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Date: Thursday, 16th April 2026
Venue: Spring Housing Association, Perry Barr
Here is a roundup of the main discussions and developments from April’s SEA Forum meeting.
Over 40 people attended and contributed to an open and constructive conversation, and there was a clear sense of renewed energy and shared purpose in the room, particularly around strengthening collaboration across Birmingham’s SEA sector.
A central theme of the meeting was the SEA Forum’s role in promoting Birmingham City Council’s Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards (SEAQAS).
Attendees recognised the growing importance of these standards, particularly given the potential link between future local authority licensing requirements and emerging national expectations under the updated Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
There was a clear emphasis on encouraging more accommodation providers to understand and adopt these standards to ensure consistency, accountability, and improved outcomes for residents across the City.
The Forum also discussed ongoing plans and proposals for a Birmingham-based event in partnership with Birmingham City Council’s Residential Accommodation Team to promote the Quality Standards.
The Chair, Jamie Pearson, also confirmed an upcoming meeting with senior management from the Council’s Supported Housing team to build closer ties between the Forum and local authority partners.
Members also updated on good practice, innovation, and emerging challenges across the sector, as well as highlighting relevant upcoming events, training opportunities, and activities.
The next SEA Forum meeting will take place on Thursday 28th May 2026, at Hays Recruitment in central Birmingham.
The session will include a presentation from PC Wayne Potter from West Midlands Police, focusing on his work with SEA providers to address anti-social behaviour linked to referrals in the Erdington area.
The Forum will also take a deeper dive into the recently published Government response to consultation on the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, focusing on implications for providers and residents in supported exempt accommodation.
We look forward to continuing these important conversations and building on the progress made.
If you’re interested in raising the quality of housing and support across Birmingham’s supported exempt housing, or want to learn more about adopting the SEAQA Standards and working towards accreditation within your organisation, we’d be pleased to welcome you to a future meeting.
For further updates, including meeting locations, visit our LinkedIn channel.
To express your interest, confirm attendance for May’s meeting, or find out more, please contact us at info@TheSEAForum.org.uk
As the SEA Forum looks ahead to its next meeting on Thursday 16th April, we’re taking a moment to share some of the key themes and discussions from our March gathering.
The session brought together existing members and new participants, all focused on addressing challenges and highlighting positives within Birmingham’s supported exempt accommodation sector.
It was a constructive discussion, reflecting both the complexity of the landscape and a continued focus on improving outcomes for residents.
A key area of concern centred on transition-themed accommodation – a type of housing designed to help individuals gradually move towards fuller independent living.
While this approach can prove useful, the Forum noted the risk that some models could begin to mirror supported exempt accommodation without providing the necessary levels of support. This raises important questions about how best to safeguard vulnerable residents and ensure standards are upheld.
Positive practices around ‘move-on accommodation’ was also highlighted, as an effective way to support residents towards greater independence.
A supported housing provider, KD Housing, demonstrated how individuals can be helped to take the next step forward. Further details on this initiative will be circulated to members and attendees in due course.
Looking ahead, attendees discussed plans for a future ‘Supported Accommodation Marketplace’ event. This initiative aims to promote Birmingham City Council’s Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Assurance Standards (SEAQAS) while encouraging wider participation from providers and stakeholders across the sector.
The Forum noted that engagement with Birmingham City Council remains a priority, and the Chair confirmed ongoing meetings with key individuals within the Council’s housing department to raise awareness of the Forum’s work and to strengthen collaborative relationships.
Finally, the Forum considered the use of CCTV within supported accommodation settings. Attendees discussed the importance of ensuring that appropriate risk assessments and privacy documentation are in place, in line with legal and ethical requirements.
We look forward to building on these discussions at our upcoming April meeting.
If you are interested in improving the quality of housing and support within Birmingham’s SEA sector or would like to learn more about adopting the SEAQA Standards and becoming accredited within your own organisation, we encourage you to join our next meeting on Thursday 16th April. The location is yet to be confirmed but feel free to follow our LinkedIn channel, where it will be announced shortly.
To confirm your attendance or request further information, please email info@TheSEAForum.org.uk
Dates for The SEA Forum’s regular meetings have been announced for 2026.
The venue locations will be circulated closer to the time, with all meetings scheduled to run from 11am to 1pm, unless stated otherwise.
The meetings are a valuable opportunity for exempt supported housing professionals from across Birmingham to come together, connect and share good practice.
The SEA Forum’s members share a unified mission to improve the lives of residents and increase the overall quality of the exempt supported housing sector within the City.
The Forum also promotes the Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Assurance Standards (SEAQAS) and aims to support registered providers and managing agents in adopting them.
Developed by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) in partnership with Birmingham City Council, SEAQAS helps assess and promote high-quality supported exempt accommodation across the city.
The meetings are friendly and welcoming, offering a supportive platform for anyone interested in the sector to share views, insights and experiences, ask questions and be part of the conversations.
To confirm attendance or find out more information, please email info@TheSEAForum.org or sign up to our LinkedIn using the icon below.