Specialist and Supported Housing Strategy 2023 to 2033

The council wants to ensure that all supported housing in Gateshead is of good quality. This means both the accommodation and related support services (and care services where applicable) being of good quality.

This will include supported housing providers meeting legislative, regulatory requirements as applicable (Charity Commission, Regulator of Social Housing, the Care Quality Commission, Community Interest Companies regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Housing Act 2004 minimum standard for housing, and OFSTED).

The council will draw on the Government's current guidance National Statement of Expectations for Supported Housing as a basis for expectations of supported housing providers in terms of good practice in the delivery and management of supported housing services.

However, the council's approach to ensuring that supported housing is of a good quality anticipates the intent of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill that is supported by the Government. When this becomes law the council anticipates that its approach to ensuring the quality of supported housing will likely include:

• a licensing scheme for all supported housing providers. All providers of supported housing in Gateshead will be required to be licensed by the council in order to provide supported housing
• only providers of supported housing that are licensed by the council will be able to access specified and exempt accommodation housing benefit status
• inspections and reviews of all supported housing in Gateshead by council officers to ensure that the accommodation is safe, fit for purpose and of a good standard. This will include housing in multiple occupation (HMOs) that are being used to provide supported housing
• the council will also inspect and review the quality of the provision of support in supported housing services to ensure customers are getting the support they need and require, for example, as part of the council's approach to safeguarding vulnerable adults
• assessment of the value for money provided by specialist and supported housing services, ensuring they are affordable for the council and for the people who live in them
• due diligence checks on supported housing providers
• any previously 'noncommissioned' supported housing will need to be licensed in the future in order to be treated as supported housing under housing benefit regulations; this will in effect mean that all supported housing in Gateshead will need to be licensed and commissioned by the council
• application of new OFSTED regulations for supported accommodation for 16 to 17 year-olds.

In the meantime, before the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill becomes law, the council is part of the Government's Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP) and will be working with providers of supported housing services to ensure that both the quality of accommodation used for supported housing and the support services provided in supported housing are of good quality.