Supported Living or Home Care? The Difference Explained
Supported living and home care are often confused because both involve carers helping people in their own home. The difference lies in the home itself. In supported living, the housing is part of the arrangement: a person moves into a flat or shared house set up for people who need support, usually with a tenancy. In home care, a person stays in the home they already have and carers come to them. This guide explains who each suits, how they are regulated and funded, and one thing to be clear about from the start: Reedsfield Care provides home care, not supported living.
Reedsfield provides care in people's own homes only. We do not operate care homes or arrange care-home placements.
Supported living is an arrangement where someone rents or owns a home, often a flat in a small scheme or a room in a shared house, and receives care and support there. It is widely used for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs or physical disabilities who want to live independently but need regular help to do so.
The key feature is that the person holds their own tenancy or ownership. The landlord and the care provider are usually separate organisations, so that the person can change their care provider without losing their home. Support can range from a few hours a week to round-the-clock staffing shared between housemates.
Home care, also called domiciliary care, means carers visiting someone in the home they already live in, or a carer living in with them. It is most often used by older people, people recovering from illness or surgery, and people with long-term conditions who want to stay where they are.
Nothing about the housing changes. The person keeps their own home, neighbours and routine, and the care is built around them: anything from one visit a day to full live-in care.
The simplest way to see the difference is to compare the questions each answers.
Where do they live? Supported living: a new home set up for support. Home care: their existing home.
Who holds the housing? Supported living: the person, with a separate landlord. Home care: unchanged.
Who is it usually for? Supported living: working-age adults with a disability or mental health need. Home care: often older adults, but anyone who needs help at home.
Is the support shared? Supported living: often shared between housemates. Home care: one-to-one.
Who arranges it? Supported living: usually through the council or NHS. Home care: the council or privately.
How CQC regulation works for each
The Care Quality Commission regulates the personal care part of both arrangements, not the housing. A care provider delivering personal care, such as help with washing, dressing or eating, must be registered with the CQC for that activity whether the person lives in supported living or their own home.
The housing itself is not regulated by the CQC. In supported living it falls under housing law and the tenancy agreement. That separation is deliberate: it gives people the rights of a tenant rather than the position of a care home resident.
Both routes start with a needs assessment from the council, which is free for anyone who appears to need care. If someone is eligible, the council works out what support they need and what they contribute after a financial assessment.
In supported living, housing costs are usually met separately from care, often through rent and, where eligible, housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit. The care is funded through the council's assessment, sometimes as a direct payment. In home care, there are no new housing costs, and the care is either council funded, self funded or a mixture.
The Care Act statutory guidance sets out how councils must assess and meet eligible needs in both cases.
Supported living tends to suit a younger adult who wants to move out of the family home, or someone leaving a residential setting, who needs regular support but wants a home and tenancy of their own.
Home care tends to suit someone who already has a home they want to stay in, whether that is an older parent, a partner after a stroke or a person managing a long-term condition. It can also sit alongside other support, such as day services or a family carer.
If you are in Surrey and unsure which route fits, a needs assessment from Surrey County Council is the best starting point, because the assessor can explain the local options.
Because the terms overlap, several misunderstandings come up often. One is that supported living is a kind of care home. It is not: the person has their own home and tenancy, and the care provider does not control the housing.
Another is that home care is only for older people. It is used by adults of any age who need help at home, including younger people after an accident or illness. A third is that supported living always means round-the-clock staff. In reality, support can be as little as a few hours a week.
A final misunderstanding is that the two cannot be combined over time. Someone might receive home care in the family home for years and later move into supported living, or the other way round, as their needs and wishes change. The council's assessment should be reviewed whenever circumstances change.
Supported living is not a care home
Home care is not only for older people
Supported living support can be a few hours a week
To be completely clear: Reedsfield Care is a home care agency. We do not provide supported living or manage housing. We provide weekday daytime home care from £28 an hour for weekday daytime care and live-in care from £1,300 a week to people in their own homes in Egham, Virginia Water, Staines, Ashford, Sunbury and Shepperton.
We are independent, based in Egham and rated Good by the CQC. If supported living is the better fit, we will say so and point you to the council.
Frequently asked questions
Is supported living the same as home care?
No. Supported living includes a home set up for support, usually with a tenancy. Home care is support in the home someone already has.
Does Reedsfield provide supported living?
No. We provide home care, both visiting and live-in, in people's own homes.
Is supported living regulated by the CQC?
The personal care part is. The housing is covered by housing law and the tenancy, not the CQC.
How do I find out which option is right?
Ask your council for a free needs assessment. In our area that is Surrey County Council.
Can someone in supported living change their care provider?
Usually, yes. Because the housing and the care are normally provided by separate organisations, a person can often change who provides their care without having to move out of their home.
Is home care only for older people?
No. Home care is for any adult who needs help at home, including younger people recovering from an accident, illness or operation, or living with a long-term condition.
