Supported Living Registration: 10 Key Steps to Get Approved Fast by Regulators

Introduction

Supported Living plays a vital role across the UK’s care landscape, providing flexible, often semi-independent accommodation and support for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs or complex behaviours. But unlike care homes, Supported Living services are not automatically regulated. In fact, many providers operate entirely outside formal registration, sometimes lawfully, but often unethically.

This lack of oversight has been widely criticised. Investigations and inquiries across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have exposed how the absence of regulatory safeguards in Supported Living has left vulnerable people at risk, particularly where providers exploit legal loopholes to avoid registration.

Here’s the crux: If your service provides personal care, you are legally required to register with a regulator. But if you provide only housing and support,even if intensive, you might fall outside formal oversight. This grey area is where poor practice and abuse often emerge.

That’s why many responsible founders choose to register anyway. Whether it’s with:

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England
• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
• Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland
• Ofsted for children and young people
• Care Inspectorate in Scotland

Supported Living registration demonstrates credibility, raises standards, and creates safer environments.

In this guide, we’ll show you 10 key steps to register a Supported Living service, mandatorily or voluntarily, so you can meet ethical standards, regulator expectations, and sector best practice.

Step 1: Understand What Supported Living Registration Covers – and What It Doesn’t

One of the biggest misconceptions in the sector is that all supported living services must be registered with a regulator. In reality, registration depends entirely on the type of support you deliver, not the model of housing or care environment.

Supported Living is a housing-based model, not a regulated service in itself. It refers to the arrangement where individuals live in their own homes (often tenancies or licences) and receive varying levels of care or support. The regulatory requirement comes into play only when certain activities take place, such as:

• Personal care (e.g. bathing, toileting, dressing)
• Supervision or treatment for mental disorder
• Nursing care
• Care of children or young people (under Ofsted’s remit)
• Secure accommodation

If your service does not provide these regulated activities, you may not need to register, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Many founders intentionally register with regulators to demonstrate accountability, protect service users, and pre-empt future scrutiny.

In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) states you must register if your service involves regulated activities, even if they are carried out within a supported living model. Similar principles apply in:

• Wales under Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
• Scotland via the Care Inspectorate
• Northern Ireland under the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)
• Ofsted, where children are involved (e.g. semi-independent placements)

Understanding this regulatory boundary is your first step. It defines whether your service requires mandatory registration or if you’ll proceed voluntarily to raise standards.

Step 2: Do You Need to Register? How UK Regulators Define Supported Living?

Before completing any application, you need to be absolutely clear on whether you require supported living registration, or if registration is optional but advisable. This decision hinges on how UK regulators define your activities, not your intentions, not your setting name.

Let’s look at how each UK regulator interprets supported living:

Care Quality Commission (CQC), England
CQC registration is required only if your service delivers a regulated activity, such as personal care. Supported living itself is not a regulated service. CQC focuses on what staff do, not the label of the service. If you’re helping with washing, dressing or continence care, you will likely need to register for the “Personal Care” regulated activity.

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
CIW takes a similar position. If your supported living staff provide care as defined by the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, registration is mandatory. Support-only models (e.g. prompting without touching) may be exempt, but anything beyond that could trigger the requirement.

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), Northern Ireland
RQIA requires supported living registration services where staff provide personal care or nursing care. Even when services claim to offer only “housing support”, the actual day-to-day delivery is what determines compliance.

Ofsted, England
For young people aged 16–17 in supported accommodation, Ofsted registration is required under new supported accommodation regulations introduced in October 2023. If you’re housing or supporting looked-after children, registration with Ofsted is now compulsory.

Care Inspectorate, Scotland
The Care Inspectorate regulates supported living for adults where care and support is provided. Even if accommodation is separate, if your team assists with personal or health needs, registration under “Support Service, Care at Home” is likely necessary.

What This Means for You

• Decisions must be based on the actual care delivered, not the title of your service
• Each UK regulator has its own legal test for supported living registration
• Review your care plans, job descriptions and daily support to check for triggers
• If in doubt, seek advice, some regulators penalise non-registration even if unintentional

Step 3: Identify Your Service Type, Client Group and Regulated Activities

Once you’ve confirmed that your supported living model might require registration, your next task is to clearly define three things:

1. Your service type
2. Your client group
3. Which regulated activities, if any, you’ll deliver

This helps determine which regulator(s) you apply to, what standards you’ll be assessed against, and what documents you’ll need to submit.

1. Define Your Service Type

Supported Living may overlap with multiple registration categories. For example:

• Personal care at home: “Personal Care” (CQC, CIW, RQIA, Care Inspectorate)
• Support service with accommodation: “Support Service – Care at Home” (Scotland)
• Accommodation for 16–17 year olds: “Supported Accommodation” (Ofsted)

You must align your application with the exact service definition used by the relevant regulator.

2. Identify Your Client Group

Different client groups trigger different regulatory rules and expectations. You’ll need to specify if you’re supporting:

• Adults with learning disabilities
• People with autism or mental health needs
• Individuals with forensic or complex behaviours
• Looked-after children or young people (under 18)
• People with physical health or sensory needs

This affects the qualifications your team will need, your safeguarding policies, and your overall risk assessment.

3. Confirm Any Regulated Activities

Each UK regulator has a list of regulated activities that trigger mandatory registration. These include:

• Personal care: help with washing, dressing, toileting and hygiene
• Nursing care: treatment provided by or under supervision of a nurse
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury: clinical interventions and recovery support
• Care of children: accommodation and support for anyone under 18
• Secure accommodation: any deprivation of liberty or restriction of movement
• Mental health treatment: care under the Mental Health Act or equivalent protocols

If your service involves any of these, registration is not optional, it’s a legal requirement.

Summary: What to Clarify at This Stage

• Which exact service type you’re delivering, as defined by your regulator
• Your core client groups and their support needs
• Whether any regulated activities will be part of your offer
• Whether your model includes both accommodation and care, or support only

Step 4: Prepare Your Statement of Purpose According to Regulator Guidelines

Your Statement of Purpose is a legally required document that sets out the scope, aims and structure of your service. It must be submitted as part of your application to regulators like CQC, CIW, RQIA, Ofsted or the Care Inspectorate.

More than a formality, this document tells inspectors and assessors:

• What your service will deliver
• Who it is designed for
• How you will operate safely, ethically and legally
• Why you meet the requirements for registration

Each regulator has slightly different expectations, but they all expect clarity, consistency and honesty. A vague or inaccurate Statement of Purpose is a common cause of application delay or rejection.

What to Include in Your Statement of Purpose

Although each regulator provides its own template or framework, your document should clearly address the following areas:

• Aims and objectives of your service
• Service type and regulated activities
• Client groups supported, including age, needs and any restrictions
• Location details, including premises suitability
• Staffing structure and roles
• Safeguarding and quality assurance processes
• Governance arrangements, including who is responsible and how decisions are made
• Registration applicant information, such as legal entity and contact details

Be specific, inspectors will use this document during interviews, inspections and ongoing monitoring.

Best Practices for a Strong Submission

• Align your language and service description to the terminology used by your regulator
• Avoid jargon, vague phrases or promotional tone
• Be honest about risks, limitations and support boundaries
• Match the document exactly with your application form details
• Review examples or templates from your regulator’s guidance pages

You can refer to CQC’s official guidance when preparing your version. Other regulators such as CIW and RQIA also issue templates or sample structures on request.

Step 5: Gather the Core Documents Required Across the UK

To complete your supported living registration successfully, you’ll need to supply a range of supporting documents. These prove that your service is safe, legally sound and operationally prepared. While the exact list varies by regulator, most require very similar core evidence.

Missing or incomplete documents are one of the most common causes of application delays and rejections, so it’s crucial to prepare these early and keep them aligned with your Statement of Purpose.

Core Documents Checklist (UK-Wide)

Each regulator will typically ask for:

• Statement of Purpose: covering service aims, delivery model, client group and activities
• Business plan: clear operational and financial forecast
• Policies and procedures: covering safeguarding, medication, complaints, staffing, lone working and more
• Location information: floor plans, risk assessments and evidence of suitability
• Governance documents: company registration, legal structure, directors or trustees
• Staffing overview: including structure, job descriptions and qualifications
• Insurance certificates: public liability and employers’ liability
• Financial viability evidence: recent accounts, forecasts or funding confirmation
• Fire and health & safety assessments: if applicable to your premises
• DBS checks (or equivalent in Wales, NI, Scotland) for directors and registered managers

Some regulators may also request a service user guide, ethos statement or key policies in editable formats.

Practical Tips

• Use templates issued by your regulator where available
• Clearly label all files and match names to those on your application
• Ensure consistency between all documents, especially staffing, aims and client descriptions
• Include digital versions in PDF where possible, keeping originals on file

Having these documents ready, correctly formatted and named, can reduce registration time by weeks.

Step 6: Confirm Your Service Location and Premises Details

Although supported living services often operate independently of the accommodation provider, you are still required to declare where your business is operated from. This includes your registered location and any relevant operational hubs or staff bases.

In most supported living models, the properties themselves are owned or managed by housing associations, local authorities or private landlords. The care provider may have little or no legal control over the tenancy arrangements, and that’s entirely acceptable, regulators do not expect you to own or lease the accommodation directly.

However, if you are applying to deliver regulated activities (such as personal care), you must still demonstrate:

• Where the regulated activity is being coordinated or delivered from
• That the environment used by your staff is suitable, safe and appropriate
• That you have clear oversight of how risks and quality are managed across all settings

This applies equally whether you’re operating from a single staff base or across multiple dispersed properties.

What You’ll Need to Provide

• The full address of your registered location (e.g. office or staff base)
• Details of how services will be delivered across dispersed or third-party housing
• A general description of the types of premises your service users live in
• Risk assessments for lone working, outreach visits or site-based activities
• Clarity on your relationship with any housing partner(s)

If the regulated activity occurs in people’s own homes, it’s often sufficient to register your main office or care coordination hub as the service location. Be transparent, this helps inspectors understand how you deliver and supervise care across the community.

Location Considerations for Supported Living Registration

• Accessibility, staffing and storage capacity at your business base
• Lone working protocols and how off-site visits are coordinated
• Whether your operating address is secure, suitable and appropriately staffed
• The regulator’s ability to visit your declared location for assessment or inspection

You do not need to register each individual property where clients live, but you must provide an accurate description of how and where your team operates.

Step 7: Appoint a Registered Manager and Declare Fit Persons

All UK care regulators require you to identify and formally appoint individuals who will be legally accountable for the service. This includes:

• A Registered Manager: the person responsible for day-to-day operations
• Other fit persons: such as directors, partners or nominated individuals, depending on your legal structure

The regulator will assess whether these individuals are suitable based on their experience, qualifications, character and criminal record. This is a key part of the application process and often includes a formal interview and document checks.

Registered Manager Requirements

Your Registered Manager must:

• Have the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the service type and client group
• Hold, or be working towards, an appropriate qualification (e.g. Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care in England)
• Be able to demonstrate good governance, safeguarding awareness and regulatory knowledge
• Pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, or regional equivalent
• Be permanently based in the UK, and typically located within reach of the service area

Some small providers also register the business owner or director as the Registered Manager. This is allowed, but only if they meet the same standards and can show active, local involvement in daily management.

Declaring Other Fit Persons

If your organisation is:

• A partnership, each partner may need to complete a fit person declaration
• A limited company, directors and controlling shareholders will be assessed
• A charity or trust, all trustees may be required to submit documentation

Each regulator has slightly different rules, but the goal is the same, to ensure that people in control of care services are responsible, qualified and accountable.

Step 8: Submit Your Registration to the Right UK Regulator

Once you’ve prepared your documents, confirmed your service type, and appointed your key people, it’s time to submit your registration application. The process will differ depending on which UK nation and regulator you’re dealing with, but the core steps are similar.

Your application must be submitted using the correct method for your regulator, and include all supporting documents, declarations and payments required.

Which Regulator Do You Submit To?

Use the correct application process based on your business location and client group:

• England: Submit to the CQC via the current interim process (as the Provider Portal is under review and temporarily suspended)
• Wales: Apply via the CIW online registration system for domiciliary support services
• Northern Ireland: Submit to RQIA for services involving personal or nursing care
• Scotland: Apply to the Care Inspectorate for care at home or support services
• Ofsted: Use the Supported Accommodation Registration portal for services to 16–17 year olds

Some providers operate across multiple nations. In that case, you must complete separate applications for each regulator based on where services are delivered.

What the Application Typically Includes

• Organisation and contact details
• Statement of Purpose and service overview
• Fit person declarations and DBS or equivalent checks
• Location and premises information
• Key policies, procedures and financial evidence
• Application fee (amount varies by regulator and service size)

Each regulator will acknowledge receipt, request clarification if needed, and assign your case to a registration inspector. Timelines vary, but most complete initial assessments within 10 to 12 weeks, subject to any queries or missing information.

Step 9: Prepare for the Interview, Compliance Checks and Premises Assessment

Once your application is submitted and initial document checks are complete, regulators will begin a deeper assessment process. This usually includes:

• A fit person interview for the Registered Manager and/or directors
• Requests for clarification or additional evidence
• Premises verification or site visits (if applicable)
• Checks on your compliance with legal, safeguarding and quality standards

The purpose is to confirm that your leadership team is capable, your environment is suitable, and your service is ready to operate safely.

What to Expect at the Fit Person Interview

This is a structured, often formal conversation with an inspector. You’ll be asked about:

• Your understanding of regulatory responsibilities and sector legislation
• How you will deliver safe, person-centred care
• Your systems for recruitment, training, supervision and complaints
• How you manage safeguarding, risk and quality assurance
• Your leadership style and how you maintain visibility in the service

Be specific, and use examples from your Statement of Purpose, policies and proposed staffing structure. The interview is not about perfection, it’s about demonstrating competence, honesty and preparedness.

Common Checks and Requests

• Evidence that key policies are understood and embedded, not just downloaded
• Proof that staff are recruited safely and trained appropriately
• Clarification of any inconsistencies between documents
• Health and safety or fire risk assessments for operational sites
• Written explanations of complex support models or partnerships

Where registration includes a location (e.g. office or staff base), a site visit may be conducted. Ofsted will also request evidence that supported accommodation meets basic safety and suitability standards.

Step 10: Finalise Your Approval and Prepare for Inspection Readiness

Once your interview is complete and final clarifications are submitted, your application will move to final review. Most UK regulators issue a decision without visiting your service location, approval is typically granted based on:

• Document quality and consistency
• Responses provided during the fit person interview
• DBS and background checks
• Risk assessments and policy evidence

If your application is accepted, you’ll receive a registration certificate and confirmation of your regulated activities. From this point on, your service is legally registered and subject to monitoring, inspection and compliance action.

Prepare for Post-Approval Inspection

While inspections usually take place after registration, your readiness will still be assessed at any time. It’s crucial that you launch with everything in place, including:

• Staff fully trained and recruited to safe standards
• Premises compliant with health, safety and environmental expectations
• Governance arrangements clearly operating in practice
• Systems for safeguarding, complaints and medication ready to go
• Accurate records and supervision frameworks live from day one

Governance from Day One

You are expected to operate to the standards of your regulator from the moment registration is confirmed, even if no inspection has taken place. That includes:

• Notifying changes to key individuals or premises
• Maintaining and evidencing ongoing training, audits and compliance
• Being inspection-ready at any time

Good providers treat approval as the start, not the end, of their compliance journey.

Comparing UK Regulators: CQC, CIW, RQIA, Ofsted, and Care Inspectorate

While the principles of safe, person-centred care are consistent across the UK, each national regulator sets its own registration framework and expectations. If you plan to expand across borders or register multiple services, it’s important to understand how these regulatory bodies differ.

Key Differences by Regulator

• CQC (England): Registers regulated activities rather than service types, such as “personal care” or “treatment of disease.” Does not register supported living per se, unless regulated activity is involved. No premises inspection before approval in most cases.
• CIW (Wales): Registers care services under specific categories (e.g. domiciliary support services). Strong focus on quality statements, staff competencies and individual wellbeing. Premises assessments only if services are site-based.
• RQIA (Northern Ireland): Registers organisations and locations providing personal or nursing care. Requires detailed governance documentation and clear lines of accountability. Application and inspection timescales can vary.
• Ofsted (England): Registers supported accommodation services for 16–17 year olds. Requires a suitability assessment of premises, staffing, policies and safeguarding. Inspections begin within 6 to 12 months of approval.
• Care Inspectorate (Scotland): Registers both care at home and housing support services. Registration applies to both staff provision and service model. Requires self-assessment tools and detailed reporting structures post-registration.

Shared Standards Across All UK Regulators

• Clear safeguarding arrangements
• Qualified, trained and vetted staff
• Strong governance and leadership
• Honest, well-prepared registration submissions
• Ongoing compliance and improvement post-approval

If you’re planning to expand, always check the exact definitions, forms and requirements used in each nation, and allow time for variations in processing and scrutiny.

Conclusion

Gaining supported living registration is one of the most important steps you’ll take as a care provider. Whether you are doing so because it’s legally required, or because you want to lead with best practice and transparency, your application must show that your service is safe, structured and fully prepared.

By following these ten steps, understanding your regulatory obligations, preparing strong documents, appointing competent leaders and submitting clear, accurate information, you’ll be well positioned to gain approval without delays.

Just as importantly, you’ll be laying the groundwork for a service that meets high standards from day one, inspires trust and delivers better outcomes for those you support.

If you need support to get there, we’re here to help.