The Regulations 2023 & the four Quality Standards.

The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/416) set the standards for supported accommodation for looked-after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17. At their core are four Quality Standards — Leadership & Management, Protection, Accommodation and Support — that every registered provider must meet. This page is the readable, checklist version of that framework.

The Regulations were made in April 2023, with substantive provisions in force from 28 October 2023 and full Ofsted registration required by 28 October 2024. They bring supported accommodation within the Care Standards Act 2000. For how registration and inspection work, see our Ofsted registration guide; this page is about what compliance actually contains.

What are the four Quality Standards?

The four Quality Standards are the Leadership and Management Standard (Regulation 4), the Protection Standard (Regulation 5), the Accommodation Standard (Regulation 6) and the Support Standard (Regulation 7). Each is a duty — "the standard is met when…" — followed by the outcomes the registered person must secure. Regulation 3 imposes the overarching duty, and Regulation 8 requires regard to the DfE's national minimum standards. The tables below pair each standard with the evidence an inspector looks for.

1. Leadership & Management Standard (Regulation 4)

Young people receive support from people who manage the service effectively and lead a supportive, aspirational culture. The registered person must ensure a suitably qualified Registered Service Manager with clear accountability across all settings; staff with the experience, skills and support to meet needs; a Statement of Purpose that staff understand and deliver; and effective quality-monitoring and governance.

2. Protection Standard (Regulation 5)

Young people are safeguarded and protected from harm. The registered person must ensure a culture of vigilance; safeguarding arrangements aligned to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and the local partnership, with a named Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy; effective risk assessment and management; a proper response to exploitation and to going missing; positive, low-restraint behaviour management; safer recruitment; and effective information-sharing.

3. Accommodation Standard (Regulation 6)

Young people live in accommodation that is safe, secure, well-maintained and suitable. The registered person must ensure the accommodation is appropriately located, meets needs and promotes independence; hold a current location / area risk assessment for each setting; comply with health, fire, gas and electrical safety and relevant HMO standards; and provide a psychologically informed, non-institutional environment where young people have privacy and control of their space.

4. Support Standard (Regulation 7)

Young people receive support tailored to their needs that helps them prepare for independent living. The registered person must ensure each young person has a personalised support plan aligned to (not replacing) the local authority Pathway Plan; support that builds independence and life skills through keywork and measurable goals; support for health, education/employment/training, identity and relationships; a move-on plan toward independence; and that the young person's voice shapes their support and the service.

The Statement of Purpose (Regulation 9)

The Statement of Purpose is the written statement of the service's aims, objectives and the support it provides — the spine of the registration. Practice must be consistent with it. It should cover: aims and objectives; the support provided and how it is tailored; the accommodation categories operated and how they are kept safe; the range of needs met and the age range (16–17), including who the service is not suitable for; the ethos and practice model; admissions, referral and matching; staffing and management structure; safeguarding arrangements; behaviour management; how young people's views are sought; the complaints procedure and how to contact Ofsted; quality monitoring and governance; and health and fire safety. It should be paired with an accessible Young Person's Guide.

Policies you must hold (Regulations 20–23 and the wider suite)

Notifications (Regulations 27–29)

Supported accommodation has its own notification regime. Under Regulation 27, notify Ofsted (and relevant partners) without delay of a serious event — the death of or serious harm to a young person; suspected sexual or criminal exploitation; a serious incident requiring police involvement; an allegation of abuse; the use of restraint; or a young person going missing where serious. Regulation 28 covers admissions and discharges; Regulation 29 covers offences. Note also Regulation 33 (absence of the Registered Service Manager) and Regulation 34 (notice of changes) — these are distinct from the serious-event duty.

Records (Regulations 24–26)

Keep children's case records (Regulation 24, content per Schedule 2): assessment, support plan, risk assessments, health, education, contact, significant events, missing episodes, complaints and keywork logs. Keep the service-level records listed in Schedule 3 (Regulation 25): staff files, supervision, training, incidents, complaints log, notifications, fire drills and maintenance. Store all records securely and confidentially, retained per data-protection requirements (Regulation 26).

A one-page compliance checklist

Frequently asked questions

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Sources. Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/416), legislation.gov.uk; DfE, Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations including Quality Standards (March 2023); Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. Regulation numbers are as verified against legislation.gov.uk. See also our Ofsted registration guide.