Supported living vacancies: what to include so the right people can find you

Social workers often refer with limited property information. Here are the 10 details that make a supported living vacancy easy to place first time.

A vacancy is only useful if the right person can find it, understand it and say yes quickly. Yet in supported living, vacancy information still often travels by phone call, spreadsheet and word of mouth.

Cornwall Council's own case study shows how it looks in practice. Before it built a tracker, vacancy information lived in "paper files, spreadsheets and individual officers' knowledge", and social workers made referrals with "limited information about properties", which sometimes led to unsuitable placements (Local Government Association, Cornwall Council case study).

The good news for providers is that a better listing is in your hands. Here are the 10 details that make a vacancy easy to place first time.

The 10 details every vacancy should include

Where it is. The area, the neighbourhood and how close it is to shops, transport and community life. People choose where they want to live, so this matters from the first read.
The type of home. A self-contained flat, a shared house, or a cluster of flats. Say how many people live there and which rooms are shared.
Who it is for. The needs you support well, such as learning disabilities, autism or mental health, and the support hours available. Be honest about who is not a good fit.
Who provides what. Who owns the property, who is the landlord (often a registered provider, or RP) and who provides the care. Our guide to lease structures explains why this matters.
Regulatory position. The care provider's CQC registration and latest rating, and the landlord's regulatory status. Commissioners will check this, so lead with it.
Housing status. Whether the scheme is exempt accommodation for Housing Benefit, and what that means for rent and service charges. Our guide to the definitions sets out the difference.
Costs. Rent, service charge and the support price, in plain terms, so a commissioner can compare like with like.
Accessibility. Step free access, adaptations, and what could be added. The room itself, and the way to it.
Availability. When the room is free, and how quickly you can complete an assessment and agree a move in date.
How to refer. One named contact, the information you need, and your usual timeline. A clear route to a quick answer is worth more than a long brochure.

Why it matters more now

Councils in England are being asked to look more closely at supported housing. The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 requires local housing authorities to review supported exempt accommodation in their area and publish a strategy, and it introduces a licensing regime (Legislation.gov.uk, Homeless Link). Commissioners will need clear, comparable information about the schemes in their area.

That is the gap OTHRS is being built to close. The idea is simple: each scheme is described once, in the same structured terms, and verified, so that commissioners, care providers, registered providers, developers and investors can all see the same facts. A complete listing today is also a head start on that.

A quick self check

Read your last vacancy advert as a social worker would. Could you tell, in 60 seconds, where the home is, who it suits, who runs it, whether it is regulated and what it costs? If not, you now know what to add.

Frequently asked questions

What should a supported living vacancy advert include?

The location, type of home, who it suits, who owns and manages it, the CQC rating and regulatory position, the housing status, the costs, accessibility, availability and a named contact for referrals.

Why do commissioners need to see regulatory details?

Councils need to be confident that a provider and scheme are properly regulated before placing someone. Leading with your CQC registration and rating saves a round of questions.

What is exempt accommodation?

Exempt accommodation is housing that passes a Housing Benefit test: it is provided by certain types of landlord that also provide care, support or supervision. It matters because rents are not capped at the standard Local Housing Allowance rate.

How often should I update vacancy information?

Whenever a room becomes free or is filled. Out of date information wastes the time of social workers and reduces trust.

Does the 2023 Act affect how I describe my scheme?

It introduces local reviews, strategies and licensing for supported exempt accommodation, so clear and consistent information will help councils and providers alike. Check the latest position with your local authority.

See how OTHRS is being built to help providers describe, verify and fill schemes in one place.