In our March blog post, we discussed the implementation of Ofsted regulations in Supported Accommodation (formerly known as Semi-Independent Living) as well as timescales for registry and proposed inspections in the new year. In this post, we’re going to provide updates on the current state of Supported Accommodation for Young People (SAYP) and clarify some important deadlines.
After the release of quality standards on March 23rd, Ofsted released their deadline for supported accommodation providers currently supporting young people (16–17), i.e. already existing Semi-Independent Living provisions, to register with Ofsted by October 28th 2023. After this date, it is an offence to provide Supported Accommodation without having a registration accepted by Ofsted as complete. This does not apply to new provisions that are yet to provide Supported Accommodation to young people.
In July, Ofsted launched a consultation for inspecting Supported Accommodation, providing the sector with an opportunity to share its views on how supported accommodation should be inspected. The consultation (including views from children and young people) ran from July 10th to September 8th 2023, and will inform inspections starting April 2024. Ofsted is currently undertaking pilot inspections on a small number of registered providers across all categories of Supported Accommodation before publishing inspection guidance in spring. This consultation on Ofsted’s proposals for inspecting Supported Accommodation will be a vital insight into the future of supporting young people in their transition to independence and the arrangements for the inspection of provisions.
If you’re thinking of beginning the registry process, Ofsted has a comprehensive guide to registering a Supported Accommodation service. This process is broken up into 3 stages:
- Application forms and any required documents
- Local authority and professional checks, references
- Ofsted visits and interviews
If you have any queries relating to registering with Ofsted or you’re interested in starting a Supported Accommodation provision, please call us on 0800 059 9908. Our sister company, ClouDoc, provides Supported Accommodation policies, key documents and forms that comply with Ofsted requirements if you’re interested in speeding up the registry process and complying with new regulations. To further read more about supported living business plan UK, visit us now.
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