skills to live more independently.

Aviary House, run by Home Group, is commissioned by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and is home to 24 long-term residents. There are also four Step Up Step Down beds funded by the NHS, which offer short term accommodation and support to people with severe mental health needs.

This combined service model increases Aviary House’s cost effectiveness by sharing staff across the SUSD and supported living. By reducing the need for hospital admissions and out of area placements, Aviary House delivered a net saving of £71,000 in 2017/18.

Most importantly, individuals reported a 52% improvement in their wellbeing after their stay in Aviary House.

“The Step Up and Step Down service offers people the time and space to recover from crisis delivering a therapeutic, effective, safe alternative to hospital for some people who would previously have been admitted. It has proven to be a very valuable resource to the NHS,” explains Martin Luke, Manager at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust.

“We’ve seen real friendships form at Aviary House,” adds mental health commissioner at Solihull Council, Julia Phillips, “Some SUSD clients have come back once they have recovered to volunteer within the scheme, and some meet up at various activities within the wider community. You really can’t underestimate the positive impact of having a stable peer support group.”

Health and local government teams work closely, sharing knowledge and information through project groups and regular meetings. Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group now plan to develop this model of service across Birmingham City.

Costs for rent and eligible services charges are transparent and reasonable.

Many people who live in supported housing are on a low income or benefits. For those who are eligible (subject to individual circumstances and current regulations), financial help with their housing costs, such as rent and eligible service charges, can be met through the welfare system. Funding is usually through Housing Benefit, which is administered by local councils on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Local councils are responsible for administering Housing Benefit and determining whether the accommodation meets the criteria for ‘specified’ accommodation (including ‘exempt’ accommodation) and whether Housing Benefit can be paid to cover housing costs.

Housing costs for supported housing can be higher than normal housing due to space and accessibility requirements, greater wear and tear, additional design features and fittings for people with complex needs and the need to be close to amenities or in some cases a specific location. However, it is important that housing costs in supported housing are reasonable, appropriate and represent value for money. For example, service charges must represent the actual cost of the services and it should be clear what each charge covers.

There are several actions which can be taken to help ensure fair value in supported housing.

The DWP provides guidance for local councils to assist with the assessment of Housing Benefit claims in addition to the relevant Housing Benefit legislation. This includes the assessment of whether housing costs are eligible and reasonable.

Local councils have powers under Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 (Regulation 13) to challenge rents which are not reasonable. Therefore, in the interest of tenants, providers and Revenues and Benefits teams should consider working together to establish what costs are reasonable for rent and eligible service charges in each case. Regular communication between local councils and providers during the claim assessment process will deliver the best outcome for the resident.

Housing associations, charities and landlords (including their managing agents) should ensure they are able to provide clear information on how charges have been set, respond to any queries promptly and cooperate fully with local council Revenues and Benefits teams to avoid delaying claims. Providers should have clear rent setting policies in place as appropriate.

Local councils have powers under the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 (Regulation 86) to require information in relation to a Housing Benefit claim from benefit claimants. This can include following up with a claimant on the level and type of support they are receiving. Due to the vulnerable nature of the majority of claimants in supported housing, it may be beneficial to request this information from a third party or someone acting on behalf of the claimant.

Engaging with providers

There are many ways in which local councils can engage with providers to ensure supported housing is high quality and represents value for money within the scope of Housing Benefit regulations. Each local council can choose how best to achieve this aim in their area. The example below from Sunderland Council is one approach and can contribute to ensuring that people’s needs are met in their supported housing, and that the welfare system is funding only high quality, value for money accommodation.

Case study: Sunderland Council

Deborah Younger, Assistant Benefits Manager at Sunderland City Council, has been working in Housing Benefit for over 30 years. Her team assess Housing Benefit claims in line with regulations and follows the best practice below for supported housing. Any of these tools may be used as part of a reasonable assessment of Housing Benefit claims to ensure compliance with regulations. There is no expectation that a local council will make use of all these tools.

The team does not use all tools for every scheme but select the most appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

• Visit as many new schemes as possible. This helps them to understand costs and to especially identify where costs are inappropriate or illegitimate.
• Ask for evidence and methodology for costs, where figures don’t appear reasonable.
• For newly built schemes, ask for build costs where the core rent charge is high.
• Share information with other local authorities. Where providers have a presence in other areas, the team contacts other local authority to see if they have had any concerns and to discuss charges for rent and service charges, particularly for housing management and staffing costs.
• Verify that rents are set following the rent standard and whether the provider is eligible for an exemption from the rent standard. This can be taken to the Regulator of Social Housing.
• Look into intensive housing management costs to determine whether they are justifiable and reasonable ensuring that there are no costs relating to support within the charge. Ask for time-in-motions of tasks carried out by the appropriate staff where costs are excessive.
• Speak to service users to discuss the support they are getting, whether it is appropriate and required and is sufficient for their needs.
• Ask for proof of funding for support costs to ensure that providers have a separate funding stream for support other than rent.
• Review staff structures, job descriptions, hours worked and salaries.
• Request the Service Level Agreement between the Landlord and Care Provider to determine what responsibility each party has for care, support and supervision to determine exempt accommodation status amongst other things.
• Where a core rent comprises a charge for a lease to a Superior Landlord, request the lease agreement.
• Request invoices where they seem to be excessive and to verify who is responsible for paying these costs.
• Maintain a database to compare core rents and service charges between providers.
• Work closely and liaise with various Departments (Adult Social Care Commissioning Team, Housing Strategy and Housing Options) within Sunderland City Council, particularly on new schemes that are proposing to come into the City. Joint meetings are held with the Service Provider, where appropriate, and rent levels agreed, wherever possible, before the scheme goes live.

If there are any areas that raise cause for concern, Sunderland City Council would:

• restrict the charges that are excessive where there is insufficient evidence or information held to justify the costs
• make payments on account where a final decision cannot be made as information and evidence is outstanding
• refuse to pay Housing Benefit and signpost to claim housing costs via Universal Credit (unless an exemption applies) whilst on-going enquiries are being made whether support is provided and is more than minimal
• suspend payments where it is felt that this is the appropriate action to take
• raise their concerns with the Rent Regulator where it has not been demonstrated that the rent standard has been adhered to

Local council Revenues and Benefits departments and commissioners share knowledge and data to benchmark schemes.

Sharing knowledge and data internally and between neighbouring authorities to benchmark the level of rent and service charges typically required in different types of supported housing schemes can enable Revenues and Benefits teams to compare costs and equips them to identify and challenge where these are unreasonable. This will require a partnership approach between key stakeholders; teams may also seek input and knowledge from trusted providers.

Local councils could particularly consider identifying those parts of the supported housing sector which can represent a higher intensity of client need and thus higher costs, for example specialised supported housing for people with acute conditions or for people with complex needs. Commissioners and Revenues and Benefits teams could work together to understand the reasons for legitimate higher costs.

The size and age of a scheme, as well as the needs of the client group for which it was developed, will all impact upon costs. For example, the availability of grant funding impacts development costs; while accommodation developed with government capital grant funding is subject to the Rent Standard, as are some other types of supported housing. Housing developed to bespoke specifications for an individual or location also incurs additional costs. Rent charges for schemes should be based on the initial cost of development and the services provided. The cost of the development should be recovered over a reasonable period of time to avoid rents being unreasonably high for residents. Partnership work can aim to achieve a clearer understanding of these variations within different parts of the sector.

Providers could then be asked to provide further information and supporting evidence where it is not clear whether the costs involved are proportionate to the intensity of need of the client group or the accommodation and housing services provided.

Case study: Supported Housing Sector Scorecard

The supported housing sector is committed to providing high quality accommodation which improves the quality of life of their tenants. They are also committed to offering good value for money.

To achieve this, supported housing providers have joined together to develop a Supported Housing Sector Scorecard. The scorecard will establish a standard set of indicators which will enable housing associations and supported housing providers to benchmark costs, performance and supported housing supply against their peers.

This work expands upon the Sector Scorecard, which benchmarked wider housing association performance in social housing, and will deliver several benefits for supported housing.

The scorecard will provide a reliable and comparable set of results that organisations can use to understand their own performance in the context of supported housing provision. This will support the sector to work with and learn from each other.

The insight will also enable supported housing providers to ensure they are delivering and efficient and value for money service that meets best practice in terms of improved customer outcomes. This will help to rive performance improvements.

“The Supported Housing Sector Scorecard is a vital step towards improving quality and value for money in all supported accommodation. It will allow us to learn from our diversity, understand and evidence the positive impact we have for our customers, and deliver the best service we can, as efficiently as possible,” said Rachael Byrne, Chair of the Supported Housing Sector Scorecard.

The Working Group includes 15 national and regional providers representing a range of client groups across Supported Housing. They have developed an initial set of indicators, covering current and new supply of supported housing, cost per unit, levels of occupancy, rents and customer satisfaction. The full pilot will be launched in September 2020 across the supported housing sector.

Local councils can consider using their existing powers relating to both housing, health and safety and Housing Benefit to enforce minimum housing standards in supported housing and to ensure housing costs are not excessive.

Revenues and Benefits teams should be satisfied that accommodation and support provided meet the tests within Housing Benefit regulations and represent value for money. If not satisfied, they have the power to take further action, including visiting the premises or challenging claims.

Case study: Hull City Council’s Supported Accommodation Review Team

Hull has around 600 properties providing short-term supported accommodation for around 1500 people. In 2018, Hull City Council launched a pilot project to address concerns around the proliferation, clustering and poor quality of supported housing and in April 2019, the Supported Accommodation Review Team was formed.

In Year 1, the team conducted 148 Housing Inspections and 114 tenant Support Reviews to:

• Assess housing and property management standards to ensure provision of safe, well managed and maintained accommodation.
• Review the support / charges to ensure that the support is “more than minimal”; designed to facilitate supported accommodation properties within local communities; and helps individuals to move on to independent accommodation where appropriate.

This has resulted in the removal of 251 housing hazards (HHSRS), and 108 letters have been issued to support providers, requiring and achieving significant improvements in tenant support.

Improvements in property condition and tenant support are also being driven by collaborative working with Providers through the publication of Hull’s Supported Accommodation Provider Charter in March 2020, and the delivery of free training, relating to housing hazard assessment, HMO management and tenant support, provided in the Team’s first year, to 161 staff members representing 26 Supported Accommodation Providers.

The Supported Accommodation Review Team also performs a “gatekeeper role” in partnership with the Housing Benefit Service during the new Scheme application process, to ensure that sub-standard Schemes are not given exempt status, and to provide an opportunity for Schemes which do not meet minimum standards to make appropriate improvements.

Leo’s story

Leo* moved into supported housing in Hull after leaving care at age 17. When the Supported Accommodation Review Team (SART) officers carried out a support review with Leo, he raised a wide range of concerns. This included a lack of appropriate support from the accommodation provider; poor housing conditions including a lack of hot water and heating; and an unsecured property with real risks of entry by intruders into the property. These issues were having a negative impact on Leo’s well-being, physical and mental health.

The provider was initially unresponsive when SART raised these issues, so the team acted quickly. By engaging with the provider’s senior management they were able to address the urgent housing conditions and improve the support offered to Leo, This prevented the issues from escalating further and restored a positive support relationship between Leo and the provider.

The team also collaborated with local authority and partner services – including Local Authority Adult Social Care, Children’s Services specialists, Safeguarding, Housing Officers and out of area Social Services. As a result, Leo received a structured support plan, was helped to request a care leaver’s personal assistant and accessed mental health specialists. The team also found that Leo was ready to explore a move-on package to more independent living, which hadn’t been seen as a possibility before.

*Names have been changed

Case study: Enforcement in Birmingham

Birmingham’s approach to enforcement in the exempt supported accommodation has become increasing important with the sector’s rapid growth.

Following a study undertaken on behalf of the Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board, the Council has:

• Established a Multi-Agency Task and Finish Group to consider issues relating to the exempt sector and to develop an action plan for delivery.
• Developed a set of Quality Standards, which Providers can work towards meeting and become accredited.
• Developed a Charter of Rights for Citizens in supported exempt accommodation, commissioned through Spring Housing.
• Set up Multidisciplinary Action Planning meetings, bringing together key partners such as Adult Safeguarding, Planning, Fire Service and Police. When complaints and safeguarding alerts are received, the group shares intelligence and agrees actions and responsibility between agencies.

In April 2019 a pilot enforcement team was established, and following its success, has been fully incorporated into the Benefits Service.

The team’s preventative approach supports partners to improve standards. One landlord, who continuously failed to provide evidence of support in an ongoing review, was issued with written correspondence that their claims could be refused if they did not comply. The landlord is now working with Birmingham to provide the required information.

The team also reviews providers where there are concerns around governance and finances. Since April 2020 the team have reviewed 9 landlords who supply supported accommodation and are undertaking 5 further reviews.

The team reviews individual claims and so far, over 2,100 claims have been identified as incorrectly or fraudulently claimed Overpaid Housing Benefit. This has recovered over £1.1 million for the Council.

Birmingham provides feedback and evidence to the Charity Commission and Regulator for Social Housing to support their work, and submit fraud referrals to DWP.

Both local councils and providers ensure they take a consistent approach to administration and information sharing.

We would encourage local councils to share information across teams, including supported housing commissioners and Housing Benefit teams. This includes teams being aware of the circumstances and conditions of any discussions and agreements with providers.

We suggest that providers ensure they are transparent in their communication with local council teams, ensuring they engage them about any plans to develop new schemes and the costs associated with them.

Legislation: quick guide

Local authorities are required by the Housing Act 2004 to keep the housing conditions in their area under review and have duties and powers to take enforcement action to deal with health and safety hazards. More specifically, local authorities have powers under the Housing Act 2004 (Section 4) to inspect residential properties in their area, including supported housing, to determine if there are health and safety hazards in the property. See statutory guidance on enforcement.

Based on feedback from housing inspection officers, local authorities may also wish to consider relying on their powers under the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 (Regulation 86) to request information from benefit claimants in relation to a Housing Benefit claim, to collect further information to test whether the rent and eligible service charges being claimed are reasonable and justified

Case study: Nottingham City Council’s Good Practice Guide: ‘The Nottingham Way’

In 2019, Nottingham City Council launched its Good Practice Standards Guide for the delivery of non-commissioned supported housing in Nottingham.

The guide was developed for two reasons:

1. The Council had identified an increase in the number of providers approaching the Council either opening new supported accommodation or proposing to provide supported accommodation; these were nearly always linked to claims for the ‘exempt’ rate of Housing Benefit.

2. The Council had received a number of enquiries about the standards expected of supported housing providers in the city, and had experienced cases of poor housing conditions where further action had to be taken.

The Council’s Housing Strategy & Partnerships team worked collaboratively with the Safer Housing Team, Nottingham Revenues and Benefits, the Community Rehabilitation Company and the Probation Service to develop the Good Practice Standards Guide.

The guide is an informative publication which helps housing providers consider what they need to do to provide good-quality accommodation and support to citizens with specific needs or vulnerabilities.

The guide covers a variety of aspects including referrals, accommodation standards, tenancy agreements, partnership working, and safeguarding. It also signposts to further useful resources for tenants and providers.

It is envisaged that the Good Practice Standards Guide (Nottingham Way) will aid positive outcomes including:

• good, consistent quality of accommodation and support
• higher accommodation standards for those living in supported housing
• better outcomes for those being supported in this form of accommodation
• greater assurance about value for money for the Housing Benefit being charged
• enhanced relationships between the Council and local service providers

The guide has been distributed to existing providers in Nottingham and is shared with anyone making enquiries to start up a supported housing scheme. The Council is currently following up with providers to assess the usefulness of the guide to date.

Annex A: Checklist of accommodation standards and tenancy-related housing services in supported housing

This checklist is primarily for supported housing landlords and managing agents and sets out suggested standards for accommodation-related housing services that we would like to see applied in supported housing in England. It covers legal requirements, suggested minimum standards and what we consider constitutes best practice.

While the intended audience is primarily supported housing landlords and managing agents, we believe all organisations involved in supported housing delivery will find the list beneficial and a useful reference point, and would encourage:

• All providers across the sector to meet these standards and to set out how they meet these standards in their annual report to their stakeholders and residents.
• Board chairs and members to hold their executive teams to account on whether and how they are meeting these standards.
• Commissioners and referral agencies consider these standards when placing or referring individuals into supported housing accommodation.
• Local councils consider these standards when considering their housing enforcement strategies and approach.

We recognise that the supported housing sector is extremely diverse and serves a wide range of client groups with a variety of needs and requirements. This checklist can be considered with this in mind - discretion and common sense may be exercised where a guideline should not apply for a certain group or type of supported housing scheme.

Supported accommodation – general expectations and suitability

Minimum legal requirements

Accommodation is safe and well maintained (Sections 9A – 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985).

Landlords must ensure that their property, including any common parts of the building, is fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy and throughout.

Landlords must ensure their property is free of hazards by which is meant any defect which poses a risk of harm to the health or safety of the occupiers.

Landlords must keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair and must keep the installations which provide water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water, in proper working order.

For supported housing with commissioned support, the accommodation will need to comply with the accommodation standards set out by support commissioners. This may be higher than the minimum statutory standards in some cases.

Suggested minimum standards

Housing is accessible, suitably located, appropriate and suitable to meet the needs of residents, including health, care and support needs.

Procedures and measures are in place to minimise risk and provide the best possible support to people in supported living settings in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accommodation is assessed by local council commissioners, referring bodies, and by providers and their partners (e.g. providers of support services), for its suitability in meeting the needs of the specific vulnerable residents being accommodated. The individual’s views and aspirations are sought and considered in the assessment.

Housing staff demonstrate an understanding of supported housing services and be provided with comprehensive training, with regular refreshers on key issues, and appropriate learning and development opportunities for their role. They develop competencies relating to safeguarding, equalities and building safety. Staff are supported to acquire appropriate qualifications, where relevant.

All staff are suitably qualified or trained appropriately for the role they are in and encouraged to acquire appropriate and relevant qualifications by housing providers.

Staff are supplied with the appropriate PPE and training in COVID-19 measures and follow the Public Health England guidance on PPE in residential care/support settings.

Staff and residents are considerate of neighbours – external areas are kept clean and safe, and measures are in place to prevent and manage any anti-social behaviour.

Going further – suggested best practice

Accommodation is located near to amenities and transport, supporting social inclusion.

There are efforts to engage the local community, for example over the standards of housing and housing services, or by allowing access to any facilities such as gyms, as appropriate.

Residents are empowered and supported to engage with neighbours and the local community if they choose to.

Accommodation regulations and standards

Minimum legal requirements

The buildings comply with local council standards or other statutory building and fire safety regulations and any other relevant wider applicable housing legislation.

The landlord must:

• check and maintain gas safety (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998)
• ensure that furniture and furnishings comply with the regulations and are fire safe (Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988)
• fit smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015)
• provide an Energy Performance Certificate (Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012)
• provide a copy of the How to rent: the checklist for renting in England guide

Buildings comply with relevant accessibility regulations, including on accessible and adaptable dwellings (Access to and use of buildings: Approved Document M, vol. 1 and 2).

Accommodation is free from serious hazards, as assessed by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

Landlord complies with House in Multiple Occupation management duties and licences property if necessary.

Meet the standards set out in the ‘Decent Homes Standard’ if registered with the Regulator for Social Housing (or work closely with the Regulator to do so within an agreed timeframe if non-compliant).

Suggested minimum standards

Meet the standards set out in the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, even if not registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. If accommodation does not meet the standard, we would encourage the provider to instigate a plan to achieve compliance over a reasonable specified timeframe and to monitor, assess and report regularly against progress.

Buildings are energy efficient – we recommend providers work towards a minimum target of Band C of the Energy Performance Certificate.

Landlord provides an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), ensuring remedial works or further investigative works are carried out to remedy any ‘C1’, ‘C2’ or ‘FI’ classifications.

Going further – suggested best practice

Comply with House in Multiple Occupation management duties and licensing standards even where the property is formally exempt from licensing on the basis of being owned or managed by a housing association or other provider registered with the Regulator for Social Housing.

Comply with the Code for Sustainable Homes, a single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable new homes.

Comply with Secured by Design, a police initiative that improves the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings.

For older people’s housing, schemes comply with the Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) design principles.

Where appropriate for the client group, the scheme is designed and developed in line with Psychologically Informed Environment principles.

Housing facilities

Minimum legal requirements

Properties are appropriate size for the number of occupiers (Housing Act 1985, Part X; Housing Act 2004, Part 1 and 2).

Staff make reasonable adjustments to accommodation to meet residents’ needs, for example if a resident is disabled (Equality Act 2010).

Suggested minimum standards

There are an adequate number of bedrooms. Except in emergency or short-term accommodation, unrelated adults are not expected to share bedrooms.

Living space for daily activities is appropriate for the size of the household. There is common space such as community rooms.

Accommodation provides residents with privacy and dignity, including private (as appropriate) space for dressing, showers, toileting, and accessible space for disabled users.

Storage is provided to keep residents’ personal belongings safe.

Going further – suggested best practice

Accommodation is welcoming and is designed to feel like a home, rather than an institution. Residents are consulted on changes to their spaces such as redecoration or use of communal areas.

Care is taken to consider additional facilities or spaces which can improve outcomes (e.g. communal areas or private spaces for meetings with support workers).

Clear signage where needed, such as to communal areas (e.g. gym).

Housing safety and building condition

Minimum legal requirements

Buildings are fit for human habitation (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018) with no hazards.

Buildings comply with relevant legislation on building maintenance and condition.

There are policies and procedures in place for risks related to fire, asbestos and Legionella (where appropriate).

Suggested minimum standards

Buildings are well maintained, with all amenities in good working order. This includes:

• lifts
• appliances
• windows
• doors and locks
• lighting

Room temperatures are adjustable with appropriate heating/cooling systems. Residents can control heating within their homes.

There are clear procedures for residents to report issues.

Maintenance problems are addressed and fixed in a timely and responsive manner.

All repairs are followed up.

There are clear procedures and processes to address non-routine or emergency repairs.

Grounds are maintained in all seasons, with timely removal of ice and snow.

There are policies and procedures in place for risks including electrical safety and emergency planning.

Housing providers follow the Public Health England guidance for supported living settings.

Accommodation is built to high accessibility standards so appropriate additional adaptations are easy and affordable to install. This can include, as needed, functioning alarm points, e.g. call bells, which are tested and maintained regularly; grab rails in bathrooms, showers and toilets and anti-scalding controls, for example in accommodation for older people or people with learning difficulties

There are closed containers for disposal of sharp objects.

Trip hazards are managed - all stairways and halls are lit adequately, with handrails and non-slip rugs where needed.

Windows are fitted with plastic or safety glass (even where not required by building codes).

Going further – suggested best practice

A planned programme is in place to minimise preventable deterioration of the buildings, accommodation, grounds, equipment and furnishings, and that all such are well maintained and in good working order. This includes a preventative maintenance and repair programme and schedule with regular inspections to check building and equipment conditions and to ensure repairs and servicing takes place.

Timescales for non-emergency repairs may be agreed with residents to create a more resident-focussed approach.

Housing and property managers examine the physical buildings on a regular basis to identify problems areas in safety and security.

Housing staff inspect property units whenever a new resident moves in, and at least annually.

Each property has a safety plan, with a clear reporting line for responding to building emergencies. Residents are engaged on issues related to safety through existing or dedicated committees including residents, housing and support staff.

Tenancy and licence agreements

Minimum legal requirements

All housing-related fees are listed, including tenancy fees, deposits, management fees and service charges (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985).

Tenants are not evicted without proper procedure or legal proceedings.

Residents are never to be charged for normal wear and tear. Residents may be charged where the tenant has caused extensive damage to a unit.

Costs for rent and eligible services charges are transparent and reasonable

Suggested minimum standards

Residents in supported housing have the most secure form of tenancy compatible with the purpose of the housing and the client’s needs and circumstances. The tenancy agreement or license is provided quickly.

The terms of tenancies and licences are fair and transparent and take into account the housing needs and aspirations of residents.

Residents’ rights, choices and control over their homes are respected, while taking into account the needs of other residents and any access rights which may be required.

Records are kept for each resident, relating to housing fees, their deposit, rent arrears, any accommodation issues, and notes on any proposed eviction or transfer.

There are clear procedures which set out the circumstances when the person can be moved on, e.g. if their care needs change

There are clear procedures for eviction, with a focus on working with the individual to avoid or prevent eviction where possible. Providers work to find solutions to sustain accommodation.

Going further – suggested best practice

All residents are helped by housing staff to understand their rights and responsibilities under the tenancy.

Housing staff assist residents with managing rental payments and rent arrears where needed.

There are procedures in place to prevent the need for eviction ever arising, where possible.

Resident communication and engagement

Minimum legal requirements

In HMOs, name and contact details of the landlord must be made available to residents and clearly displayed (The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006).

Suggested minimum standards

Communication and information are clear, easy to follow and appropriate to the needs of residents.

Name and contact details of the landlord are made available to residents and clearly displayed.

Clear information is provided to residents on how their rent and service charges are set.

House rules, which respect residents’ rights and independence, are in place and clearly displayed. The rules are developed with input from residents where possible.

Protections are in place to protect residents from anti-social behaviour from other residents, as well as from abuse by staff or visitors.

Clear, simple and accessible complaints and redress procedures are in place.

Going further – suggested best practice

Staff actively seek resident feedback on the housing and housing services, ideally through a range of methods such as informal chats, meetings, surveys and suggestion boxes.

Prospective residents are provided with an information pack including information on all rents and service charges, including notice periods for increases, and procedures for complaints and redress and dispute resolution. The pack could also list all routines and house rules.

All written material for residents is in plain English and staff are able to help explain if needed.

There is assistance for residents whose first language is not English, who are non-verbal or who have limited understanding.

Prospective and new residents are shown around and orientated on first arrival, including providing details of the move-in conditions and emergency exits.

A nominated person (e.g. family member) is able to be appointed to assist with all accommodation issues.

Annex B: Related strategies, guidance and useful links

While the standards set out in this National Statement of Expectations are not statutory requirements, they are suggested good practice. They should complement other government strategies and guidance which aim to improve support for client groups using supported housing, some of which are subject to specific statutory requirements which local councils must have regard to.

These include:

• Homelessness code of guidance suggests that local councils should review the supply and demand for a range of suitable accommodation including supported housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Joint Health and Wellbeing strategies and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments as required by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
• Adult safeguarding strategies as set out in the Care Act 2014
• Local Plans to set out local planning policies and identifies how land is used
• Ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy
• Keep on caring strategy for care leavers
• Transforming care strategy to improve health and care services so that more people with a learning disability and/or autism can live independently in the community, with the right support

There is also a wide range of guidance and examples from the sector and other organisations that work on supported housing and support the groups accessing supported housing. These include:

Useful guidance

• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Manual

Planning supported housing

• Guidance for councils on preparing planning policies for older and disabled people
• Principles of good commissioning
• Developing and implementing local extra care housing strategies
• The extra care housing toolkit
• Strategic housing for older people toolkit
• Building the right home: guidance for commissioners of health and care services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism

Existing local authority needs assessments and housing strategies

• London Borough of Haringey: Supported housing review
• York: Supported housing strategy 2014 to 2019
• Hertfordshire County Council: Ten year supported accommodation strategy
• Ealing Council: Supporting people strategy

Standards in supported housing

• Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO) consumer code
• REACH Standards: REACH support for living
• Fire safety in specialised housing
• Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) design principles
• National design guide: planning practice guidance for beautiful, enduring and successful places
• Psychologically informed services for homeless people: good practice guide

COVID-19 guidance for providers of supported housing

• COVID-19: how to work safely in domiciliary care in England
• COVID-19: guidance for supported housing providers
• COVID-19: guidance for hostel or day centre providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping
• COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings

Footnotes

1. Where the criteria for “specified accommodation” (including exempt accommodation) are met. See Funding for supported housing: government response to two consultations. ↩

2. Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). ↩

3. Ashton T and Hempenstall C (2009), Research into the financial benefits of the Supporting People programme, Department for Communities and Local Government ↩