CQC Registration for Supported Living Services
Starting a supported living service in England? Understand when CQC registration is required, how housing and personal care arrangements should work, and which documents you need to prepare. We provide independent registration support tailored to your proposed service and the people you plan to support.
When Does a Supported Living Service Need CQC Registration?
Not every supported living service needs to register with CQC. The determining factor is whether the organisation carries on a regulated activity, such as personal care. Where a supported living provider delivers regulated personal care to people in their own homes, it will generally need to register before starting that activity.
A service providing accommodation, community activities or general social support without regulated personal care may fall outside registration for that activity. However, describing a business as “supported living” does not itself determine whether registration is required.
Your proposed service should be planned around the people it will support, the care activities it intends to deliver, suitable staffing and management arrangements, and practical systems for safeguarding, medicines support where relevant, risk management and quality assurance.
Read CQC's guidance on regulated personal careKeeping Housing and Personal Care Genuinely Separate
CQC looks at the real separation between accommodation and personal care when deciding how the proposed service should be registered. People in supported living should have meaningful housing rights and choices about their care. Written agreements help demonstrate the arrangements, but CQC will also consider what happens in practice.
Housing Rights and Choice
Clear accommodation arrangements, residents' rights, and an explanation of whether people can change care providers without automatically losing their home. The appropriate form of housing agreement depends on the circumstances.
Roles and Responsibilities
Document who is responsible for housing, personal care, repairs, access, complaints and safeguarding. Where organisations are connected, explain how decisions and potential conflicts are managed.
A separate landlord is not automatically required in every case, and a tenancy document alone does not establish compliance. Complex housing arrangements may need specialist legal advice.
Documents for a Supported Living CQC Application
CQC's published requirements for new supported living providers include a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, service user guides and a staff training plan, in addition to documents required of new providers generally, including a Statement of Purpose. Applicants providing personal care must complete the additional personal care form.
The documentation should reflect your actual service model. Core policies may address safeguarding, medicines support where relevant, consent, staff recruitment, complaints and governance. The exact policies and supporting evidence depend on your service and the people you intend to support.
Statement of Purpose and Business Plan
Describe your regulated activities, locations, service aims, who you support, staffing arrangements and realistic financial assumptions.
Person-Centred Care and Housing
Explain how people make choices, receive personal care, raise concerns and retain their rights within the accommodation arrangements.
Learning Disability and Autism (If Relevant)
For specialist services, CQC additionally requires a positive behaviour support policy, restraint policy and specialist application form.
For services supporting autistic people or people with a learning disability, CQC's Right support, right care, right culture guidance is especially relevant. CQC-registered providers must also arrange learning disability and autism training appropriate to staff roles; the Oliver McGowan training programme is recommended, rather than the only possible route to meeting the legal duty.
Our separately priced documents are: core policies £200 + VAT, business plan and three-year cashflow forecast £300 + VAT, and £100 + VAT each for a Statement of Purpose, service user guide and staff training plan. The content and adaptations are agreed before purchase.
See CQC's supported living document requirementsPreparing for the CQC Registered Manager Interview
CQC assesses whether a proposed Registered Manager has the skills, experience and suitability to manage the proposed service. Interview preparation should be relevant to supported living: how people exercise choice, the separation of housing and care, safeguarding, staffing, medicines where applicable, consent, risk and quality oversight. For services supporting autistic people or people with a learning disability, person-centred care, positive behaviour support and restrictive practice may also be discussed.
General interview preparation guidance is included with our £1,500 registration support service. A dedicated two-hour, one-to-one interview coaching session costs £200 + VAT. No specific interview questions or registration outcome can be guaranteed.
View Interview Coaching & PricingChoose the CQC Registration Support You Need
Choose registration guidance on its own, a complete support and documents package, or a one-off review or coaching session. The same published rates apply to our domiciliary care and supported living services.
CQC Registration Support
£1,500 + VAT
Practical support throughout the agreed registration period, including application guidance, document review and responses to CQC queries. Bespoke documents are extra.
Complete Support & Five Documents
£2,300 + VAT
Registration support (£1,500), plus core policies, business plan and forecast, Statement of Purpose, service user guide and staff training plan (£800 total).
Document Review & Gap Analysis
£500 + VAT
An independent review of available registration documents, written findings and a 45-minute discussion.
Registered Manager Interview Coaching
£200 + VAT
One dedicated two-hour, one-to-one preparation session, purchased separately.
Packages are subject to an agreed scope and support period. CQC alone decides whether to grant registration; no approval or decision date is guaranteed.
View All Services & PricesSupported Living CQC Registration FAQs
Statutory guidance and answers from our clinical registration directors.
Does every supported living service need CQC registration?
No. CQC registration depends on the regulated activities your organisation carries on, not simply the name supported living. A service providing regulated personal care generally needs registration before delivering it. Accommodation-only or social support services may not need registration for personal care if they do not carry on that regulated activity.
What is the difference between supported living and a care home?
In supported living, people usually live in their own home under housing arrangements that are genuinely separate from their personal care. The substance of those arrangements matters: people should have meaningful rights and choice about their accommodation and care. CQC considers how the service actually operates, rather than relying solely on a tenancy agreement or the provider's description.
Can a supported living care provider also be the landlord?
There is no automatic rule that the landlord and care provider must be unrelated companies. However, any links between them require careful consideration. Housing and personal care arrangements must be genuinely separate, with clear rights and choices for tenants. The legal structure and practical operation should be reviewed before applying; complex housing matters may also require independent legal advice.
Which documents does CQC require for supported living registration?
In addition to the core documents required for new providers, CQC identifies a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, service user guides and a staff training plan for supported living services. Applicants must complete the additional form for personal care providers. Where services are for autistic people or people with a learning disability, CQC also specifies a positive behaviour support policy, a restraint policy and an additional specialist form.
Is Right support, right care, right culture relevant to my service?
CQC's Right support, right care, right culture guidance is particularly relevant to services supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability. It focuses on choice, independence, person-centred care and the culture of the service. It should not be presented as a separate mandatory registration checklist for every supported living service regardless of who it supports.
Is Oliver McGowan training compulsory?
CQC-registered providers must ensure staff receive training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government's preferred and recommended programme, but the legal requirement is role-appropriate training meeting the relevant code of practice. The training plan should explain how your service will meet that requirement.
Do supported living services need a business plan and financial forecast?
Yes. CQC lists a business plan and financial forecast among the additional documents for new supported living provider applications. These should explain the proposed service, local demand, staffing and operational costs, and realistic income assumptions. A separately signed financial viability statement is not generally required for supported living services under CQC's current supporting-document guidance.
How long does CQC supported living registration take?
Registration can take several months. The timing depends on how complete the application is, provider and manager suitability checks, requests for clarification and CQC's assessment. We support preparation and responses within our agreed scope, but cannot promise a registration date or approval.
What does the £1,500 supported living registration support service include?
For £1,500 + VAT, we offer practical support throughout the agreed registration period, including guidance on provider and manager applications, DBS and references, insurance and office considerations, document review, general interview preparation, and help responding to CQC queries within the agreed scope. Drafting the five documents is priced separately.
What is included in the £2,300 complete package?
The £2,300 + VAT package combines £1,500 registration support with five document services totalling £800: core policies (£200), business plan and three-year cashflow forecast (£300), Statement of Purpose (£100), service user guide (£100) and staff training plan (£100). The dedicated two-hour Registered Manager interview coaching session is £200 + VAT separately. Specific documents and adaptations are agreed before purchase.
Can you help with the Registered Manager interview?
Yes. General interview preparation guidance forms part of the registration support service. A dedicated one-to-one, two-hour Registered Manager interview coaching session is available for £200 + VAT. Questions vary and no interview or registration outcome can be guaranteed.