Supported accommodation policies: an Ofsted registration guide

What the 2023 Regulations require

The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 brought supported accommodation for 16- and 17-year-old looked-after children and care leavers into Ofsted registration and inspection. Unlike a children's home, supported accommodation provides support rather than care — the model is about promoting independence — but providers must still register, meet the national standards, and evidence that safeguarding is robust.

The four national standards

Your policy set should map to the four standards that frame Ofsted's expectations:

• Leadership and management — clear responsibility, oversight, monitoring and continuous improvement
• Protection — safeguarding, risk management, missing young people and working with the police and local authority
• Accommodation — safe, suitable premises and location risk assessment
• Support — promoting each young person's wellbeing, independence and transition to adulthood

Which policies you need

• Safeguarding and child protection, including allegations and whistleblowing
• Missing young people, and collaboration with the police and the placing authority
• Risk assessment and risk management, including exploitation (CSE and CCE)
• Location and premises safety, health and safety and fire
• Support planning, keywork and promoting independence
• Notifications to Ofsted of significant events
• Safer recruitment, staff conduct, supervision and training
• Complaints and representations, and young people's rights
• Records, confidentiality and data protection

Notifications and police collaboration

Providers must notify Ofsted of specified significant events under the notification duty in the Regulations. Your missing-young-person procedures should also set out how you work with the police and the local authority — a structured protocol for information-sharing when a young person is missing is expected practice under the protection standard.

Keeping policies inspection-ready

Because this is a newer regime, guidance continues to develop — version control and a clear review cycle are essential. Record that staff have read each policy, and align safeguarding content with current statutory guidance. The governance principles are shared across regulators; see CQC policies and procedures for the underlying approach.

How CuraFlow helps

CuraFlow provides a complete supported accommodation policy library mapped to the four national standards and the 2023 Regulations, auto-filled with your organisation's details, with acknowledgement tracking and Word and PDF downloads. Browse it in the supported accommodation library or see pricing and free samples.