Supported Exempt Accommodation refers to properties in which the tenant receives care, support or supervision for the purpose of enabling them to live or adjust to living independently within the community.
To be classified as supported exempt accommodation:
- The landlord must be a voluntary organisation, a registered community interest company(CIC) or registered provider (housing association)
- The landlord must have a legal interest in the property concerned whether this be ownership or lease.
- The tenant must need care, support or supervision.
- The ‘support’ to meet these needs must be provided by the landlord or on its behalf.
To be classified as a managed property:
- The landlord must be a voluntary organisation, a registered charity or registered provider (housing association).
- An appointed third party provides the care, support or supervision
- The landlord must have a legal interest in the property concerned (ownership or lease).
- The tenant must need ‘care, support or supervision.’
To be classified as a domestic abuse refuge:
- The landlord can be the same providers as above but can also be the Local Authority.
- The accommodation must be used wholly or mainly for non-permanent accommodation for people who have left their homes because of domestic abuse.
- There is no requirement that the tenant receives care, support or supervision.
To be classified as a hostel:
- Hostel cannot be self-contained.
- The ‘support’ to meet these needs must be provided by the landlord or on its behalf
View Coventry City Council's Strategic statement 2024 for Supported Exempt Accommodation [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-1/strategic-statement-2024-supported-exempt-accommodation].
Supported Housing Improvement Programme
Coventry City Council has been successful in receiving funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as part of the £20 million government fund to toughen inspection of failing landlords and improve support for residents in supported housing.
Our proposal focussed on creating a virtual team, increasing resources in regulatory services and within our housing benefit team along with creating a dedicated quality officer post that sits within our housing service.
The new team are undertaking a range of activities including;
- Monitoring the quality of provision and service.
- Offering Support, advice and guidance for new and existing providers.
- Providing scrutiny of Housing Benefit claims in terms of Value For Money and quality of support plans.
- Develop a programme of multi-disciplinary inspection ensuring quality and compliance of the assets in regard to minimum standards and regulatory compliance.
- Review support arrangements, including safeguarding, through person-centred assessments of the support being provided to individuals.
- Work with community safety, the fire service, and the police to co-ordinate multi-agency responses to issues or concerns that arise.
- Responding to reactive complaints, proactive management and compliance inspections and spot checks.
Read the Government's Supported Housing Improvement Programme prospectus [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-housing-improvement-programme-prospectus].
Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023
The Act is aimed at improving conditions in exempt supported housing. It came into force on 29 August 2023.
A Crisis briefing said the bill aimed to “stop rogue operators from entering the market and ensure that action is taken against bad faith providers.”
The Act will:
- require local authorities in England to review supported housing in their areas and develop strategies
- provide for the creation of a national expert advisory panel to advise on matters related to supported housing
- give the Secretary of State power to introduce national support standards
- give local authorities power to create local licensing schemes for exempt accommodation, and
- give the Secretary of State an option to introduce a new planning use-class for exempt accommodation.
Read the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/26/enacted]
Coventry City Council Guide to Standards for Supported (Exempt) Accommodation (SSA)
As part of Coventry City Council’s commitment to driving up the standards of Support Exempt Accommodation in the city, the team have worked alongside current providers to create a guide to standards for supported exempt accommodation (SSA.
The key areas for the guide to standards are;
- Referrals and allocations
- Safeguarding and risk management
- Support provisions
- Health and safety
- Adequate resources
- Appropriately skilled and resourced workforce
All new and existing providers in Coventry will be expected to implement and work in line with the Standards for Supported (Exempt) Accommodation.
Read Coventry City Council's Guide to Standards for Supported (Exempt) Accommodation (SSA). [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-1/guide-standards-supported-exempt-accommodation-ssa]
Support Exempt Accommodation and Housing Benefit
The role of housing benefit in Supported Exempt Accommodation
The housing benefit system plays an important role in making supported housing affordable for claimants with limited income. Housing benefit cannot contribute to the cost of actual support, however, where accommodation can be identified as Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEA) under housing benefit legislation, housing benefit can help with the additional costs associated with the provision of supported housing
What is Supported Exempt Accommodation?
Supported Exempt Accommodation is defined in housing benefit legislation as:
- Accommodation provided by a Housing Association, registered charity or non-profit voluntary organisation, and
- The landlord, or someone acting on their behalf provides personal care (eg help with eating, washing, dressing) personal support (eg counselling, rehabilitation, regular checks on wellbeing) or supervision (eg using appliances, using stairs) as a condition of the tenancy, to the tenant which is more than an ordinary landlord would provide, and
- The tenant has need for the care, support or supervision which is made available to and provided to them.
What charges can be considered as part of the housing benefit assessment?
Core rent
The core rent will normally reflect the common charges that apply to sourcing and providing a property – i.e. the cost of owning or leasing a property. There would not usually be an expectation to see any marked difference between the core rent (bricks and mortar charge) charges for Supported Accommodation and those for general needs housing. A “reasonable” core rent will be eligible for housing benefit.
Service charges
These are the costs of running the property – for example Council Tax costs (if they are in a House in Multiple Occupation) maintenance, insurance, fuel (for communal areas) costs. “Reasonable” service charges will be eligible for housing benefit
Intensive housing management costs
These charges should show costs that arise as a result of managing the scheme for residents with support needs. These can include:
- Tasks that any landlord would have to perform, but in supported accommodation these tasks are more frequent or more complicated, for example re-letting void units, arranging repairs, urging tenants to keep their rent up to date
- Tasks that fall within the general meaning of “housing management” (as distinct from care, support or supervision) but which are not normally required in general needs accommodation, for example small maintenance tasks that are normally done by tenants in general needs accommodation
There is an understanding that running supported accommodation schemes will incur greater housing management expenses above those of general needs accommodation. This may be because of a higher rate of resident turnover or more wear and tear on the property etc. The type and degree of expenses will vary depending on the client group. “Reasonable” housing management costs will be eligible for housing benefit.
How does the housing benefit service decide whether the rent (core rent, service charges and intensive housing management charges) can be covered by housing benefit?
To determine the level of housing benefit that can be paid, the following is considered:
- Are the charges eligible for housing benefit? To be eligible they must relate to the provision of adequate accommodation and must be paid as a condition of occupation.
- Are the service charges / intensive housing management charges reasonable? The following will be considered:
- Does the accommodation provided meet the housing needs of the client group? What is considered reasonable for one client group may be considered excessive for another.
- Is the rent/service charges excessive compared to comparable services?
Claiming housing benefit in Supported Exempt Accommodation
You can apply to claim help with your housing costs through housing benefit [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/benefits-1/housing-benefit-council-tax-support/2].
Housing Enforcement
Owners of rented houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are required by the Housing Act 2004 to have them licensed by the Council. An HMO requires a mandatory licence where it is occupied by five or more people forming more than one household; the Council has discretionary powers to require other HMOs to be licensed.
From 4 May 2020, an additional licensing designation [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/31783/signed_designation] has come into effect across the city, requiring HMOs with fewer than five persons and HMOs with no shared amenities to be licensed.
More information regarding Houses of Multiple Occupancy and Housing Enforcement policies and procedures [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housingenforcement].
Landlord accreditation
Coventry City Council is now offering a free, voluntary accreditation scheme for landlords. Being accredited by us may entitle you to cheaper, longer-lasting licences for your properties. Please visit our Landlord Accreditation pages [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-enforcement/landlord-accreditation]for more information.
New providers and schemes
Are you a new provider wishing to operate within Coventry? Are you an existing provider wishing to offer a new provision?
If you wish to enquire and register your interest in providing a new provision of Supported Exempt Accommodation in the city, you will need to complete the online enquiry form [https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/Supported_exempt_accommodation_enquiry]. Once completed, a member of the team will be in touch to discuss the next steps and how we can move your application forward.
Please see below a detailed explanation of the onboarding process for new providers and schemes in the City.
Step-by-step guide
- Complete the online enquiry form. This can be completed electronically, or a physical copy can be printed. An electronic copy of the form will be sent directly to the Support Exempt Inbox.
- The Supported Exempt Accommodation team will check the enquiry form. A decision will then be made as to whether or not the application will be accepted or refused based on the information provided. Where an enquiry form is rejected or further information is required, the Supported Exempt Accommodation Officer from Housing Benefit will be in touch.
- If the application has been accepted an email will be sent from the Supported Exempt Accommodation Officer requesting that a full application pack be completed. Providers will be supplied with the following documents.
- New Provider Application Form
- Staff Structure breakdown
- Rent Breakdown Spreadsheet, including eligible and ineligible service charges.
Failure to complete these documents in full will delay the onboarding process.
- Provider to email back application form, staff structure, rent breakdown and the following supporting evidence as requested on the application form:
- A signed head lease for each of the properties
- Copy of all service level agreements that are in place.
- Copies of support plans for each resident ensuring it is signed and dated by the resident and the support worker.
- The Supported Exempt Accommodation Officer from Housing Benefit will then use the information provided and consider the content of application and rent breakdown. This will then be discussed with the wider Support Exempt Accommodation Team. If required, further information will be requested from provider and queries to be made.
- The Principal Environmental Health Officer and Quality Officer will then make arrangements with the provider for visits to take place at all the proposed addresses. As part of this visit, checks will be made against the initial applications, along with the quality of the support and the property standards.
- The Supported Exempt Accommodation team will then meet to discuss the outcome of the visits. It is at this point that a decision will be made on whether Housing Benefit is ready to agree.
- Following a decision, the provider will be invited to a panel that takes place once a month to discuss the council's expectations and Coventry City Council's Guide to Standards for Supported Exempt Accommodation. If the provisions support a particular client group, we may invite a colleague with expertise in this area to the panel. After the panel, providers will be sent feedback via email.
Existing providers
As outlined in the Standards for Support (Exempt) Accommodation, all providers and their properties will be visited each year and an audit will be carried out on the service that they provide.
From the information collected from the audits, staff will be able to offer feedback to the providers and make any recommendations they see appropriate. The Supported Exempt Accommodation team will then be able to update teams within the council and promote providers who we believe to be offering suitable accommodation in the city with the hope that we can help minimise void periods for the provider.
Templates
Templates that will be used to feedback to providers following completion of an audit [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7641/existing-provisions-checklists-and-templates].
Compliments, concerns and complaints
Speak up, we're listening
The Supported Exempt Accommodation Team is committed to putting local people, their needs and their housing at the heart of what it does. We want to ensure that the people living in Support Exempt Accommodation, and the wider community have a positive and trouble-free experience. However, sometimes things go wrong. When things go wrong, we encourage people to speak up, so that we can work with providers to make things right.
We want you to tell us if you:
- have a comment about a housing or support provider.
- want to complain if a housing or support provider didn't get it right for you; or
- want to compliment a housing or support provider when they have done something well.
Please use our online form [https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/Supported_Exempt_Accommodation___Comments__concerns_and_complaints] to provide your comment, compliment or complaint. Please note, this link is only to be used to provide feedback regarding Supported Exempt Accommodation.
If you wish to provide a comment, compliment or make a complaint about other council services or regarding issues that relate to a member of the Supported Exempt Accommodation team, please refer to the Council's comments, compliments and concerns page [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/contact-council/comments-compliments-complaints].
If you would like to provide feedback regarding this webpage [http://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/Supported_Exempt_Accommodation_webpage_feedback], please do so.