Mandatory policies

Recommended Policies

The Charity Commission expects almshouse charities to have in place a number of policies and these are listed in the Annual Return. To access the Charity Commission website, please click here

For those almshouse charities that are Registered Providers, Homes England requires certain additional policies. To access the Homes England website please click here

In addition, The Almshouse Association has produced a number of template policies which are recommended as a matter of good practice.

All these policies, including the mandatory ones, are available to members to download and tailor for your own purposes.  They can be accessed by clicking into the links below.

---

Policies listed in the Charity Commission Annual Return

1. All Almshouse Charities:

• Complaints – for Members that are NOT registered with the Housing Ombudsman
• Complaints – for Members that ARE registered with the Housing Ombudsman
  see also:
  • Housing Ombudsman Annual Submission Toolkit
  • Code of Complaint Handling Assessment Form 2024-25
• Conflict of Interest
• Financial Control
• Investment
• Managing Volunteers
• Reserves
• Risk Management
• Safeguarding

2. Larger charities with staff (in addition to the above policies)

• Payment of Staff

---

Registered Providers (the following policies are required by the Regulator of Social Housing)

• Anti-social Behaviour Policy

---

Further policies recommended by The Almshouse Association

• Health and Safety Policy
• Equality and Diversity
• Data Protection

To access all our 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.