Property and Planning – June 20 Summary

Guidance on electrical safety regulations

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published new guidance for landlords on how best to comply with The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The guidance outlines what is required under the new regulations, as well as discussing how this applies under License to Occupy agreements. The guidance does not differ from what we already recommend to our members, including having electrical inspections by a qualified and competent professional.

A full breakdown from the Government can be found here

Charity and Charity Law – June 20 Summary

Duty to report matter of significance

The Charity Commission have provided an update to its guidance on a charity’s duty to report matters of significance. The COVID-19 situation has been reflected on with further advice on reporting at times of national emergency.

Increased risk of fraud and cybercrime against charities

The Commission has also warned charities about the increased risk of fraud and cybercrime during the Coronavirus pandemic. The report covers:

  • Procurement fraud
  • Mandate or Chief Executive Officer frauds
  • Scam emails (phishing)
  • Unsolicited offers of goods, services or financial support (advanced fee fraud)
  • Protecting devices
  • Reporting fraud

Reporting serious incidents to the Charity Commission

The Commission has provided new guidance on reporting serious incidents. The most significant update is that charities can now use the Commission’s online form. It has also published a supplementary examples document, to support charities in deciding when to report an incident related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Adult Social Care and Support – June 20 Summary

Ban on evictions extended by two months

MHCLG has extended the suspension of new evictions until 23 August. Although almshouses are not legally bound to this it is recommended that almshouses follow this guidance. A court is unlikely to rule in favour of Setting Aside due to the current unprecedented situation.

Health and Safety – June 20 Summary

Meeting people from outside your household

  • The Department of Health and Social Care has updated its guidance on meeting people from outside your household (in England). The guidance states that: “if you live by yourself or are a single parent with dependent children – in other words, if there is only one adult in your home – you can expand your support network so that it includes one other household of any size.” This guidance should prove useful for almshouses which are planning to allow visitors as the lockdown eases.

Coronavirus

For further information from The Almshouse Association on Coronavirus please look here. The page is regularly updated with the most recent guidance and advice.

Previous Policy and Governance Updates:

Click here for Policy and Governance – May 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – Apr 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – Mar 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – Feb 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance –Jan 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – 2019 Summary

Posted 1 Jun 2020