The issues highlighted by BBC Panorama are deeply concerning. Supported accommodation exists to provide a safe home and meaningful support for people facing some of the hardest moments of their lives. Providers exploiting the people they house, or public funding, by failing to provide the support promised is wholly unacceptable. 

At SCT we see every day how important good-quality housing and consistent, appropriate support are to people rebuilding their lives after homelessness and addiction. Two of our services are classed as supported exempt accommodation, and in both we provide substantial support tailored to each person’s needs. 

That support makes a real difference. In 2025, two-thirds of people on our six-month residential recovery programme successfully completed it. 95% of people leaving our move-on house went on to long-term, independent accommodation. And since our Housing First programme began in 2020, over 80% of residents have been supported to sustain their tenancies. 

One person who completed our residential recovery programme put it like this: 

“I moved into SCT’s move-on house and volunteered in Restoration Station, helping to give donated pre-loved furniture a new lease of life. I felt like I was learning to walk and talk again, as I left the pain of addiction behind.” 

SCT is a charity, not a profit-making housing provider. Our purpose is to support people to overcome the challenges they face, develop their potential and move towards more independent and fulfilling lives. We do not operate these services to generate profit. 

We believe it’s important to distinguish between providers who exploit the system and organisations that use it responsibly to deliver essential support. The answer to the questions Panorama raised must be to tackle exploitation, strengthen accountability and make sure public funding delivers genuine benefit for the people it’s meant to serve. We welcome the introduction of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. Greater oversight and accountability are essential in a sector working with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and effective regulation helps drive both quality and confidence. 

People who need supported accommodation deserve dignity, safety and support that makes a genuine difference to their lives. That must remain at the heart of the system.