Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards
The Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards are commissioned by Birmingham City Council to address some of the complex challenges around supported housing and highlight good practice within the city.
The Standards are focused on process and practices rather than sole polices around support. Solely holding the Standard does not guarantee that all support offered will be relevant to individuals. The expectation for holders of the Quality Standard is that they are aware of the environment in which they operate and develop their accommodation to meet the needs of their communities and target client groups. Given that the Covid 19 Crisis has created a much needed additional focus on the quality of accommodation there has never been a more important time to address the challenges within this sector.
The standards
The Quality Standards set out the key areas for quality improvement in support for Exempt Accommodation. There are three assessment areas with indicators for the Quality Standards; Leadership and Management, Referral Assessment and Supervision, and Residents. Each quality area has; questions for consideration, which offers providers a prompt to reflect on their current practices and processes within the accommodation, a number of indicators and sources of evidence. Each standard provides:
- A set of statements to help improve quality.
- Examples on how to meet the standards.
To find out more about the quality standards and to see what providers have met the standards, please follow to our dedicated page https://www.bvsc.org/quality-standards
In this blog Alana Raybould outlines the work of one Fulfilling Lives partnership to address the issue. Alana was the Network and Quality Manager at BVSC, the lead organisation for Birmingham Changing Futures Together (BCFT). As part of her role she managed the No Wrong Door Network and Quality Standards.
This digital event was facilitated by BVSC and covers different aspects of Birmingham’s Supported Accommodation Pilot. The presentations are centred around Birmingham’s Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards. Cllr Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, provides a keynote speech, alongside representatives from around the city focusing on the implications of the changing exempt accommodation sector.
