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Supported living policies and procedures
In brief
Supported living policies and procedures set out how a service supports people to live in their own homes with choice and control, from positive behaviour support and mental capacity to money, medication and tenancy. Regulators expect them to fit the service and to be followed in practice.
OpenDoc gives supported living services policies and procedures, each written by a named expert and signed off by at least three. The library includes the full policy library of PossAbilities, a social enterprise that supports 1,070 people. OpenDoc tells you when CQC, NICE or Care Act guidance changes, and support workers can ask a question on their phone, by voice or text, in any of 51 languages. The library is free to use, and the Organisation plan is £70 + VAT a month per service with no long-term contract.
What policies does a supported living service need?
A supported living service needs the core policies of any care service, plus several that arise because the home belongs to the person and not to the provider. The table shows twelve that matter most, and the regulation each supports in England.
| Policy | Why it matters in supported living | Regulation it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Safeguarding adults | People may find it hard to say when something is wrong, so staff need to know the signs and who to tell. | Regulation 13 |
| Positive behaviour support and restrictive practices | Support should reduce the need for restraint, and any restriction must be the least restrictive, recorded and reviewed. | Regulations 12 and 13 |
| Mental capacity, consent and deprivation of liberty | People make their own decisions wherever they can. Where they cannot, staff follow the Mental Capacity Act, including for restrictions in a person's own home. | Regulations 11 and 13 |
| Medication, including stopping over-medication | People should take only the medicines they need, with support to manage their own where they can. | Regulation 12 |
| Supporting people with their money | Staff may help with budgeting, benefits and shopping, which needs receipts, records and clear limits. | Regulation 13 |
| Tenancy, housing and support | The person holds the tenancy and the home is theirs. Support must stay separate from housing, so that changing one does not cost them the other. | Regulations 9 and 10 |
| Positive risk taking | People have the right to take risks. The policy sets out how to weigh a risk with the person and not simply remove it. | Regulations 9 and 12 |
| Relationships and sexuality | People have the same right to friendships and relationships as anyone else, with support and information if they want it. | Regulation 10 |
| Communication and accessible information | Information is given in a form the person understands, such as easy read, pictures or signing. | Regulation 9 |
| Health needs, annual health checks and hospital passports | People with a learning disability face poorer health outcomes, so support to use health services is part of the job. | Regulations 9 and 12 |
| Staff training, including learning disability and autism | Staff must have training on learning disability and autism that fits their role. | Regulation 18 |
| Governance and quality assurance | The provider must be able to show how it checks quality across homes it does not own. | Regulation 17 |
Regulations are those in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Other nations have their own standards.
How are supported living policies different from care home policies?
In a care home, the provider runs the building and the care together. In supported living, the person holds their own tenancy, the home is theirs, and staff are there to support the life the person chooses. That changes what a policy has to say. It must protect the person's rights as a tenant, keep housing and support separate, support people to take risks and make their own decisions, and treat any restriction as something to justify and reduce.
What does the CQC expect of supported living policies?
In England the CQC regulates the personal care provided in supported living, not the accommodation. For services that support autistic people and people with a learning disability, the CQC's statutory guidance is “Right support, right care, right culture”, which asks providers to show that people have choice, independence and control, that care is person-centred, and that the culture of the service supports this.
Since July 2022, registered providers must also make sure staff receive training on learning disability and autism that is appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government's preferred training for this.
What do supported living services get with OpenDoc?
| Feature | OpenDoc |
|---|---|
| Answers on a phone, in the person's home | YesSupport workers ask by voice or text, in any of 51 languages, and get an answer from your own approved policies. |
| Alerts when guidance changes | YesOpenDoc tells you when CQC, NICE or Care Act guidance changes, and its experts add comments you can read. |
| A named author on every policy | YesEach policy shows who wrote it, and at least three experts sign it off before it is published. |
| Policies given by a supported living provider | YesPossAbilities gave its full library to OpenDoc in September 2026. Donated policies pass the same sign-off. |
| Side-by-side comparison of versions | YesSee exactly what changed, then accept the update or keep your own version. |
| Use your own policies | YesUpload them as PDFs or photos. The AI turns them into the template the community considers best practice. |
| AI policy summaries | YesA short summary of each policy for staff who need the main points quickly. |
| See what staff read and ask | YesNot a tick-box. You see which policies and sections staff open, and what they ask about most. |
| Free, fully managed setup | YesHealth Connect sets the service up for you at no charge. |
| Keep your policies if you leave | YesYour policies stay yours. |
| No long-term contract | YesCancel at any time from inside the app. |
| All four UK nations | YesEngland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Mock inspections, audits and staff training | YesAvailable through Health Connect. |
Policies from a supported living provider
In September 2026 PossAbilities, a social enterprise that supports people with learning disabilities, gave its full policy library to OpenDoc so that any service can use it. The library is valued at an estimated £200,000, and PossAbilities' Cherwell Centre is rated Outstanding by the CQC. Its policies went through the same sign-off as every other OpenDoc policy, by at least three named experts. Read the Caring Times report.
How do support workers use policies on shift?
A support worker in someone's home cannot walk to an office to check a folder. With OpenDoc they ask the question on their phone, by voice or by typing, and the answer comes from the service's own approved policies. They can ask in any of 51 languages. The service sees which policies staff open and what they ask about most, so it knows where people are unsure.
Who writes the policies?
More than 100 named experts, including GPs, former CQC inspectors and clinical leaders. Every policy shows who wrote it, each expert has a public profile, and at least three experts sign off each policy before it is published. Every expert comment stays on the record. Meet the experts.
Can I use my own policies?
Yes. Upload your existing policies as PDFs or photos, and the AI answers staff questions from them. You can keep them as they are, or have them turned into the template the community considers best practice. Policies fill in your service's name, contacts and terms, and every edit is recorded. If you leave OpenDoc, you keep your policies.
Are you registering a new supported living service?
New services start with a set of policies chosen for their region and care setting, on the free plan. Adapt each one to how your service will work before you submit it, because the CQC says templates must suit your type of service.
As well as the policies every new provider sends, the CQC asks supported living services for a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, service user guides, a staff training plan and an additional form for personal care providers. Services for autistic people and people with a learning disability also complete a further form and send extra documents. See every document the CQC asks for.
How much does it cost?
The OpenDoc library is free to use. The Organisation plan is £70 + VAT a month per service, or £840 + VAT a year, with unlimited users and unlimited AI use. Setup is free and fully managed. There is no long-term contract, and you can cancel at any time from inside the app.
Does it cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. OpenDoc covers all four UK nations. Supported living is regulated by the Care Quality Commission in England, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales, and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
What policies does a supported living service need?
A supported living service needs policies covering safeguarding adults, positive behaviour support and restrictive practices, mental capacity and consent, medication, supporting people with their money, tenancy and the separation of housing and support, positive risk taking, relationships, accessible information, health needs, staff training and governance.
Does the CQC regulate supported living?
In England the CQC regulates the personal care provided in supported living, not the accommodation. The person holds their own tenancy, and housing and support are provided under separate arrangements.
Do OpenDoc policies make a supported living service CQC compliant?
No policy makes a service compliant by itself. The CQC looks at whether policies fit the service and are followed in practice. OpenDoc policies are written by named experts, signed off by at least three, updated when guidance changes, and tailored by each service to how it works.
Are OpenDoc's supported living policies free?
The OpenDoc library is free to use. The Organisation plan is £70 + VAT a month per service, or £840 + VAT a year, with unlimited users and unlimited AI use, and no long-term contract.
Can support workers use the policies on their phones?
Yes. Support workers can ask a question by voice or text on their phone, in any of 51 languages, and get an answer from the service's own approved policies.
Does OpenDoc cover supported living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. OpenDoc covers all four UK nations. Supported living is regulated by the Care Quality Commission in England, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales, and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland.
Can I keep using my own supported living policies?
Yes. You can upload your existing policies as PDFs or photos, and the AI will answer staff questions from them. You can also have them rewritten into the best practice template. If you leave OpenDoc, you keep your policies.
Related pages
Sources
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: legislation.gov.uk
- Care Quality Commission, regulations for service providers and managers: cqc.org.uk
- CQC, Supported living services, supporting documents for new providers
- PossAbilities donation: Caring Times, September 2026
