With pressure building on the government to tackle the terrible living conditions and bad management that some vulnerable people are subjected to whilst their landlords make a huge profit from exempt supported housing, ministers have published a consultation on plans to implement measures set out in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.

The government is proposing to introduce:

• A locally led licensing regime for supported housing across England
• New national supported housing standards for the support provided
• Changes to housing benefit regulations.

We will hear directly from Emma Stubbs from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the details of the consultation. The session will cover the issues and challenges facing all parts of the sector – from commissioning councils to registered providers of supported housing and the players in the exempt accommodation – to see what this means for everyone.

We will consider what the sector should be asking the government to do, what will make a difference and what would work on the ground.

We will also hear from one of the organisations involved in the on-going Supported Housing Improvement Programme which draws on the outcomes and good practice from earlier pilots.

Key sessions include:

• An overview of the consultation with MHCLG
• Issues and good practice for commissioning councils to consider
• Lessons from the improvement programme
• The environmental health perspective on licensing
• Issues for small providers
• What to consider when responding to the consultation.

Why attend?

• Understand the detail in the consultation
• Discuss your concerns and questions with MHLCG and other experts across the sector
• Help to prepare your consultation response
• Get good practice updates from organisations who are leading the way
• Ask colleagues and experts across the country your tricky questions
• Receive an HQN specialist briefing on the benefit implications after the event.

Essential for:

• Directors and Heads of Housing
• Strategic housing executives and teams
• Commissioning and enabling executives and teams
• Supported housing providers
• Business management teams
• Housing policy teams.

10:30am Welcome and introductions

• Emma Lindley, Associate, HQN

10:40am Lessons from the Improvement Programme

• Mallory Seddon, Housing Needs and Safeguarding Manager, Mansfield Council

11:10am The licensing scheme – the environmental health perspective

• John Bower, Supported Accommodation Review Team Manager, Hull City Council

11:40am Break

12:00pm Social Housing Regulation: consultation

• Emma Stubbs, Supported Housing Reform Programme, MHCLG

12:30pm Issues for providers

• Lisa Purchase, Director of Housing, Zetetick Housing

1:00pm Responding to the consultation

• Emma Lindley, Associate, HQN

1:30pm Close

Emma Lindley, Associate, HQN

Emma is a lead associate for HQN’s Strategic Network and has been an HQN Associate since 2013. She regularly writes briefings for HQN and has produced a toolkit on allocations and lettings. Emma has nine years’ experience working of in housing associations and a local authority in the East Midlands. She has worked in a variety of roles including managing a PRS portfolio, providing housing options advice, tenancy management and most recently strategic housing with responsibility for the homelessness service, affordable housing delivery and private sector renewal strategy.

Mallory Seddon, Housing Needs and Safeguarding Manager, Mansfield Council

Mallory has worked within local government for eight years within community safety and housing needs. Mallory manages the homeless department including temporary accommodation, choice based lettings and the local authorities sheltered housing schemes. She has introduced the DAHA accreditation for Mansfield District Council to improve domestic standards across the local authority, the first to achieve this in the County and she has implemented a Housing First project within the district.

Mallory has been successful with several grant funded bids to develop projects for rough sleepers and as part of this work has secured funding for the Supported Housing Improvement Programme.

John Bower, Supported Accommodation Review Team Manager, Hull City Council

John Bower has worked for Hull City Council since 2004 as a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner in the Private Housing Service, and is currently the Supported Accommodation Review Team Manager. John has considerable experience in the enforcement of housing conditions in the private rented sector, particularly in supported accommodation, and since 2019 has led a multi-disciplinary team working with the supported housing sector in Hull, to improve both the quality of housing conditions and support to residents.

John has contributed to the national debate regarding the regulation of supported housing over the last 5 years, promoting the multi-disciplinary team approach to the improvement of quality through participation in the Supported Housing Oversight Pilot and independent evaluation, contributing through experiences in Hull to the document: Local Authority Interventions to Improve Quality in Supported Housing.

In addition to overseeing Hull’s contribution to the current Supported Housing Improvement Programme, John’s role has also included the production of Hull’s Supported Housing Providers Charter, a Supported Residents Rights leaflet, and the oversight of the development of a “suite of support documents”: a resource to support providers to ensure support meets the needs of the individual.

Emma Stubbs, Supported Housing Reform Programme, MHCLG

Emma Stubbs is a supported housing policy lead at MHCLG. Her work includes the implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, including the proposed licensing regime and the consultation on the Act’s measures. Emma has worked in the Civil Service for 10 years, previously having roles in International Trade negotiations and social housing policy.

Lisa Purchase, Director of Housing, Zetetick Housing  

Lisa recently joined Zetetick as Director of Housing. Lisa’s work involves a thorough review of their housing stock and maintenance needs with immediate focus on compliance, transitioning to digitally recorded processes and moving the housing department away from paper which is vital to Zetetick’s modernisation.

Lisa is a knowledgeable, resourceful and passionate senior leader, with over 20 years’ experience working in social housing. Working in both specialist and general needs housing she delivers core functions to meet the needs of customers and the business.

An experienced leader, Lisa excels at shaping and delivering transformational change, improving the living environment and housing services, listening to the customers voice in shaping and improving sustainable services.

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Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

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