What a good residentsupport file contains.
A document-by-document guide for support teams and managers in supported housing: what each record is for, what auditors look for, the gaps we see most often, and what good looks like.
Key takeaways
- A good file tells one story: assessed needs, goals that follow from them, support that works towards those goals, and reviews that check progress.
- Every core document should be complete, signed and dated by the resident and staff.
- Session notes should record support given towards a goal, not just that contact happened.
- If it isn't written down, an auditor or licensing team will treat it as not done.
What is a resident support file?
A resident support file is the set of records kept for one person living in supported housing. It shows why they were offered a place, what support they need, what has been agreed with them, what support has actually been given, and how risks are being managed. It is the main evidence a Registered Provider, council or licensing team will use to judge whether support is real and effective.
The National Supported Housing Standards make this more important. Person-centred support, for example, expects needs assessments, tailored support plans and consistent support, and licensing will require a needs assessment within four weeks of move-in.1
What documents should a resident support file contain?
Forms differ between providers, but most files should contain these ten core documents. Always audit against your own forms and thresholds first.
| Document | What it is for | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Referral form | Why the resident was referred and by whom | Every question answered, source of referral clear, signed and dated |
| 2. Admission or sign-up form | The start of the tenancy and what the resident was told | Complete, signed and dated on the move-in day |
| 3. Licence or occupancy agreement | The legal basis of the occupation | Correct landlord or agent name, address and rent, signed by both parties |
| 4. Support needs assessment | The resident's support needs | Completed within four weeks of move-in, needs described in the resident's situation, updated when things change |
| 5. Support plan | Goals agreed with the resident | Each goal follows from an assessed need, is specific to the person and is agreed with them |
| 6. Risk assessment | Risks to and from the resident | Each risk scored and described, consistent with what the rest of the file says |
| 7. Risk management plans | How higher risks will be reduced | A current plan for every risk above your threshold, with named actions |
| 8. Session notes | The support actually given | Regular, dated, linked to a goal, showing what the resident did and what happens next |
| 9. Reviews | Progress against the plan and risks | At 3, 6 and 9 months, signed by the resident and staff, with goals updated |
| 10. Exit or move-on form | How and why the stay ended | Completed whenever a resident leaves, with the outcome and forwarding details |
How do you evidence support against goals?
The strongest files make a clear chain from need to evidence. An auditor should be able to follow it for every goal:
- NeedAssessed in the needs assessment
- GoalAgreed in the support plan
- ActionSupport given in a session
- EvidenceRecorded in the note, with progress
Here is the same session recorded two ways, for a resident whose goal is to build independent living skills:
If no session notes evidence work on a goal during the review period, say so plainly in the review and decide whether the goal is still right.
How should risks be scored, and when is a risk management plan needed?
Most risk assessments score each risk by likelihood multiplied by severity, each on a scale of 1 to 5. Use your own matrix and bands. A common banding looks like this:
| Score | Band | Typical response |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Low | Monitor through normal support |
| 5 to 9 | Medium | Risk management plan with clear actions |
| 10 to 16 | High | Risk management plan, closer review, escalation where needed |
| 20 to 25 | Critical | Immediate action and escalation under your policy |
Two checks catch most problems: does every risk above your threshold have a current, dated plan, and do the scores match what the rest of the file describes?
What should happen at 3, 6 and 9-month reviews?
Reviews are where the file proves progress. Each review should revisit every goal, record what has changed, update the risk assessment and plans, and be signed and dated by the resident and staff. A review is only needed once a resident has been there long enough, so a resident in their second month should not be marked down for a missing 3-month review.
How should missed sessions be recorded?
A missed appointment is not a failure in itself. Not recording it, or not following it up, is. A good file shows the missed session, the attempts made to re-arrange it, and escalation under your process if contact cannot be made.
What are the most common gaps in support files?
- Needs assessments completed weeks after move-in.
- Generic support goals copied between residents.
- Session notes that show contact but not support.
- Weeks with no recorded support.
- Higher-scoring risks without a risk management plan.
- Risk scores that contradict the narrative in the file.
- Reviews completed late, or not signed by the resident.
- Licence agreements in the wrong name or with the wrong rent.
- Missed sessions with no follow-up.
- No exit form when a resident leaves.
Self-check: is this file audit-ready?
Pick one resident file and work through the list. It takes about ten minutes.
Sources
- Supported housing regulation: consultation, government responseMHCLG and DWP · 16 April 2026, updated 19 June 2026
- Supported housing: National Statement of ExpectationsMHCLG · 20 October 2020
- Key changes to how supported housing regulations will be implementedHomeless Link · 28 April 2026
This guide reflects good practice in supported housing auditing. Always follow your own policies, forms and the requirements of your Registered Provider or commissioner.