Starting a Supported Living service can be rewarding but it takes some understanding of the market and how placements work. This is how you can avoid some of the pitfalls when starting a Supported Living service in 12 steps:
1. Understand UK Regulatory Requirements
Before you can even have the problem of too many voids or empty rooms / flats you need to be set up! Some provision may be unregulated but over time this will decrease and more provision will need to be CQC registered. Please note that this is the responsibility of the Support or Care provider as opposed to the landlord.
- CQC Registration: Ensure your service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is mandatory for most supported living services in England.
- Compliance with Legislation: Familiarize yourself with key legislation, including the Health and Social Care Act, the Care Act 2014, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This will need to be embedded into all policies, procedures, training and delivery.
- Local Authority Guidelines: Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide care and support for people living in their authority. Follow any specific requirements or guidelines from local authorities in the area where you operate. Some of your service users may not be from your local authority so please ensure you are aware of any requirements they may have e.g. Reporting safeguarding or engaging with Health professionals.
2. Develop a Comprehensive Service Guide
- Service Overview: Clearly describe the purpose of your supported living service, who it is for, and the types of support offered. Most services can not be for every client group so please be mindful when setting out the ‘who it is for’ section.
- Admission Criteria: Specify the criteria for service users, including age, mental and physical health needs, and any other eligibility requirements. Mobility restrictions are a key element so if there are a lot of stairs this may prohibit some potential service users.
- Referral Process: Outline how potential clients can be referred to your service, whether through social services, healthcare providers, or self-referral.
3. Create Detailed Documentation
- Policies and Procedures: These will already be ready and reviewed as part of your CQC registration so some providers may think that there is nothing left to do. However all documentation should be updated regularly to ensure that it meets any changes in legislation and so that they reflect actual operational needs.
- Operational Guides: Don’t assume that training is sufficient. Your staff should have operational procedures and guides to make sure all service users are kept safe and meeting their outcomes. These should include referrals, eligibility and assessment of every potential service user.
- Care Plans: Once you have agreed that you can support someone your team should develop individualized care plans for each service user, addressing their specific needs and goals.
- Safeguarding Policies: It is key that your organisation implements robust safeguarding policies to protect vulnerable adults, in line with UK safeguarding standards. These should be local and national with safeguarding being at the core of everything that you do.
- Health and Safety: Establish clear health and safety procedures, including risk assessments, emergency protocols, and regular safety checks.
4. Recruit and Train Qualified Staff
- Recruitment: Ensure your staff meet the qualifications and experience required by UK regulations. Consider roles like support workers, healthcare professionals, and administrative staff. Sometime this will mean training people in house especially if they are new to the UK. Your hiring should ensure that everyone is sponsored and eligible to work in the UK so please comply with Home Affairs.
- Professional Development and Continuous Training: Mandatory training is required to be refreshed every 1 to 3 years and you should know which ones are required by your staff. Additional training should address the needs of your client group and the individuals service users you support. Provide ongoing training for staff on topics such as safeguarding, first aid, and handling challenging behavior. Go to the Skills for Care website for more information
- DBS Checks: Conduct Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for all staff to ensure they are suitable to work with vulnerable adults. These should be enhanced checks and updated as instructed by the DBS service
5. Prepare the Living Environment
The environment is critical to the wellbeing of staff and service users. Evidence suggests that it can reduce some behaviours that challenge and encourage service users away from self neglect. Whilst you may be the support provider and not the landlord it is imperative that you liaise with the landlords on matters such as repairs, adaptations and general health and safety.
- Accommodation Standards: Ensure that the living spaces meet the standards set by the CQC and local housing regulations, including safety, accessibility, and cleanliness.
- Personalisation: Allow service users to personalize their living spaces to make them feel more comfortable and at home.
- Communal Areas: Provide well-maintained communal areas for social interaction, leisure activities, and dining.
Providers should also be aware of what activities and amenities are available locally and how service users can access these services. Transport links or access to transport is also a key part of ensuring that the living environment supports service users in meeting their outcomes.
6. Implement Effective Marketing Strategies
- Online Presence: Create a professional website and maintain active social media profiles to showcase your services. Your website should include your CQC rating and link to inspection report, your referral contact details, your complaints process, and your service offer.
- Networking: Build relationships with local commissioners, social services, and voluntary sector organsations for referrals.
- Open Days: Host open days or informational sessions to allow Social Workers, commissioners and any potential clients and their families to visit and learn about your service.
- Join a Procurement Vehicle: There are a number of procurement vehicles and knowing which one your local authority uses is important. Framework, DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System) or Preferred Provider List: A lot of local authorities do not place people in services that have not undergone a procurement process where they check for quality, pricing and suitability against a service specification. Check your local authority to see if they use one of these procurement vehicles and when you can apply for it.
- Brokerage Services: Use a service like Caretilt (shameless plug) which has connections to a number of local authorities and can market your vacancies for you.
7. Financial Management
- Funding: Understand the funding options available in the UK, including local authority funding, personal budgets, and direct payments.
- Transparent Pricing: Clearly communicate your pricing structure to local authorities, clients and their families, including what is covered and any additional costs.
- Budgeting: Develop a detailed budget to ensure the financial sustainability of your service, considering staffing costs, accommodation maintenance, and other expenses.
See more on pricing and how to price here.
8. Client Care and Support
- Personalised Care and Support: Offer tailored care and support that meets the individual needs of each service user, respecting their choices and preferences. Ask family members for more information on how a service user would want to be supported and ensure that independence is at the core of delivery.
- Outcome Based Commissioning and the Care Act 2014 require outcomes to be measurable and SMART. Make sure all Care and Support Plans have outcomes that are achievable. Staff need to be made aware of these and actively working towards these outcomes.
- Mental and Physical Health Support: Provide access to health services, including mental health support, GP visits, and specialist care when needed. Sometimes you will need to make a referral and this may need to be followed up.
- Social Integration: Encourage participation in community activities and help service users build social networks. This can be in-person or virtual but should best meet the needs of the service user.
9. Monitor and Improve Service Quality
- Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of care plans and service delivery to ensure that the needs of service users are being met.
- Service Audits especially around Medication and Keyworking should be a standard part of the service. Responsible Individuals and managers should be aware of key performance indicators and plan what is needed to meet these
- Feedback Mechanisms: Implement systems for gathering feedback from service users and their families, such as surveys or suggestion boxes. When family or social workers call it’s worth asking how they are finding the service and if there is anything that could be improved.
- Complaints and compliments should be learning opportunities and should be recorded and tracked. Staff should feel supported when there is a complaint and if additional or refresher training is required then this should be supported.
- Continuous Improvement: Use feedback and review findings to make continuous improvements to your service. This is essential for when you are bidding for new work in specific areas and for your CQC inspections. Evidence of learning especially from Safeguarding incidents need to be shared with all staff to make sure that it’s embedded.
10. Comply with Data Protection Regulations
- GDPR Compliance: How you handle people’s data is very important. You will receive personal data when a referral is made and you need to make sure that all data is used only by those that need to see it. Ensure that all personal data is handled in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This includes securing data, obtaining consent, and providing access to personal information when requested.
- Confidentiality Policies: Develop and enforce confidentiality policies to protect the privacy of service users. This should be updated regularly so staff understand that it’s an ongoing policy.
11. Plan for Crisis Management
- Contingency Planning: Develop contingency plans for emergencies, such as natural disasters, health pandemics, or financial crises. This document, your business continuity plan should outline how you will ensure service users are supported in any circumstance. This should be updated every 3 years.
- Emergency Contacts: Ensure that staff, service users and their families have access to emergency contact information. Everyone should know what to do in an emergency and contact details should be available 24/7.
12. Establish Clear Exit Procedures
- Termination of Service: Occasionally you may find that your service is unable to meet the needs of someone and you can no longer keep them or your staff safe. This should be discussed and agreed with the local authority in advance of any notice being served. You should outline the process for ending a service agreement, whether due to the service user’s choice, changes in needs, or other circumstances. Please note that additionally for Supported Living there is the termination of the lease or tenancy. These are two separate agreements.
- Transition Support: Transition Support: A good provider will ensure that they provide support for service users transitioning to another service or independent living, ensuring a smooth and supportive process. This can be a challenging time for all stakeholders but in agreement with the local authority this can be made less so. By following these steps, you can ensure that your supported living service in the UK is well-prepared, compliant with regulations, and positioned to provide high -quality care to your clients.
Still struggling to work out what to charge? Read more on pricing and use our free care cost calculator.
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