In this episode, Rianne Darko speaks honestly about the realities of care leavers’ housing, she explains the challenges young people who have been in care face and discusses some solutions.  She debunks the terminology and explains the different housing and support models. 

Rianne Darko is a local government commissioner and a qualified secondary school teacher, with over 15 years’ experience working across housing, youth services, and public sector commissioning. Her work focuses on supported accommodation for care leavers, making sure young people have safe, stable homes and the right support as they move toward independence.

Rianne is passionate about shaping services for young people. She’s worked across several London boroughs, leading housing pathways and co-producing services with young people.

Some Relevant links: 

• Ofsted – Supported accommodation guidance (official page)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supported-accommodation-for-looked-after-children-and-care-leavers
• Ofsted registration requirements (providers)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-a-supported-accommodation-service
• Department for Education – National Standards for Supported Accommodation (2023)
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-accommodation-national-standards
• The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (legislation)
  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1076/contents/made
• Exempt Accommodation definition (DWP guidance)
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-benefit-adjudication-circulars

• Alternative Payment Arrangements (direct to landlord)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-landlord-request-for-a-managed-payment-or-rent-arrears-deduction

• Housing First England
  https://hfe.homeless.org.uk/

• St Basils – Care Leavers & Youth Housing Pathways
  https://stbasils.org.uk/
• Centrepoint report - From care to where? Care leavers' access to accomodation- https://centrepoint.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/from-care-to-where-centrepoint-report.pdf

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Christine Edwards- Daem discusses the housing needs of autistic people, she shares what is working for the people she supports and what is not working. She shares advice for property investors and developers interested in developing homes for autistic people and helps us all understand what is needed now and what are some of the challenges we may face in the future.

Christine Edwards-Daem is a visionary leader dedicated to creating inclusive opportunities for Autistic people with learning disabilities. With a passion for social care innovation, she champions dignity, empowerment, and community integration. Her commitment drives transformative projects that improve lives and inspire others to build a more compassionate, equitable society.

Christine is CEO of the Kent Autistic Trust and large Charity based in Medway and Kent, providing Family support, day opportunities, outreach, registered and specialist supported living to 107 Autistic people with complex and associated needs and employs close to 350 staff. The Trust was first established in 1989 in response to unsuitable provision for the more complex care needs of people leaving specialist schools.

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/⁠⁠⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Stephen Unwin discusses learning disability from a historical and cultural perspective. He challenges us to think differently and discusses whether it is right to lump learning disabilities and autism together in a way that has become so common. He discusses the impact of positivity and enablement culture of those who have profound disability.  This is an important listen for anyone who supports or cares for someone with a learning disability.

 Stephen Unwin is a very experienced theatre director and playwright. He is also the father of a young man with severe learning disabilities and a campaigner for the rights and dignities of people like him. His most recent book, Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong is a cultural, philosophical and political history of this forgotten minority and an exploration of the contradictions and challenges of today.

https://www.stephenunwin.uk/

Beautiful Lives - How we got learning disabilities so wrong - Stephen Unwin Available here: 

https://amzn.eu/d/2tpCmc1

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/⁠⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Tanya Farley shares her experience of creating a supported living home for her son and two other young men. She explains how she took her vision and managed to get the local authority to use plots on a new build estate, that were allocated for affordable homes, to create a purpose built home. Tanya describes in detail some of the changes that were required to create the property and the impact developing a home that meets the needs of its tenants has had. 

Tanya Farley co-founded the Autism a Hands on approach conference 22 years ago. Her motivation came from the fact that she is a parent of an autistic young man and wanted to know as much as possible about the condition and to connect with others who were interested. The objectives of the day have always been to provide quality information, raise awareness and hopefully to improve services. The Autism a Hands on Approach conference has proved extremely popular and has become firmly established in the autism calendar as an event where parents, carers, professionals and autistic individuals have a chance to meet up, listen and network.

Whether you're a professional, educator, caregiver, or ally, you'll leave with actionable tools and a deeper understanding to create more inclusive environments.

To book or access the secure video catch-up https://autismahandsonapproach.co.uk/conference/

Autism a Hands on is also running an exciting line up of online workshops in 2026 please see attached schedule https://autismahandsonapproach.co.uk/from-isolation-to-empowerment-finding-your-place-in-education-why-belonging-matters/

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Michael Hinett discusses the proliferation of "consultants", "experts" "tender writers" and "trainers" offering to help people set up as supported living providers. He explains  why this is an issue, how people are being scammed and what you can do to protect yourself. If you are looking to set up as a provider make sure you take the time to access this episode so you can ensure you are working with the right partners.  

Michael has worked in social care for almost 20 years, from Support Worker to Group Director of Quality & Compliance, covering supported living, domiciliary care, and residential settings. In 2020 he decided to set up his own consultancy and Qualis was born.

The Qualis Companies are in place to support all types of social care businesses, whether they are looking to Start, Grow or Improve they have a solution to assist. From CQC compliance audits, turnaround management, and CQC registration, to Recruitment and Tender writing, our consultants are extremely experienced and specialists within their field.

www.wearequalis.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearequalis/

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Adam Gowland draws on his experience as a commissioner and as a developer of supported housing to explain the realities of developing property for supported living. We discuss issues around planning, unit sizes, decision making, timescales and adaptations. We do also share the benefits and why this is such an important and much needed space to invest in.

Adam has had a varied career in the public sector, starting out as an advocate for children leaving care before going onto work on a range of programmes designed to reduce homelessness or improve the quality of homes for vulnerable people experiencing ill health. He has commissioned a diverse range of accommodation-based services including drug and alcohol treatment facilities, transitional accommodation for people leaving hospital with complex physical and/or mental health support requirements, and long-term supported living for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

For the past decade, Adam has worked as an independent consultant offering advice, guidance and support to local authorities, the NHS, housing organisations, developers and care providers on supported living and specialist supported housing.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gowlandadam/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.gowland.77

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Jean Templeton Chief Executive of St Basils, a charity supporting young people in the West Midlands, shares how they have developed an innovative housing model to support young people who are working. She explains the successes and challenges of getting this set up and how they have managed to develop housing that is a truly affordable for young people on apprenticeships. Jean discusses how this model could be replicated in other areas.

St Basils is both a Charity and a Housing Association with a track record of over 50 years of providing a holistic range of accommodation and support services to young people aged 16-25 who are homeless, vulnerable or at risk in the West Midlands. We believe that homelessness should not be part of growing up. We want all young people to feel cared about, to have trusted support, somewhere safe, suitable, and affordable to live that enables them to learn and work. Links to our website www.stbasils.org.uk

Live and Work link : Live and Work

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode I invite Michael Hinett back to provide an update on our "How to get started as a supported living provider" episode from 2022. This episode has had over 21,000 views and so we thought it was time to update it. In this episode we cover how to get started as a supported living provider in 2025, we discuss what you need to know, whether it has got harder, changes to CQC registration and changes to delivering support for 16-18 year olds.  

Michael has worked in social care for almost 20 years, from Support Worker to Group Director of Quality & Compliance, covering supported living, domiciliary care, and residential settings. In 2020 he decided to set up his own consultancy and Qualis was born.

The Qualis Companies are in place to support all types of social care businesses, whether they are looking to Start, Grow or Improve they have a solution to assist. From CQC compliance audits, turnaround management, and CQC registration, to Recruitment and Tender writing, our consultants are extremely experienced and specialists within their field.

www.wearequalis.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearequalis/

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Louise Keevil explains the issues facing young people transitioning from residential settings and how her experience with this led her to co-found a charity which is working to give young people a voice in choosing where they live. This episode explores the issues around choice in housing and shares a great tool that you can use with the people you support.

Louise Keevil has many years of experience working with people with learning disabilities in a wide range of contexts, including as principal of a residential specialist college as well as managing projects nationally and internationally.

Louise has a very strong belief in the basic concept that everybody should have the opportunity to be the best they can be, whatever that looks like, and to follow their dreams.

Where I Want To Live has been created by families and experts who have direct experience of supporting and guiding young adults to make choices about where and how they live. We promote the vision of a country where adults with learning disabilities have real choice about where and how they live.

Everyone seems to agree that adults with learning disabilities should have choice and control over their lives and legislation supports this. However, despite everyone’s best efforts this is often not the case.

Our first steps have been to co-produce an engaging digital toolkit that empowers people with learning disabilities to discuss share and plan where and how they live. The first stage of the toolkit is intended as a conversation starter and is available now on our website www.whereiwanttolive.co.uk

The co production project that has enabled the creation of this toolkit took place in Conwy and Pembrokeshire and was funded by Improvement Cymru.

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.

In this episode Nic Crosby explains all about the Small Supports programme, he shares the benefits in terms of quality of life but also the significant cost savings in supporting people in this way. Nic explains the issues they have encountered finding property and some of the ways they have overcome this. 

I apologise about the video quality in the episode; my wifi decided to be a bit glitchy!

Nic Crosby is Programme Lead at the NDTi Small Supports programme. He joined the Small Supports programme nearly 3 years ago, prior to which he had been working independently; planning with people currently in institutions, with a team in Slovenia closing long stay institutions and alongside disabled people’s organisations in the UK and Europe. Consistent throughout his work was a commitment to see institutions closed once and for all.

In the past Nic led the Children and young people’s programme at In Control for ten years, supporting the development of personal budgets for disabled children, young people and their families.

Links

Small Supports –with l inks to reports, videos and an explanation of ‘What are small supports?’

https://www.ndti.org.uk/change-and-development/small-supports

The NDTi Living Library, a mini site containing a growing library of people’s stories in their words, with text, video, and audio files. Hear direct from people what small supports mean to them.

https://www.livinglibraries.net

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/the-supported-living-property-network⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.