Key policies every almshouse charity should have in place
When you complete your Annual Return, the Charity Commission will ask whether your charity has in place a number of important policies.
The below policies are considered essential for good practice for all almshouse charities:
(The Commission may also ask about a Campaigns and Political Activity Policy, but this does not usually apply to almshouse charities.)
To access the Charity Commission website, please click here
Extra Policies for Registered Providers
If your almshouse charity is a Registered Provider, you will also need to meet additional policy requirements from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), such as,
Find out more on the RSH website here
Recommended Policies by the Charity Commission
While the Charity Commission is not the primary regulator for the below policies, they consider having these policies in place would demonstrate good governance on the part of all charities:
Additional Policies recommended by The Almshouse Association
- Payment of Staff Policy (if your charity employs staff)
- Managing Volunteers Policy
- Health and Safety Policy – By law, any organisation with five or more employees must have a written health and safety policy (Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974). Even if your almshouse is small or does not employ staff, we recommend having one in place to keep residents, trustees, and volunteers safe.
All these policies, and more, are available to members to download and tailor for your own purposes. To access our entire library of model polices and templates, please click here.
Note:
It is important that all trustees are aware of, and agree with, all the points in each of the policies. They can be adapted as necessary for each charity.
There is some duplication amongst regulators as to required policies. Each charity must ensure that they have all the necessary policies in place and that staff and residents are aware of, and adhere to, these policies.