1. A bill sponsored by Bob Blackman MP (Conservative) received its first reading on 15 June 2022.1Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill 2022-23
2. A private Members Bill like this is indicative of the pressure for regulation of Exempt Accommodation, local authority oversight and enhanced enforcement powers.
3. The Bill’s content is now set out in our KnowledgeBank entry.
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1. In 2020 Blackpool embarked upon a scrutiny review of the provision of exempt accommodation in its area and also made a successful bid to participate in the Government’s pilot scheme.1 Blackpool Council, Supported Housing [last accessed: 3 March 2022]
2. It has now produced a final report together with:2 Blackpool Council, Supported Housing Scrutiny Review Final Report [last accessed: 3 March 2022]
3. The sufficiency and market position statement identifies current and probable future need across numerous client groups.3 Blackpool Council, Market Position Statement – Supported Housing [last accessed: 3 March 2022]
4. Providers of new schemes are expected to follow a 7-phased process but this would require legislative change to make binding.4 Blackpool Council, Supported Housing New Phased Scheme Opening Process [last accessed: 3 March 2022]
5. A Quality Standard self-assessment toolkit for accommodation providers and landlords has been made available. It is to reflect the standards expected of providers of supported housing in Blackpool. It covers three quality areas:5Blackpool Council, Supported Housing – Quality Standards Toolkit [last accessed: 3 March 2022]
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1. Prospect Supported Housing decided it had to close. Having investigated the matter, the board published its findings in a report dated October 2021. The report is entitled “Safe Successful Sustainable: A shared vision for better homes, support and opportunities. An evidence-based account from a housing provider that chose to close”. The authors reflect on Prospect’s role as a regulated provider of leased-based supported housing in Birmingham, funded through exempt housing benefit. 1Safe Successful Sustainable: A shared vision for better homes, support and opportunities, Prospect,
October 2021
2. Prospect’s report illustrates a common model of supported accommodation provision involving Registered Providers (RPs) and their Managing Agents. Since then a relevant court judgement has been published illustrating the details of this model.2Midland Living CIC v Prospect Housing Ltd [2021] EWHC 2622 (Comm)
3. Learning from its past experience, Prospect’s key asks include that:3Safe Successful Sustainable: A shared vision for better homes, support and opportunities, Prospect, October 2021, page 41
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“The support worker … was a good guy, I would say that, personally, but when it comes to the job of a support worker, no. I think he was a bus driver before and one guy for thirty or forty people, so I didn’t see how he could do it anyway” 1Risk, Safety and Wellbeing in Shared ‘Exempt’ Accommodation in Birmingham, England | Thea Raisbeck | September 2018
1. Support provided in HB exempt accommodation may not match expectations. It is not uncommon for residents, families and friends to express dismay at the level of support on offer.
2. Qualifying landlords can meet the HB legal requirements for exempt accommodation by providing just more than minimal care, support or supervision.
3. But the HB legal definition, on the one hand, simply does not match the everyday meaning of “supported housing”, on the other. The ordinary assumption is that the individual’s support needs will be met in full.
4. DWP and other bodies confuse matters by referring to “supported exempt accommodation” (a phrase not found in the relevant HB law).
5. “Supported exempt accommodation” gives the wrong impression. The term implies that a resident in HB exempt accommodation is supported and is having their needs met. So there are often inappropriate referrals and disappointment on the part of residents and their families.
6. The mismatch occurs with the understandable expectations others have when they hear the words “support” and “accommodation”.
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Projected demand for units of supported housing by client groups in Scotland is set out below.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 4: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Scotland, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 4: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Scotland, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 4: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Scotland, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 4: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Scotland, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projections for units of supported housing by client groups in Wales are set out below.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 3: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Wales, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 3: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Wales, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 3: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Wales, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 3: Projected units of supported housing by client group in Wales, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Research commissioned by DCLG and the Department of Health identified a need for an increase of:
Projections for units of supported housing by client groups in England are set out below.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 2: Projected units of supported housing by client group in England, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 2: Projected units of supported housing by client group in England, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 2: Projected units of supported housing by client group in England, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
Projected demand for supported housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030 commissioned by the Department of Health (DH), on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), from the Policy Research Unit in Economics of Health and Social Care Systems (at the University of York, LSE and University of Kent), PSSRU Discussion Paper DP2931 (Mar 2017) Table 2: Projected units of supported housing by client group in England, 2015-2030 (Base case, in thousand units) page 6.
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| wdt_ID | Client group | England (£ million) | Scotland (£ million) | Wales (£ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | People with learning disabilities | 640.0 | 176.0 | 31.0 |
| 2 | Older people (65+) | 271.0 | 21.5 | 5.5 |
| 3 | Single homeless incl. rough sleepers | 177.5 | 50.5 | 7.0 |
| 4 | People with mental health problems | 166.0 | 51.5 | 10.5 |
| 5 | Vulnerable young people (16-25) | 104.0 | 17.5 | 10.0 |
| 6 | Drug or alcohol misuse needs | 38.0 | 23.5 | 4.0 |
| 7 | Others | 60.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 8 | Physically disabled | 35.0 | 23.0 | 1.0 |
| 9 | At risk of domestic abuse | 36.5 | 15.0 | 5.5 |
| 10 | Offenders | 34.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| 11 | Homeless families | 19.5 | 8.0 | 2.5 |
Fieldwork dates: 19 October – 2 December 2015
Source: Supported accommodation review - The scale, scope and cost of the supported housing sector | A report of research carried out by Ipsos MORI, Imogen Blood & Associates and Housing & Support Partnership on behalf of the DWP and the DCLG (Nov 2016) - Table 3.14 Estimated amount of additional spend on supported housing beyond Housing Benefit per annum by client group on page 64.
This Table suggests that across GB an estimated £2.05bn each year is spent on support and care costs in supported housing in addition to that covered by Housing Benefit.