What is unregulated supported living?
To set up an unregulated adult supported living service in England (i.e., one not providing regulated personal care), there is no requirement to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). However, there is still a range of essential paperwork and documentation that should be in place to ensure the regulatory requirements to set up unregulated adult supported living service in England when it comes to service quality, compliance with local authority expectations and alignment with current best practice standards.
Core documentation needed for unregulated supported living
- A clear statement of purpose outlining your service ethos, objectives and the type of support offered.
- Organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding, confidentiality, complaints, incident reporting, equality and diversity, lone working, health and safety, fire safety, data protection (GDPR) and whistleblowing.
- Admissions criteria and suitability guidelines for your service user group.
- Needs assessment/two-way referral forms to determine residents’ requirements and compatibility.
- Tenancy agreements, service user contracts and easy-read documentation explaining rights and responsibilities.
- Risk assessment documentation for both premises and individuals including plans for managing changes in needs.
- Staff recruitment, induction and training records, with enhanced DBS checks for anyone supporting vulnerable adults.
- Safeguarding adults at risk policy and safeguarding reporting processes in line with statutory guidance.
Quality assurance and standards
- Quality assurance framework, including regular audits and reviews.
- Compliance with the National Supported Housing Standard and REACH standards (best practice benchmarks for supported housing).
- Evidence of service user involvement in planning and running the service (“co-production”).
- Policies supporting personal development, independence and rights for residents.
- Procedures for signposting and supporting access to community resources, benefits advice and third-party care services where required.
Local authority and statutory compliance
- Clear documentation of how your service meets the local authority’s eligibility criteria under the Care Act 2014 for supported living.
- Record keeping systems for incident reports, complaints, feedback and occupancy levels for audit and commissioning purposes.
- Evidence of insurance coverage (public liability, employer’s liability, professional indemnity).
Additional guidance on the regulatory requirements to set up unregulated adult supported living service in England
While not mandatory for unregulated services, aligning your paperwork and procedures to CQC key lines of enquiry and local authority requirements will strengthen your offer and protect your service should residents’ needs change. As regulatory standards are evolving, regularly consult official government and local authority guidance to keep compliant with any new licensing, quality or housing standards.
Carefully distinguishing between housing related support and regulated personal care in your documents and communication is critical to avoid inadvertently crossing into regulated activity. If a resident’s needs change, you must have systems to arrange domiciliary care via registered providers. Unregulated supported living providers succeed by maintaining robust governance, comprehensive policy frameworks and clear partnership arrangements with care agencies and local commissioners.
Model list of policies for regulatory requirements to set up unregulated adult supported living service
A model list of policies for unregulated adult supported living services in England typically includes all the key areas that ensure safe, high quality and compliant operations even without formal regulation by the CQC. Below is a comprehensive list, reflecting current best practice and statutory requirements for 2025.
Example policy list
- Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide
- Admission and Referral Policy
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
- Safeguarding Adults Policy (including reporting and whistleblowing)
- Mental Capacity and Consent Policy
- Confidentiality and Data Protection (GDPR) Policy
- Complaints, Comments and Compliments Policy
- Health and Safety Policy (including fire safety and premises risk assessment)
- Lone Working Policy
- Incident and Accident Reporting Policy
- Medication Support Policy (if any signposting/advice takes place)
- Behaviour Management/Support Policy
- Staff Recruitment, Vetting and Training Policy
- Safeguarding Record Keeping and File Management Policy
- Service User Assessment, Support Planning and Review Policy
- Move-in and Move-out Procedure
- Financial Management Policy (for any support with benefits, budgeting, etc.)
- Tenancy/Rent Management and Arrears Policy
- Quality Assurance, Audit and Service Development Policy
- Partnership/Third Party Agency Working Policy
- Personal Development and Independence Promotion Policy
- Co-production and Resident Engagement Policy
- Emergency Procedures (contingency plans for crisis situations)
Conclusion on the regulatory requirements to set up unregulated adult supported living service in England
Policies should be tailored to the specific needs of your service user group and reviewed against evolving local and national supported housing standards, especially in light of regulatory reforms and consultative changes. Regular reviews and updates ensure your documents remain fit for purpose and reflective of best practice.
This foundational set of policies will help demonstrate robust governance, transparent processes and a proactive approach to quality in unregulated supported living, protecting both service users and the provider.
By: Godfrey Mushandu /LinkedIn
