Understanding NRSA and SEAQS Compliance

Non-regulated supported accommodation (NRSA) — also known as supported exempt accommodation — provides housing with support for vulnerable adults who do not require CQC or Ofsted-regulated care. While these services are not currently subject to a statutory regulator, the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 (SHROA) will introduce a national licensing scheme that makes compliance with quality standards essential.

What Is SEAQS?

The Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards (SEAQS) v6.2 is the most widely used quality framework for supported exempt accommodation in England. It was developed through collaboration between local authorities, housing associations, and support providers to establish consistent quality benchmarks across the sector.

The 16 SEAQS Audit Domains

SEAQS v6.2 organises quality standards into 16 domains spanning three pillars:

Pillar 1: Organisation & Workforce

Governance & Strategic Management — Legal entity, governance structure, insurance, strategic planning
Staff Recruitment & Vetting — DBS checks, references, safer recruitment
Staff Policies & Procedures — Employment policies, conduct, whistleblowing
Staff Training & Development — Induction, mandatory training, supervision, appraisal
Staff Engagement & Wellbeing — Team meetings, staff surveys, wellbeing support

Pillar 2: Housing & Property

Housing Management — Tenancy management, allocations, voids, arrears
Property Standards & Safety — Fire, gas, electrical, legionella, Decent Homes Standard
Data Protection & Confidentiality — GDPR, ICO registration, information sharing
Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement — Self-assessment, auditing, KPIs

Pillar 3: Support & Safeguarding

Person-Centred Support Planning — Needs assessment, support plans, outcomes
Multi-Agency Working — Partnerships with LA, health, and specialist services
Safeguarding & Risk Management — Safeguarding policy, incident reporting, exploitation awareness
Complaints & Advocacy — Accessible complaints process, independent advocacy
Resident Engagement & Participation — House meetings, surveys, co-production
Financial Transparency & Housing Benefit — Service charge transparency, HB eligibility
SHROA Licensing Readiness — Preparing for the national licensing scheme

Preparing for SHROA Licensing

The SHROA 2023 will require all supported housing providers to hold a licence. Key requirements include fit and proper person tests for named individuals, compliance with national standards, and local authority oversight. Providers who can demonstrate SEAQS compliance will be in the strongest position when licensing begins.

Common Compliance Gaps

Based on our experience auditing supported accommodation providers, the most common gaps include:

Weak governance with no clear accountability structure
Insufficient evidence of genuine support delivery (critical for HB claims)
Outdated property safety certificates
Missing or generic staff training records
No formal quality assurance process
Service charges not transparently linked to actual services

How MyCareAudit Helps

MyCareAudit's NRSA master audit tool covers all 186 questions across the 16 SEAQS domains, with AI-powered gap detection and professional reporting. Start your SEAQS self-assessment today with our 14-day free trial, or explore our comprehensive NRSA Compliance Guide.