Support Audit carries out independent audits of resident support files in supported exempt accommodation. Every finding names the document, the date and what good looks like, and every file gets a clear Gold, Green, Amber or Red rating your team can act on.
Support Audit is an independent audit service for supported exempt accommodation (SEA) and transitional supported housing in England. We review resident support files (assessments, support plans, risk assessments, session notes and reviews) against your own standards and the National Supported Housing Standards, then report what is working, what is missing and exactly how to fix it.
Every finding names the document, the date and what good looks like. Every file gets a clear rating and the reason for it. Strengths are named as specifically as gaps, because the point is improvement.
Supported exempt accommodation is moving to national standards and local licences. Providers who can show their support, file by file, will be ready for it.
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 lets government set National Supported Housing Standards and require a local licence to run supported exempt accommodation. Meeting the standards becomes a licence condition.
In its April 2026 response, government confirmed it will amend Housing Benefit regulations so that enhanced Housing Benefit in England is linked to the new licensing regime.
Government expects to consult on draft regulations in late 2026, with licensing expected from 2027. Local supported housing strategies are due by 31 March 2027.
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You hold the lease and the accountability. When licensing arrives, you will need confidence that the support delivered in your homes meets the standards. We give you a consistent, evidence-based view of how each managing agent is supporting your residents, and what needs to change.
Your Registered Provider, the council and soon a licensing team will all want evidence. A Mock Audit shows you what they would find, and how to fix it, while there is still time.
Three ways to work with us, all run to the same checklist, the same rating key and the same standard of evidence. Every audit is a desktop review of records, carried out remotely or at your office.
A fixed-fee review of a sample of resident files, run exactly as a full audit would be. Ideal before licensing, a contract review or an RP audit round.
Every resident file for a managing agent, audited every six months, with findings you can take straight to the agent and track over time.
Regular file sampling between audits, so standards don't drift and problems surface while they are still small.
A structured checklist means every file is checked the same way. An experienced auditor reads every file, makes every judgement and sets every grade.
A short call to agree which files are in scope, which standards apply and your timescale. We confirm a fixed fee before anything starts.
You share the resident files for the review period through a secure transfer. Only the files in scope are requested, and everything is handled as special category data.
Every file is checked against the same structured checklist: signatures, dates, reviews, risk plans and support hours, line by line. The auditor then reads each file as a whole, makes every judgement and sets every grade.
Each resident gets a rating with a reason, evidence for every finding, the strengths we found and practical next steps. Managing agents also get an overall feedback report.
We debrief with your team and check progress 4 to 8 weeks later. A re-audit then confirms actions are closed, or monitoring keeps standards steady between rounds.
Every resident file is rated against the same key, with a reason for the rating, so you can compare files, agents and rounds at a glance.
Complete, signed and current. Support is evidenced against every goal, with practice worth sharing across the service.
Share as best practiceCompliant, with minor improvements to make. Nothing that puts the resident or the arrangement at risk.
Minor improvementsGaps that need action within an agreed timescale, such as late reviews, incomplete records, missing risk plans or goals without evidence.
Action requiredReserved for serious concerns, such as support that does not appear to have been delivered, duplicated session notes or key documents missing.
Immediate remediationNo vague comments. Every resident report follows the same five-part structure, so teams know where to look and what to do next.
A simple pass or action against each core document, with a short note wherever there is an issue.
Each issue names the document, the date and what is wrong, with an example of what good looks like.
How the resident has been supported towards each goal, drawn from the session notes, with gaps recorded separately.
Good practice named specifically, so it is recognised and repeated rather than lost among the findings.
Practical actions tied to the resident's own goals, with clear timescales.
One consistent standard across every agent, so you can compare like with like and act on the weakest files first.
A Mock Audit against the National Supported Housing Standards, so the gaps are closed before a licensing team looks.
A baseline audit in the first months of a new arrangement, so expectations are set on evidence rather than assumption.
What the 2023 Act does, what the National Supported Housing Standards say, who needs a licence and when.
Document by document: what auditors look for, the common gaps, and what good looks like.
Exempt accommodation, specified accommodation, managing agent, RMP and more, defined in plain English.
Short answers to what providers ask most. Anything else, ask us on the call.
We audit resident support files in supported exempt accommodation and transitional supported housing. Each file is checked against a set checklist, rated Gold, Green, Amber or Red with a reason, and returned with evidence, strengths and practical next steps.
Supported exempt accommodation: supported housing where Housing Benefit can be paid above normal Local Housing Allowance levels because the landlord, or someone acting for it, also provides care, support or supervision.
Registered Providers who work with managing agents to deliver support, and managing agents or support providers who want an independent check of their own files.
No. Our audits are desktop reviews of resident records, carried out remotely or at your office. We don't carry out property inspections.
An experienced auditor. Our audit system makes sure every file is checked the same way, but every judgement and every grade is made by a person, with the reason written down.
Most audit rounds run every six months and cover the records for that review period. Monitoring adds lighter sampling in between, so issues are caught early.
It will be honest and specific, but the aim is to help teams improve. Strengths are named alongside issues, and every issue comes with an example of what good looks like.
Book a 20-minute discovery call. Tell us a little about your service and we will arrange a time that suits you. No obligation, no hard sell.
We will email you to confirm a time for your discovery call.