Skip to content
Stedwise
All guides

Birmingham’s preferred provider list: how providers get on it

Updated 25 Sept 2026 · Sources

The short answer

The way onto Birmingham’s preferred provider list is a S.E.A.Q.A.S. quality award with a score of 70% or more. Providers on the list are offered referrals first by the council, the services it pays for, voluntary services and West Midlands Probation. Only 15% of Birmingham providers hold an award.

In Birmingham, the way onto the preferred provider list is a S.E.A.Q.A.S. quality award. A score of 70% or more gets you gold, silver or bronze, and a place on the list. A score of 40% to 69% is “developing”, and is not on the list.

Why does the preferred provider list matter?

Providers without an award find it hard to get referrals. Providers on the list are offered referrals first by the council, the services it pays for, voluntary services and West Midlands Probation. Referrers check for an award before they send people. For example: SIFA Fireside’s navigator team, Trident Reach and the probation Homelessness Prevention Team.

Without referrals, many providers fill beds through adverts on Gumtree and Facebook. The government called that “unacceptable”. The 2026 rules for adverts, and licensing (expected in 2027 or 2028), now aim to stop it.

Who is on the list now?

Only 15% of Birmingham providers hold an award. The council’s list of award holders (opens in a new tab) has 23 names, 17 of them managing agents.

The Birmingham context

  • Exempt homes grew from under 4,000 properties in 2014 to over 21,000. Only 42% are filled by Birmingham residents who need support.
  • The council’s supported exempt accommodation team has reviewed 5,207 claims and got back £3.6m. It has also taken on inspectors and social workers.
  • The Commons debated supported exempt accommodation in Birmingham on 11 February 2026 (Hansard (opens in a new tab); see also the Commons Library briefing (opens in a new tab)).

How do you get on the list?

  1. Score yourself against BVSC’s V6.2 Self-Assessment Form: 15 requirements and 195 evidence items in three standards.
  2. Fix anything that stops an award on its own. Above all, a non-compliant judgement from the Regulator of Social Housing.
  3. First close the gaps that add the most points for the least work. Then close the gaps in practice that residents will be asked about.
  4. Apply to BVSC (opens in a new tab). A first assessment at 1 to 100 units costs £620 including VAT.

Stedwise is independent. BVSC and the council do not endorse it. It helps you prepare, but only they can give the award and the place on the list.

Sources

This guide is not legal advice

It sums up what the government and councils had published on the date above. The licensing regulations (the detailed law) are not made yet. On 15 October 2026 the government published them as a draft, to ask for views. The final text may change. Check the sources before you rely on a detail.