What is supported accommodation?

What is supported accommodation?

Supported accommodation is a home for young people aged 16 and 17 who are looked after by a local authority or are care leavers, and who are ready to start living more independently. They have their own room in a shared home or a flat, and staff provide regular support to help them build the skills they need for adult life.

It sits between foster care or a children's home and fully independent living. Young people manage more of their own day-to-day life, with trained staff on hand to guide, encourage and keep them safe.

Who is supported accommodation for?

It is for 16 and 17 year olds placed by a local authority, usually looked-after children and care leavers, including young people at risk of homelessness. Placements are made by the young person's social worker or the council's placements team.

Is supported accommodation regulated?

Yes. Since 28 October 2023, every provider in England that offers supported accommodation to looked-after 16 and 17 year olds and care leavers must be registered with Ofsted under the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Running this kind of service without registration is an offence.

Registered providers are inspected against four national quality standards: leadership and management, protection, accommodation, and support. You can check any provider's registration on the Ofsted website. In House is Ofsted registered, URN 2824105.

How is supported accommodation different from a children's home?

Supported accommodation provides support, not care. Staff help young people to learn independence skills, stay safe and plan their future, but they do not provide the round-the-clock care a children's home does. Young people who need care are placed in a children's home instead.

What support does In House provide?

Every young person at In House receives at least three hours of support every day, through our Independence Pathway. That includes help with budgeting, cooking and keeping a home, education, training and work, health and emotional wellbeing, and preparing to move on. Our homes are small, with two to four young people in each, so support is personal.

Where are In House's homes?

Our shared homes are in Bristol. For the safety of the young people who live there, we don't publish the addresses of our homes.

How do I make a referral?

Local authority social workers and placement teams can make a referral online. We respond to every referral within 24 hours. Commissioners can find more about our service on our local authorities page.