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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