Supported Accommodation Registration Requirements for 16-18 Year Olds in England

Supported accommodation registration operates under fundamentally different regulations than children’s homes, with no mandatory qualification requirements, provider-level registration instead of premises-based registration, and only four quality standards versus nine. The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 came into force on April 28, 2023, with mandatory registration by October 28, 2023, Ncb creating England’s first regulatory framework for supported accommodation serving 16-17 year olds in local authority care. Bevan Brittan This framework distinguishes “support” services for semi-independent young people from “care” services in children’s homes, requiring entirely different documentation, staffing approaches, and premises standards. Blog

For providers transitioning from children’s homes registration, understanding these distinctions is critical. The regulations explicitly recognize that supported accommodation serves young people with “relatively high or increasing levels of independence” who are ready to gain skills for adult living and do not need or want the degree of care provided in children’s homes. Blog Blog This philosophical difference permeates every aspect of the registration requirements, from the absence of mandatory staff qualifications to the emphasis on lockable private bedrooms and young person-led decision making.

The regulatory foundation: four quality standards versus nine

The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/416) establishes the regulatory framework, Legislation.gov.uk prescribing four Quality Standards that all registered providers must meet. This represents a deliberately streamlined approach compared to the nine Quality Standards governing children’s homes, reflecting the different nature of support versus care services. Bevan Brittan

The Leadership and Management Standard requires registered persons to enable, inspire and lead a culture that puts children first and prioritizes their wellbeing. This includes ensuring sufficient qualified staff, implementing safe recruitment, maintaining a workforce plan and business continuity plan, and ensuring children understand their entitlements. Rezume The Protection Standard mandates that children feel safe with their needs met, requiring 24-hour access to help in crisis or emergency situations, child protection policies covering safeguarding, missing children and behaviour management, and collaborative working with accommodating authorities and other agencies. Rezume The Accommodation Standard requires annual location assessments of premises suitability, stability and continuous access to services, private and physically secure bedrooms for each child with adequate connectivity, safe and well-maintained premises that are homely rather than institutional, and written agreements outlining rights and terms. Rezume The Support Standard emphasizes that children lead in determining their support, with plans based on consultation, cooperation with accommodating authorities, access to advocacy and community services, support for transitions, and assistance accessing education, training and employment. Rezume

These four standards contrast sharply with children’s homes requirements. Children’s homes regulations prescribe nine separate standards covering quality and purpose of care, children’s views, education, enjoyment and achievement, health and wellbeing, positive relationships, protection, leadership and management, and care planning. The consolidation to four standards for supported accommodation reflects the higher autonomy expected of young people aged 16-17 who are preparing for independent living. The nature of service fundamentally differs: supported accommodation provides “support” for developing independence, while children’s homes provide “care” with higher levels of supervision.

Registration operates at provider level, not premises level

Supported accommodation uses provider-level registration rather than individual setting registration, representing a significant structural difference from children’s homes. A single provider can operate multiple settings under one registration, with a registered service manager overseeing the entire undertaking rather than individual managers for each location. www GOV.UK This contrasts with children’s homes, where each home requires separate registration with its own registered manager.

Providers must register for one or more of four categories of supported accommodation, which become conditions of registration. GOV.UK +3 Category 1 covers self-contained units for sole use of the child or child with their family members. Category 2 encompasses ring-fenced shared accommodation exclusively for looked after children and care leavers, where young people have their own bedroom and may have their own bathroom while sharing communal areas. Category 3 includes non-ring-fenced shared accommodation that may also accommodate non-care-experienced adults aged 18 and over. Category 4 addresses supported lodgings in private residences provided by host families. GOV.UK www For a 2-bedroom shared supported accommodation, Category 2 or Category 3 would apply depending on whether the service exclusively serves care-experienced young people.

The registration process follows three stages over an extended timeline. Stage 1 involves application forms assessment within five working days, determining if the SC1 provider form and all SC2 individual connection forms are complete with supporting documentation and payment. Stage 2 encompasses checks and references with variable timelines depending on third-party response speeds, including local authority checks on all individuals with roles of responsibility covering the past five years, DBS verification, reference collection, and GP health assessments where required. Stage 3 includes site visits, interviews and decisions, with visits aimed for within 40 working days of entering this stage, though as of 2024 actual processing takes several months due to application volumes exceeding 1,450 against an estimated 1,100 providers. www

Critical difference: no mandatory qualifications for registered service managers

The most significant distinction between supported accommodation and children’s homes concerns qualification requirements. No specific qualifications are mandatory for registered service managers or any staff in supported accommodation, including the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare that is mandatory for children’s homes managers. This represents a fundamental policy choice recognizing that support services require different competencies than care services.

Regulation 12 of the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 requires registered service managers to have worked for at least two years within the five-year period before applying in a position relevant to residential support of children or adults. Legislation.gov.uk Bevan Brittan The inclusion of adult support experience reflects the transition-to-adulthood focus of supported accommodation, contrasting with children’s homes requirements that demand two years of experience specifically with children plus one year supervising care staff. Registered service managers must demonstrate appropriate skills and experience to manage the undertaking effectively, having regard to the number and geographical scope of premises, the Statement of Purpose, and the number of children accommodated. They must be mentally and physically fit, of integrity and good character, and provide proof of identity, two written references, full employment history, and satisfactory enhanced DBS with barred list checks. Legislation.gov.uk hcrlaw

For children’s homes, Regulation 28 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 makes the Level 5 Diploma mandatory, requiring managers who started after April 1, 2014 to obtain it within three years. Children’s homes also require Level 3 Diplomas for all care staff, expectations not present in supported accommodation regulations. The Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations explicitly states on page 51 that “the registered person is responsible for setting out the training and qualifications necessary for staff to fulfil their specific roles in delivering the service, but no specific qualifications are mandatory for any staff.” Publishing Service While providers should ensure staff receive training in safeguarding, health and safety, supporting young people, child development, equality and diversity, and leadership and management, these remain recommendations rather than mandatory qualification requirements.

Nominated individuals require no qualifications but must demonstrate competence

Organizations including companies and LLPs must appoint a Nominated Individual who acts as the point of contact with Ofsted, similar to the Responsible Individual role in children’s homes. This person must be a director of the organization or equivalent and satisfy all the same requirements as any individual provider. Publishing Service Critically, no specific qualifications are required, though the individual must demonstrate appropriate skills and experience, capacity to supervise management, business and management competence, and understanding of regulations, quality standards and statutory guidance.

The Nominated Individual must be mentally and physically fit, of integrity and good character, and provide full satisfactory information including DBS checks, references and employment history. GOV.UK They should demonstrate understanding of law and practice relating to looked after children, the regulations and quality standards for supported accommodation, statutory guidance, and business and management principles. This largely mirrors the Responsible Individual requirements for children’s homes, where similarly no specific qualification is mandated despite the Level 5 Diploma requirement for registered managers.

Statement of Purpose must address four quality standards and service categories

Regulation 9 requires providers to compile a Statement of Purpose covering specific mandatory content areas. This document must outline the purpose including ethos, core aims and function, and how it ensures children’s rights and views are central to support, service delivery and planning. It must specify the category or categories of supported accommodation offered from the four statutory categories, describing the accommodation provided, how it meets the Accommodation Standard, how it might be adapted to individual needs, security arrangements, and facilities provided to children. Legislation.gov.uk

The Statement must detail characteristics of children for whom the service is intended, including age range, number and sex of children. It must describe services provided for children accommodated and supported, arrangements for supporting development of independent living skills aligned with identified individual needs, arrangements to promote involvement and progress in education, training or employment, positive outcomes sought for children, and the approach to achieving those outcomes. Rezume Health and safety arrangements must cover protecting and promoting mental and physical health needs, medication handling, recording and safekeeping. The Statement must address anti-discriminatory practices and how the service supports cultural, linguistic and religious needs of children. Legislation.gov.uk

Organizational information must include the registered provider’s principal office address if different from accommodation addresses, organizational structure including management structure, and staffing arrangements. The Statement must detail arrangements to ensure children are fully aware of their entitlements, provide contact details for complaints, explain how to access the complaints policy, and explain how persons involved in support or protection can access child protection policies. Legislation.gov.uk If a provider delivers more than one category of supported accommodation, the Statement of Purpose must address each category. The Statement must be high quality, young person focused, kept under regular review, revised where appropriate with young people consulted prior to changes, and submitted to Ofsted within 28 days of any revision. Vatix The service must be conducted at all times in a manner consistent with the Statement of Purpose. Bevan Brittan

Eight mandatory policies plus workforce plan and location assessments

Providers must develop and submit eight core policies with the SC1 application form. Beyond the Statement of Purpose itself, the Equalities Policy must explain how the service values individuals, combats discrimination, and safeguards those facing inequality or harassment due to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. GOV.UK www The Young Person’s Guide must be suitable and easy to understand, in accessible format, provided before or upon arrival, and covering support and accommodation provided, advocacy services and how to access them, how to make complaints, services for cultural differences or disability, the Statement of Purpose and routines, support entitlements in education, training, employment and independent living skills, expectations around behaviour, policies on drugs and alcohol, arrangements for staff entering bedrooms, how to contact the Children’s Commissioner, location and local amenities, facilities, and safeguarding processes including CCTV use. Legislation.gov.uk

The Contingency Plan required by Regulation 23 must outline what happens to young people if the undertaking ceases providing accommodation temporarily or permanently, include measures for appropriate transfer of records, minimize disruption to young people’s lives, ensure young people are kept informed, and be provided to the accommodating authority. The Safeguarding Policy required by Regulation 20 must include arrangements for dealing with allegations involving staff, online safety measures, measures to counter risks of self-harm and suicide, arrangements for protection, procedures for referring child protection concerns to the accommodating authority or local authority where the setting is situated, and whistleblowing information and procedures. Publishing Service

The Complaints Policy required by Regulation 31 must set out how complaints are dealt with, with young people made aware and reminded as necessary. The Missing Child Policy required by Regulation 21 must outline how the service prevents children from going missing and responds if they do, including procedures to be followed, roles and responsibilities of staff, how staff should support young people on return, consideration of local services’ views, regard to police and local authority protocols, record-keeping of all missing incidents, and procedures for return interviews. The Behaviour Management Policy required by Regulation 22 must cover how appropriate behaviour is promoted, measures following any exceptional use of restraint, the service’s approach to supporting reasonable standards of behaviour, policy on staff entering bedrooms, protocols around managing difficult situations and violent behaviour, and staff training in preventative and de-escalation techniques.

The Workforce Plan required by Regulation 10 must detail management and staffing structure, day-to-day oversight arrangements for individual premises, staff responsibilities, how staff support young people including whether on-site, floating support or combination, staffing levels and flexible response to unexpected events, experience and qualifications of staff and managers, training staff receive, ongoing training and continuing professional development needs, how policies and procedures will be followed, clear lines of accountability, arrangements for effective management when the registered service manager is absent, induction arrangements, how to manage poor performance, supervision and monitoring arrangements, and job descriptions for all employees. Additionally, Location Assessments required by Regulation 6 must be completed for each premises annually, reviewing appropriateness and suitability of location, consulting with police, local authority children’s services and clinical commissioning groups, considering potential safeguarding concerns, accessibility of local services, publicly available local data on crime rates and amenities, risk identification and mitigation strategies, and opportunities such as mental health support services and suitable education providers. Legislation.gov.uk

Premises must provide private lockable bedrooms with shared facilities

The Accommodation Standard prescribes specific requirements for physical environments that differ notably from children’s homes. Each child must be provided with a private bedroom that has sufficient space to accommodate a reasonable number of personal possessions, is equipped to meet the child’s individual needs, has sufficient telephone or internet connectivity to enable maintaining relationships and feeling connected, and is physically secure. In shared group accommodation, lockable bedrooms are appropriate and expected, enabling young people to control access to their private space. Publishing Service Young people must have lockable cabinets or drawers to securely store personal items. Bedrooms must not be shared with another adult or child unless they are the young person’s partner, sibling, or their own children, and even siblings would not be expected to share unless that was their choice.

For a 2-bedroom supported accommodation with shared facilities falling under Category 2 or Category 3, young people have their own bedrooms and may have their own bathrooms while sharing communal areas. Bathroom facilities must provide access to clean facilities with continuous access to hot water. Publishing Service Kitchen facilities must enable young people to develop independent living skills, with cooking utensils, appliances and equipment to prepare meals. Communal areas must be adequately maintained, welcoming and homely, with young people able to access all shared areas unless specific safety reasons require temporary restrictions that must be short term, properly recorded, kept under regular review and based on rigorous assessment of individual needs.

Location assessments must be conducted at least annually, consulting with appropriate local services including police, local authority children’s services and clinical commissioning groups, reviewing appropriateness and suitability by considering local crime rates, availability of amenities and services, extra-familial risks and exploitation risks, access to mental health support services, and suitable education providers. Legislation.gov.uk Premises must provide stability and consistency, enable continuous access to local services for education and healthcare, promote children’s positive self-esteem and sense of belonging, discourage stigmatization, be designed and furnished to meet needs of each child individually and all children collectively, be suitable, accessible, safe, secure and well-maintained, offer comfortable, positive and nurturing environment while respecting privacy, be adequately maintained with clean environment and continuous access to drinking water and hot water, be designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards, comply with all relevant health and safety and fire safety legislation, and maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. Bevan Brittan

Where children lack access, providers must ensure provision of bedding, towels, personal hygiene products including period products, kitchen equipment, welcome packs of toiletries, and adequate clothing. Publishing Service CCTV may only be used in communal areas, never in bedrooms, only for safeguarding and promoting welfare purposes, with accommodating authority consent in writing, informing young people in advance, ensuring it is no more intrusive than necessary, and complying with data protection law and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Bevan Brittan Settings should seek to maintain domestic rather than institutional impression while complying with fire safety legislation. Registered persons should be prepared to make adaptations to design or layout to meet needs of disabled young people. Settings must provide services and facilities that take account of needs arising from cultural differences or disability. Adequate insurance coverage must cover all aspects of provision.

The distinction between support and care shapes every requirement

The fundamental philosophical difference between supported accommodation and children’s homes permeates the entire regulatory framework. Supported accommodation serves young people aged 16-17 only with “relatively high or increasing levels of independence” who are ready to gain further skills in preparation for adult living and do not need or want the degree of care or type of environment provided in children’s homes or foster care. Blog Blog These young people have high levels of independence and autonomy, are not expected to need permission to leave and return for same-day outings, should experience good communication rather than restrictive supervision, and are generally responsible for their own personal hygiene, cleaning their bedrooms, day-to-day transportation, managing own medications with support, and attending medical appointments.

Children’s homes provide higher levels of supervision and care with staff providing more direct care and “parenting” in a more structured care environment. The average age of children in children’s homes is 14.6 years with average starting age of 12.9 years, contrasting with the exclusive 16-17 age range for supported accommodation. Restraint in supported accommodation is expected to be extremely rare and exceptional, only permitted to prevent injury or serious property damage, with staff not restricting movement to keep young people inside settings. Bevan Brittan Given the assessed needs and level of independence, restraint should not be necessary. Children’s homes have more developed restraint procedures given care needs.

Medication management in supported accommodation sees young people autonomously store and self-administer medications in most instances, with staff providing support to ensure safe practices such as lockable medication boxes and reminders. If a young person cannot manage medication independently at all, supported accommodation is likely not appropriate. Children’s homes involve more direct staff involvement in medication management with higher levels of supervision and administration by staff. Young people in supported accommodation are generally allowed to receive visitors where they live with reasonable arrangements such as recording visitor identification, visiting hours and approved areas, with practices required to be reasonable rather than excessive. Overnight stays policies should be commensurate with needs, vulnerability and autonomy, with staff maintaining regular communication and young people encouraged to advise staff of planned overnight stays, with agreements reflected in plans and high levels of autonomy expected.

Application forms SC1 and SC2 with three-stage processing

The registration process uses two application forms. The SC1 form serves as the provider and service form, completed by directors or equivalents for organizations, one partner acting for all in partnerships, or individual providers themselves. www This form requires information about the business including name, address, contact details, company number if registered, charity number if applicable, holding company and subsidiary details with last two years of accounts for related entities, financial interests in other children’s social care services with URNs of Ofsted-registered services, history of previous applications, refusals or cancellations, office details, category of accommodation from the four statutory categories, addresses of all premises, maximum number of children per premises, confirmation that premises are ready and meet standards, confirmation that location assessments are completed, details of the nominated individual for organizations, proposed service manager, directors involved in running the service, partners for partnerships, and for providers other than local or health authorities, business plan covering background, marketing, operations and financial plan, cash-flow forecast for 12 months from registration, and annual reports and accounts for the last two years if filed with Companies House. www

The SC2 form serves as the individual connection form, which must be completed by the proposed registered service manager, nominated individual for organizations, all directors involved in running the service, all partners in a partnership, individual providers with each person if multiple, and anyone with a role of responsibility listed in the SC1 form. GOV.UK GOV.UK This form requires personal identification with recent photograph, full employment history with explanations for gaps, two written references including most recent employer, previous work with children or vulnerable people, documentary evidence of relevant qualifications, DBS certificate dated within last three months being enhanced with barring information if eligible or standard criminal record certificate if not eligible for enhanced, health declaration form for registered managers, individual providers, partners and nominated individuals, consent for DBS status checks, criminal record information, and overseas police checks if lived abroad in the past five years. GOV.UK Legislation.gov.uk

Financial viability requirements mandate providers demonstrate long-term financial ability to run the service through business plans covering background, marketing plan, operational plan, financial plan and who approved the overall plan, cash-flow forecasts projecting monthly income and expenditure for the first 12 months from registration with month-by-month breakdown and summary of expected income and outgoings, annual reports and accounts for the last two years if filed with Companies House with separate files for reports and accounts for each year including holding company and subsidiary accounts where applicable though new companies need not submit these, and certificate of insurance covering death, injury, public liability, damage or other loss for all premises, or if insurers will not provide until registration is granted, written confirmation of intent is required. www

Registration costs £4,500 for small undertakings plus substantial operational investment

Official Ofsted registration fees for small undertakings with fewer than 10 premises total £4,500, comprising £3,600 for service registration and £900 for the registered service manager. Large undertakings with 10 or more premises pay £5,500, comprising £4,600 for service registration and £900 for the registered service manager. Caretips www Job share arrangements require each person to complete an SC2 form and pay the £900 application fee. All fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome. No annual fees are charged in the first year 2023-24, but from 2024 onwards annual fees are required with amounts set by the Department for Education. www

Beyond registration fees, substantial additional investment is required. Property and premises costs include acquisition or leasing, furnishing and equipment to meet accommodation standards, health and safety compliance including fire safety and accessibility, location assessment requirements, property maintenance, and mandatory adequate insurance coverage. Staffing and recruitment costs encompass DBS enhanced checks with barred lists for all staff at approximately £40-60 each, recruitment costs for registered service manager and support staff, staff training and induction programs, supervision arrangements, and professional indemnity insurance. Documentation and compliance costs cover policy development for 13 required policies, Statement of Purpose development, Workforce Plan preparation, Young Person’s Guide creation, Contingency Plan development, location risk assessments with annual requirements, and legal and consultancy fees for registration support ranging from £2,000 to £10,000 or more.

Operational infrastructure requires care management software and systems, communication systems for 24-hour on-call support arrangements, record-keeping systems with secure storage for 75 years, and CCTV or monitoring equipment if used with strict regulations. Basic setup for accommodation includes furnishings, kitchen appliances and equipment, soft furnishings, bedding and towels, safety and security equipment, IT and communications infrastructure, and welcome packs and basic supplies. Ongoing operational costs include utilities, council tax or business rates, maintenance and repairs, cleaning and housekeeping supplies, food provisions if provided, transportation costs, and professional subscriptions. Compliance activities requiring ongoing investment include annual location assessments, policy reviews and updates, staff supervision and appraisals, quality assurance activities, and Regulation 32 reviews required every six months. Rezume

Providers must demonstrate 12-month cash flow sustainability accounting for delays between placement and payment from local authorities, void periods with unoccupied rooms, emergency expenses, seasonal variations in placements, and inspection and compliance costs. The government allocated £142 million over three years for supported accommodation reforms, with £17.2 million to Ofsted for regulation and £123 million to local authorities, Ncb but this funding supports the regulatory framework rather than individual provider startups. Ncb

Common refusal reasons center on competence demonstration and location risks

Applications are commonly refused when nominated individuals fail to demonstrate capacity and skills necessary to represent the organization, showing weak knowledge of The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023, poor understanding of safeguarding principles and practices, submission of low-quality policies and procedures not bespoke to the 2023 Regulations, policies more suited to children’s homes rather than the supported accommodation framework, and inability to demonstrate understanding of the distinction between “care” and “support.” lesteraldridge Registered service managers are refused when they fail to demonstrate appropriate skills to manage the service safely and effectively, cannot adequately explain the 2023 Regulations during fit person interviews, submit documents not aligned with Regulations or tailored to the supported accommodation framework, lack relevant experience having not worked in a role relevant to residential support of children or adults for at least two years within the last five years as specifically required by Regulation 12, demonstrate insufficient management oversight capabilities, or show lack of understanding of the four Quality Standards. lesteraldridge

The Accommodation Standard generates refusals for health and safety concerns regarding suitability of the accommodation environment, inadequate outdoor spaces or facility design, inadequate locality risk assessments particularly concerning high crime rates in the local area, risks of exploitation of vulnerable young people, county lines activity risks, lack of consultation with local police, children’s services and other relevant agencies, unsuitable location for the category of supported accommodation proposed, and failure to demonstrate how premises would meet individual and collective needs. lesteraldridge Leadership and Management Standard failures include proposed nominated individuals who had not ensured suitable arrangements for staff supervision and training, lack of oversight regarding management of the proposed service manager, insufficient workforce planning, inadequate arrangements for emergency referrals and admissions, and business continuity plans that are not robust or comprehensive. lesteraldridge

Documentation and application deficiencies commonly include incomplete SC1 or SC2 forms, missing required documents at time of application, insufficient financial viability evidence, Statement of Purpose not sufficiently detailed or aligned with Quality Standards, and failure to provide all required supporting documents within the 12-week window. If issues are not settled within 12 weeks of initial application, Ofsted may close the application with fees remaining non-refundable, though delays in local authority checks will continue to be pursued as exceptions. GOV.UK www Ofsted may refuse withdrawal requests if there are concerns about safeguarding children due to lack of integrity, insufficient safeguarding practice knowledge, concerns about offences committed, or other relevant concerns in the application. www Registration refusal negatively affects future applications, disqualifies individual providers, partners and proposed managers from private fostering, prohibits working in or having financial interest in children’s homes without Ofsted consent, and requires contacting placing authorities for alternative arrangements. GOV.UK

Processing delays extend to several months despite October 2023 deadline

The mandatory registration deadline of October 28, 2023 meant all providers had to submit complete applications by this date or cease operations. Providers who submitted complete applications by the deadline can continue operating legally until their application is determined, unless the application is withdrawn or returned by Ofsted. Ncb +3 However, Ofsted received over 1,450 applications far exceeding the estimated 1,100 providers, resulting in processing delays extending to several months. As of November 2024, approximately 650 providers achieved full registration. Blog Vatix Case studies document significant impacts, with one provider submitting in October 2023 still waiting in March 2024 for their URN, and another submitting in February 2024 citing “significant costs incurred” due to longer-than-expected registration timescales. Revenue loss from inability to take placements without URN threatens business viability and makes resource planning difficult without clear timescales. RWK Goodman

The three-stage process begins with application forms assessment within five working days determining completeness, then proceeds to checks and references with variable timelines depending on third-party response speeds including local authority checks on all individuals with roles of responsibility covering the past five years, DBS verification, reference collection and GP health assessments where required. Stage 3 involves site visits to head office and one or more premises including supported lodgings hosts if applicable, fitness interviews with proposed registered service manager mandatory, individual providers or partners mandatory, and nominated individuals, directors and other SC2 form submitters who may be interviewed. GOV.UK Ofsted aims to notify of grant or refusal within seven working days of the site visit, issuing either a Notice of Decision to Register when conditions are agreed, Notice of Proposal to Register when conditions are disputed with 28 days to respond, or Notice of Proposal to Refuse with 28 days to submit representations. www

Post-registration inspections and quality assurance requirements

From September 2024, delayed from the original April 2024 start date, Ofsted began full graded inspections of registered supported accommodation providers. RWK Goodman Blog Inspections must occur at least every three years. Publishing Service +2 During the first round of inspections, Ofsted uses a three-outcome grading model. Monitoring visits are possible if concerns arise between scheduled inspections. Providers must conduct Quality of Support Reviews required every six months under Regulation 32, with results reported to Ofsted within 28 days. Rezume +2 Providers must notify Ofsted of serious events without delay. Annual fees apply from 2024 onwards with amounts to be determined by the Department for Education.

Providers must maintain their Statement of Purpose under regular review, revising it where appropriate and consulting young people prior to changes. Any revisions must be notified to Ofsted with a copy of the revised statement sent within 28 days. Vatix Location assessments must be conducted annually for each premises. Workforce plans must be kept current reflecting staffing changes, training needs and development activities. All policies must be reviewed regularly and revised as appropriate, with staff kept informed of updates during supervision and young people informed of changes affecting them. Record-keeping requirements are extensive, with certain records required to be kept for 75 years including care records. Providers must work collaboratively with accommodating authorities, participating in review processes and sharing relevant information appropriately.

Critical distinctions from children’s homes for service document adaptation

When tailoring registration service documents from children’s homes to supported accommodation, the fundamental framework differs across all key dimensions. Supported accommodation operates under four Quality Standards versus nine for children’s homes, uses provider-level registration rather than individual premises registration, has no mandatory qualifications for registered service managers or staff compared to mandatory Level 5 Diploma for children’s homes managers and Level 3 Diploma for care staff, accepts experience with adults as well as children for the manager’s required two years experience versus children-only experience requirements for children’s homes, requires private lockable bedrooms in shared accommodation versus different privacy expectations in children’s homes, emphasizes 24-hour access to help rather than continuous on-site staffing, focuses on support for independence rather than provision of care with young people leading decision-making, expects restraint to be extremely rare versus more developed restraint procedures in children’s homes, has young people self-managing medications with support versus more direct staff administration in children’s homes, and uses SC1 and SC2 application forms specifically designed for supported accommodation.

The service population differs fundamentally, with supported accommodation exclusively serving ages 16-17 versus children’s homes serving primarily under-18s with average age 14.6 years. The regulatory instruments are entirely separate: The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/416) versus The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/541). Legislation.gov.uk Legislation.gov.uk Official guidance documents differ, with the Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations including Quality Standards published March 2023 providing the authoritative reference versus the Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations. GOV.UK The implementation timeline differs, with supported accommodation registration opening April 28, 2023 and becoming mandatory October 28, 2023 Ncb with inspections from September 2024, Ncb representing a new regulatory framework versus the established children’s homes regime since 2015.

Service documents must consistently use “support” terminology rather than “care,” emphasize independence and autonomy throughout, address the four-category system unique to supported accommodation, reference the four Quality Standards rather than nine, remove all references to mandatory qualifications, update experience requirements to include adult support experience, address provider-level rather than premises-level registration, incorporate location assessment requirements unique to supported accommodation, address lockable bedroom requirements for shared accommodation, remove or significantly modify restraint procedures given expectation of extreme rarity, update medication policies to reflect self-management with support, revise visitor and overnight stay policies to reflect higher autonomy, ensure policies are explicitly aligned with the 2023 Regulations not 2015 children’s homes regulations, update all references from Registered Manager to Registered Service Manager, and update references from Responsible Individual to Nominated Individual for organizational providers.

For a specific 2-bedroom supported accommodation with shared facilities serving 16-18 year olds, documentation must specify Category 2 if exclusively serving care-experienced young people or Category 3 if potentially accommodating non-care-experienced adults 18 and over, describe the two private bedrooms meeting requirements for space, security, connectivity and equipment to meet individual needs, detail shared facilities including kitchen with equipment for developing independent living skills, bathroom facilities with continuous hot water access, and welcoming homely communal living areas, address annual location assessment procedures and findings, explain lockable bedroom arrangements and policies on staff entry, outline support arrangements whether on-site, floating support or combination with 24-hour crisis access, describe how young people lead decision-making about their support, detail the approach to developing independent living skills, and explain the domestic homely environment free from institutional characteristics.