What Is Supported Living? Definition, CQC Registration and How It Differs From a Care Home
The provider’s view: what supported living is, why CQC treats it as personal care rather than a care home, and what that means for registration and governance.
Supported living is a way of living in suitable accommodation, which can be your own home, with some personal care and support provided separately, so that people live as independently as they can. CQC regulates the care, not the housing. A supported living provider that delivers personal care registers for the regulated activity “Personal care”, and the accommodation and the care must be genuinely separate: people must be able to choose a different care provider.
Supported living is often confused with a care home. The law treats them differently, and getting the model wrong is one of the commonest registration mistakes in adult social care. If the accommodation and the care are a single package, you are probably a care home. If they are separate, you are probably supported living.
This guide uses CQC’s scope of registration guidance for Personal care and accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, and the NHS description of supported living services.
Key takeaways
- Supported living combines suitable accommodation, which can be the person’s own home, with some personal care and support.
- CQC registers the personal care, not the tenancy. Providers delivering personal care register for the regulated activity “Personal care”.
- There must be a real separation between the personal care and the accommodation agreement, so that the person could choose another care provider.
- If accommodation is a requirement of receiving the care, from one specified provider, it is likely a care home service instead.
- Housing support or social support alone, with no personal care tasks, does not need CQC registration.
In this guide
What Is Supported Living?
The NHS describes supported living as a combination of suitable accommodation, which can be your own home, with some forms of personal care, such as help with washing or cooking. Some supported living homes are shared by two or three people with a similar health problem or disability. Staff usually visit to help with getting up, going out to college or work, shopping, housework and personal care.
It suits people who do not want residential care but find it hard to cope at home. It is provided by local councils, charities and commercial providers, and people often hear about it during a needs assessment.
How Does CQC Regulate Supported Living?
CQC says the regulated activity of Personal care covers personal care provided where people live, and gives “housing with care or supported living services” as examples. It also explains that sometimes people live in accommodation where receiving a care service is a requirement of occupation. For the care service to be correctly registered for Personal care, there must be a real separation between the provision of personal care and the accommodation agreements.
The nature of the care decides registration. CQC says you do not need to register if you provide only housing support or social support, such as help with shopping, and none of the tasks in the definition of personal care. Personal care means physical assistance with eating or drinking, toileting, washing or bathing, dressing, oral care and the care of skin, hair and nails, or prompting and supervising someone who cannot decide about these tasks themselves.
If the service supports people with a learning disability or autistic people, CQC also expects you to refer to its guidance Right support, right care, right culture.
Supported Living vs a Care Home: What Is the Difference?
| Supported living | Care home | |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Separate tenancy or own home | Provided by the provider as part of the care |
| Choice of care provider | The person can choose a different personal care provider | The person must use the care provider linked to the accommodation |
| CQC regulated activity | Personal care | Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care |
| Where the CQC registration sits | The care provider, not the landlord | The care home provider |
CQC’s own wording on the care home test is that accommodation and personal care are a single package, so the person cannot choose personal care from another provider while living there. If they can, it may be supported living or extra care housing. See what is a residential care home.
What Should a Supported Living Provider Evidence?
The fundamental standards apply to the personal care you provide. Inspectors will look at how people direct their own support, how you keep them safe, and whether the model really is separate from the housing. Useful evidence includes:
- Person-centred support plans that reflect people’s own goals and choices (person-centred care).
- Evidence that people have choice and control over who supports them, and that tenancy and care agreements are separate.
- Safeguarding, medicines and incident records, with learning shared (safeguarding adults).
- Mental capacity and consent records. Deprivation of liberty in community settings such as supported living generally cannot be authorised under DoLS, so check the route that applies (MCA, DoLS and LPS in practice).
- Staffing, training and competence for lone and shared-home working.
How Can CQC Logic Help a Supported Living Provider?
CQC Logic does not run support planning or rostering. It is the governance layer: an audit schedule where you can add supported-living audits (support plan reviews, medicines, spot checks), incident, complaint, safeguarding and medicines error logs, a notification tracker, a training and supervision record and an inspector evidence pack. See plans.
Sources: CQC: Personal care (scope of registration) · CQC: Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care · NHS: Supported living services
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CQC Logic helps supported living and home care providers schedule audits, log incidents and track actions, so you can show an inspector how you govern your service. See a sample improvement plan, view pricing or get started free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is supported living?
Supported living is suitable accommodation, which can be a person’s own home, combined with some personal care and support, so people can live as independently as possible.
Does supported living need to be registered with CQC?
The personal care does, if you provide any of the tasks in the definition of personal care. CQC says you do not need to register if you provide only housing support or social support with no personal care tasks.
What is the difference between supported living and a care home?
In supported living, accommodation and personal care are separate and the person can choose another care provider. In a care home they are a single package from one provider.
Who regulates supported living?
CQC regulates the personal care provided. The housing itself is not regulated by CQC.
What regulated activity does a supported living provider register for?
Personal care. CQC names housing with care and supported living services as examples of where this activity applies.
Who pays for supported living?
It varies. The NHS says people can fund their own care or receive a personal budget, and local councils may arrange services after a needs assessment. A provider should confirm funding at the outset.