What Advance Housing and Support does

Advance Housing and Support is a UK non-profit housing association and registered society (under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014) founded in 1974 and headquartered in Witney, Oxfordshire. It provides supported housing, personal support services, and home ownership pathways to people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex behavioural needs across multiple English regions including London (Hackney), Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Essex, Kent, and the Midlands. Its core offerings comprise four service lines: Supported and Independent Living housing, personalised Support Services, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) for Complex Needs delivered by a specialist team, and the HOLD (Home Ownership for Long-term Disabilities) shared ownership scheme — a part-buy, part-rent government-approved model administered by Advance. Underlying technology is service-led rather than product-led: the PBS methodology and person-centred support planning framework form the operational backbone, with supplementary tooling including the MyAdvance customer portal, BrowseAloud accessibility integration, and an opt-in XS4 facial recognition access control system at some properties.

The business model is sales-led through commissioning relationships with local authorities, NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, and government-funded care programs, supplemented by rental income from supported housing, self-funding customers, and rental streams from the HOLD shared ownership portfolio. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; service costs are determined by care needs assessments and local authority funding arrangements. Advance holds the highest G1/V1 regulatory rating from the Regulator of Social Housing (retained through 2023 and confirmed 2024), multiple 'Good' CQC ratings across services, ISO 9001:2015 certification, and Cyber Essentials certification. The organisation employs 501-1,000 staff, is led by Chief Executive Julie Layton, and has refreshed its senior leadership team with new executive director appointments in Housing (Nov 2024), Support (Jan 2026), and Finance & Technology (Mar 2026).

Name

Advance Housing and Support

Legal name

Advance Housing and Support Limited

Website

https://advanceuk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Advance Housing and Support is a UK non-profit housing association, founded 1974, providing supported housing, personal support services, and the HOLD shared ownership scheme to people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex needs across multiple English regions, funded primarily through local authority and NHS commissioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Housing and Support Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused) (HLADABAE)

Keywords

• Supported living services
• Disability housing
• Shared ownership housing
• Mental health support
• Complex needs care

Headquarters

HQ city

Witney

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Supported Housing and Rental Services: Providing supported housing accommodation where customers have their own flats while receiving support services. Revenue is generated through rental income combined with commissioned support services from local authorities and health commissioners.
2. HOLD Shared Ownership Scheme: Part-buy, part-rent home ownership model for people with long-term disabilities. Customers purchase a share of their home (e.g., 40%) and pay rent on the remaining portion owned by Advance or partner housing associations.
3. Commissioned Support Services: Support services commissioned by local authorities, NHS, and health commissioners for individuals with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex needs. Services include outreach support, daily living skills development, and community engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Advance Housing and Support provides supported housing, personalized support services, and a part-buy part-rent shared ownership scheme (HOLD) for people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex needs across multiple regions in England. Services are commissioned by local authorities and NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, supplemented by self-funding customers. The organization combines housing provision with specialist support methodologies including Positive Behaviour Support for complex needs.

Product overview

Advance Housing and Support operates as a housing and support services provider offering a coordinated portfolio of services for people with disabilities or mental health conditions. The core offerings include HOLD Shared Ownership (a part-buy, part-rent home ownership scheme), Supported and Independent Living housing, Support Services, and Positive Behaviour Support for Complex Needs. These services work together to enable customers to live independently, make their own choices, and achieve their personal goals. The MyAdvance customer portal provides digital access to services, while the Community Aspirations Team and Hackney Outreach Service deliver personalized community-based support. The organization also utilizes facial recognition technology (XS4 Face Entry Door System) for secure building access at some properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HOLD Shared Ownership: A part-buy, part-rent home ownership scheme available to people with long-term disabilities.

Products and services

• HOLD (Home Ownership for Long-term Disabilities) Shared Ownership Scheme

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Tizard Centre, University of KentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with the Tizard Centre at University of Kent for Positive Behaviour Support expertise, staff training, and functional assessments for customers with complex needs. The partnership has been instrumental in developing Advance's specialist Complex Needs Team approach.
• ActionSpacesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ActionSpace, a London-based visual arts organisation supporting artists with learning disabilities. Customer Jerry is a resident artist at Cockpit Arts Tuesday Studio, developing creative skills through supported art sessions.
• Lifetime TrainingsecondaryOthersApprenticeship program partner providing support to apprentices throughout placements and guiding them through learning assignments during their time with Advance.
• Learning Disability EnglandsecondaryOthersMember of Learning Disability England, a national organisation representing and supporting organisations working with people with learning disabilities.
• National Housing FederationsecondaryOthersMember of the National Housing Federation, the voice of England's housing associations.
• Association of Mental Health Providers (AMHP)secondaryOthersMember of AMHP, representing providers of mental health services in England.
• VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group)secondaryOthersMember of VODG, a network of voluntary sector organisations providing services for disabled people.
• Regulator of Social HousingcoreOthersRegulatory body that assesses and regulates registered providers of social housing including Advance. Advance holds the highest G1/V1 regulatory rating.
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreOthersRegulatory body that inspects and rates care services provided by Advance. Multiple services have achieved 'Good' ratings.
• Harry's PledgesecondaryOthersSignatory to Harry's Pledge, a commitment to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities through better health and social care.
• STOMP (Stopping Over-Medication of People with a learning disability)secondaryOthersSignatory to STOMP, an NHS England campaign to stop the over-use of psychotropic medicines for people with learning disabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leonard Cheshire: International disability charity with significant UK supported living and residential services. Comparable in scale, scope, and regulatory exposure.
• United Response: UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs through supported living and community-based services. Closely overlaps with Advance's commissioning model and customer segments.
• Look Ahead Care and Support: UK provider of supported housing, mental health, and learning disability services, predominantly commissioned by local authorities and NHS. Closely comparable service portfolio and revenue model.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): National UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, including complex needs, through supported living and PBS-style services. Direct comparable in scale, mission, and customer segment to Advance.
• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing supported housing, mental health, and learning disability services. Directly comparable commissioned-services model with overlapping local authority customer base.
• Mencap: UK's largest learning disability charity, providing supported living, housing, and advocacy services. Comparable in mission and customer base, though broader advocacy remit.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: UK charity supporting people with mental health needs through housing, community support, and advocacy. Highly comparable in mental health supported living segment.
• Dimensions UK: Large UK charity providing personalized support for people with learning disabilities and autism, including supported living and outreach. Highly comparable in service mix and target population.

Broad incumbents

• Sanctuary Housing: One of the largest UK housing associations, providing general needs and supported housing for vulnerable groups. Comparable as a broader housing association with supported living exposure.
• Home Group: Large UK housing association providing general and supported housing, including services for vulnerable adults. Comparable as a larger incumbent with overlapping supported living offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Advancetweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FilmsAdvance/videos?disable_polymer=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdvanceUK.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2128594
• Instagraminstagram.com/advance_uk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advance Housing and Support