Current Issues | The Almshouse Association

Telecare and the digital switchover

DIGITAL SWITCHOVER: The Department of Health and Social Care has published the below new information to support housing providers as telecare services continue to transition from analogue to digital technology.

The guidance has been developed in response to the retirement of the UK’s analogue telephone network and the implications this has for telecare and alarm services relied upon by many residents to remain safe and independent at home.

It is intended to help housing providers understand the key issues they may need to consider when working with telecare suppliers, alarm receiving centres, local authorities and other partners during the transition to digital services. This includes considerations around planning, resident engagement, service continuity, testing, resilience and ensuring that telecare services continue to meet residents’ needs.

The guidance may be particularly relevant to organisations providing sheltered, supported or extra care housing, and to those with residents who rely on community alarm or telecare services.

We encourage providers to review the guidance and consider how it may support their planning and preparedness activities.

The guidance is available here Telecare and the digital switchover: guidance for housing providers – GOV.UK.

Any enquiries relating to the guidance or its implementation should be directed to teresa.sutton@dhsc.gov.uk.
Social Housing Directorate | Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

STAIRs: What members need to know

The Government’s new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) came into force on 1 October 2026.

STAIRs has been designed to make it easier for residents to find information about their housing provider and how their homes and services are managed.

From 1 October 2026, almshouse charities that are Registered Providers are required to proactively publish information about the management of their properties and, from 1 April 2027, respond to individual requests from residents for information.

What do STAIRs mean for almshouses?

In simple terms, STAIRs mean that residents should be able to:

find important information about their almshouse charity and its services
ask for information that has not already been published
understand why information may sometimes be withheld or redacted
ask for a review if they are unhappy with a decision.

The requirements do not mean that every piece of information has to be made available. There are circumstances where information may need to be withheld, for example where it contains personal or confidential information, or where disclosure could create a risk.

The Almshouse Association’s STAIRs document pack

The Almshouse Association has produced a set of model documents to help almshouse charities meet these requirements in a straightforward and proportionate way.

STAIRs Policy and Publication Policy – For use by the trustees and charity staff – Sets out the charity’s overall approach and what information should be published.

STAIRs Information Request Procedure – For the person responsible for handling requests – Explains how to receive, consider and respond to requests. A shorter, resident-friendly version is also available.

STAIRs Information Request Guide for Residents – For use by residents – Explains to the resident what information they can ask for and how to ask for it.

STAIRs Withholding and Redacting Information Policy – For use by the trustees and charity staff – Explains when information may be withheld or redacted. How decisions should be recorded.

STAIRs Internal Review Procedure – For use by the trustees and charity staff – Explains how to review a decision if a resident is unhappy with a response.

Full details on STAIRs and the above template documents can be accessed here

The documents are designed to work together, rather than requiring charities to create a large number of separate policies.

Members that are Registered Providers can use these model documents as a starting point and adapt them to reflect their own charity’s structure, services and arrangements.

Who needs to use them?

Trustees should:
- approve the STAIRs Policy and Publication Policy
- make sure someone is responsible for handling requests
- agree who will carry out an internal review
- make sure decisions to withhold information are properly considered and recorded.
The person handling information requests should use the Information Request Procedure when dealing with requests.
Residents only need the short Information Request Guide for Residents, which explains in plain English how to ask for information and what happens next.

Can information be withheld?

Yes. STAIRs do not require charities to disclose information where there is a legitimate reason not to do so.

The Almshouse Association Withholding and Redacting Information Policy explains the circumstances under which information may be withheld or parts of a document redacted. The general principle is to provide information wherever possible, using withholding or redaction only when there is a good reason.

Circumstances under which information may be withheld or parts of a document redacted, include:

personal information
safeguarding concerns
confidential information
legal privilege and information where disclosure could create a risk.

What happens if a resident is unhappy?

If a resident is unhappy because information has been withheld, or because they do not agree with the response they have received, they can ask for an internal review.

The review should normally be carried out by someone who was not involved in the original decision. For a small almshouse charity, this could be another trustee or the Chair, provided there is no conflict of interest.

For templates and full details on STAIRs, please click here.

Questions?

Please please do not hesitate to contact our Policy, Planning and Engagement Manager via alicemorrey@almshouses.org

posted 12 October 2026

Why trustee insurance matters

Contributor: Grout Insurance Brokers, proud sponsors of The Almshouse Association 80th anniversary event at Southwark Cathedral

Trustees and senior leaders of almshouse charities carry significant responsibility and are often required to make difficult decisions about governance, property, residents, finances, staff, volunteers and regulatory obligations.

Trustees can face personal allegations arising from their role, including alleged:

Negligence;
Errors or omissions;
Wrongful acts (instances or allegations);
Poor administration of funds;
Misleading statements;
Reputational damage;
Breach of trust or duty.

These claims may be made even where trustees have acted honestly and in good faith, and can be brought by a wide range of parties, including employees, residents or their families, regulators, funders, contractors, or partner organisations. The cost of defending such claims can be substantial, even where the allegation is ultimately not upheld.

Trustee indemnity insurance, often referred to as trustee liability or Directors & Officers cover, is a key safeguard. It can help protect individual trustees and senior decision-makers, and where the policy provides, the charity itself, where claims arise from the exercise of management, administration or governance duties. For this reason, trustee indemnity cover is an important component of many charities’ insurance programmes.

However, cover is not all-encompassing. Policies will not generally respond to fraud, dishonesty, deliberate wrongdoing, criminal or regulatory fines, or matters that fall outside the policy wording. Example scenarios are sometimes mistakenly assumed to be covered under trustee indemnity or D&O cover when they may require a different policy, or may not be insurable. These include:

Allegations or incidents of fraud/theft (covered by crime/fidelity insurance).
Failure to pay monies owed to a third party under a contract. (Some policies will cover the personal liability of directors to creditors in the event the organisation is declared insolvent and wrongful trading occurred).
Failure to deliver services to a third party under a contract.
Poor commercial decisions, for example, overspending on a project.

It is important to note that cover options and exclusions vary significantly. Almshouse charities should take advice from a broker who understands the sector.

Strong governance, effective risk management, clear financial controls, and robust incident response planning not only reduce exposure to claims but can also improve a charity’s ability to secure suitable insurance. Protecting trustees ultimately supports the long-term stability and confidence of the organisation.

Contact: Grout: info@groutinsure.co.uk | 020 8686 1708

Specialising in insurance for almshouse charities, Grout Insurance Brokers is a team of individuals with deep expertise, some with over 40 years’ experience in advising Almshouses. Incorporated in 2004, Grout has embedded itself within the sector, working closely with The Almshouse Association. Alongside our bespoke scheme specifically designed for Almshouses, we offer a range of insurance for charities, including trustee indemnity cover. Charity Insurance – Grout Insurance Brokers

posted September 2026

Beyond housing

How almshouses can strengthen their communities

Contributor: Kate Duggan on behalf of Hammersmith United Charities, London

“Like many almshouse charities, Hammersmith United Charities was founded hundreds of years ago, and yet our work is no less crucial today than it was when our founders first sought to support local people in need.

While parts of Hammersmith could be considered affluent, there is significant inequality across the borough. Thousands of people are experiencing severe hardship and one in three children lives in poverty. These challenges affect people of all ages and require a collective response from everyone who has a stake in the community.

Our two almshouses – John Betts House and Sycamore House – are home to 92 residents. However, our commitment to Hammersmith doesn’t end with our almshouses.

As a charity that has been embedded in the local community for more than 400 years, people trust us and we are very aware of the challenges they face. This gives us a unique insight into local needs and enables us to make a wider contribution to our community through grants to grassroots organisations that are making a tangible difference to local people’s lives.

The relationship between our almshouses and our grants programme is closer than people might expect. Our residents benefit from, volunteer with and actively support many of the organisations we fund.

For example, we have helped fund training for volunteers at Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank. One of our residents, Lorraine, volunteers there every Thursday. She says, “You get to know the clients who come in regularly, and they get to know you. You’re making an impact on them and it makes you appreciate what you have yourself.”

Crosslight Advice provides free debt, benefit and budgeting advice to people across London, including some of our residents. The charity is one of our Flexible Three Year Grant holders, receiving £15,000 a year for three years.

We have also funded BlindAid, helping to ensure that a Sight Support Worker can visit isolated blind and partially sighted people in their homes. Richie Walden, BlindAid’s Operations Director, says, “We can’t run our services without external funding. We had to close services in a couple of boroughs last year because we just couldn’t get funding for them.”

Our grants are relatively modest, ranging from a few hundred pounds to £15,000, however, because they support smaller organisations that are deeply rooted in their communities, they can have a disproportionate impact. A small grant can help a local organisation reach more people, recruit volunteers, provide specialist support or simply continue delivering a valued service.

For us, this approach reflects the enduring spirit of the almshouse movement. Almshouses have always been about more than providing homes; they are about strengthening communities, reducing isolation and helping people to thrive. By combining housing with community investment, we believe almshouse charities can play an even greater role in tackling local challenges and improving lives.”

If you would like further information on Hammersmith United Charities, please contact: info@hamunitedcharities.com.

Photos credits: Hammersmith United Charities

posted 15 September 2026

Relational care and almshouses: a balancing act

by Dr Jenny Kartupelis, Trustee of St John’s Hospital Almshouses, Bakewell

Writing about the care of older people [1] and working with a team based in the Open University [2], I have been involved in research into ‘relational care’ particularly as it applies to ageing and paid-for care.

Relational care describes how a network of relationships can be created between older people, carers, families and community, built on a foundation of reciprocity and ‘interdependence’: an essential state for most human beings. A problem with care-giving, whether formal or family based, is that it is often predicated on a ‘giver’ (the carer) and a ‘receiver’ (the older person). This can put undue burdens on the carer and diminish or disempower the other person as though they had nothing left to offer.

Rebalancing relationships

This problem can be addressed by re-balancing: recognising the wish and ability of older people to contribute to their relationships and community wherever they can, even in what may be difficult circumstances. The benefits of more equal relationships are manifold, and apply to formal and informal care alike, including community-based interactions such as those in clubs, schools or meeting centres. Older people may offer their wisdom, time, stories, experiences and practical knowledge such as craft skills.

The importance of human connections

There are few people who would disagree that good interpersonal relationships play a key role in almost everyone’s life, from birth to death. Partners, friends, relatives and neighbours are there for us and vice versa in times of need, and to share times of joy. We may think that we generally choose with whom we will form relationships: selecting friends and keeping them close; making the life-changing decision of committing to a partner. But of course many more people come our way by chance, as we move for education, jobs and homes, yet they are the people who can become absolutely critical to our well-being, as we can be to theirs.

The implications of ageing and almshouses

Ageing may bring more losses than new relationships, making people who are close to us all the more important. And the chances are that at least some of them will be with us by force of circumstance, especially if we need professional care. What are the implications for almshouses, and how can they respond to help make care relationships work?

A model for relational care

Almshouses, which have been supported and developed by and for their local community over hundreds of years, offer an excellent model in which relational care can flourish. Not only can paid and unpaid care be brought in by residents or their families, they provide a real home in which the relationships of care can be ‘held’ and nurtured.

Creating the right environment

The environment where encounters take place has a critical role in enabling this to happen naturally. It needs to offer a real home, not an institution or a hotel: a place where everyone feels they belong, whether living, working or visiting as friends and trustees. A secure base from which to interact with the world. A place of acceptance, where all can be involved in making decisions and being heard, where there are rooms and gardens offering easy conversation and private spaces to be alone.

The role of trustees

Trustees have a critical role to play in achieving an environment which works in this way, and which remains financially and physically secure over the years: their choice of managers, residents, investment in maintenance and new developments will profoundly affect the atmosphere and sustainability of their almshouses. Knowing their residents well, they are uniquely placed to discreetly help them achieve the right balance between privacy and company; have their independence with a sense of security; be part of a unique home that gives them freedom to enjoy life there and further afield within a network of relationships.

[1] Making Relational Care Work for Older People (Kartupelis, J, 2021, Routledge, London and New York) – shopping link

[2] Gopinath, M., DeLappe, J., Kartupelis, J., Larkin, M., Wilson, A. (2023) ‘The Value and Practice of Relational Care with Older People’. Open University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.00015a63

posted 10 September 2026

Single-sex services and almshouse charities

Single-sex services and the Equality Act 2010: an essential update for almshouse charity trustees

Wednesday 5 August 2026: updated EHRC guidance for service providers comes into effect

Information supplied for almshouse charities by Almshouse Association, Panel of Consultant, Wrigleys Solicitors LLP. Partners in Wrigleys Solicitors’ Charities team, Alacoque Marvin and Joanna Blackman, consider the impact on almshouses of recent clarifications to equality law and guidance.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court clarified in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) means biological sex, or sex registered at birth. This is an important clarification for almshouse charities providing single-sex or separate-sex services to almshouse beneficiaries.

The general rule under the Act is that service providers must not discriminate because of a protected characteristic, including sex or gender reassignment. This means that, unless an exception applies, an almshouse charity should not exclude someone because of their sex or trans status, or segregate men and women. This article looks at relevant exceptions under the Act and trustees’ duties to ensure compliance.

The meaning of “sex” and “gender reassignment”

The protected characteristic of sex refers to being a man or a woman. The Supreme Court has confirmed that, for the purposes of the Act, this means biological sex and this is not changed by a Gender Recognition Certificate which changes someone’s legal sex for other purposes.

The protected characteristic of gender reassignment applies broadly to people who are proposing to undergo, are undergoing, or have undergone a process of reassigning sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex.

The charities exception

The Act includes a specific exception for charities, that allows a charity to discriminate by limiting the group of people it helps in certain circumstances. This is known as the ‘charities exception’. An almshouse charity may rely on the charities exception where the charity’s governing document only allows people who share a protected characteristic (such as sex) to benefit, and where the restriction can be justified because it either (a) prevents or compensates for a disadvantage linked to that characteristic, or (b) it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

For almshouse charities, the starting point is therefore the charitable instrument: for example, a trust deed, Charity Commission Scheme, articles or constitution. Trustees should check whether the governing document clearly restricts benefits to people who share a protected characteristic (e.g. men or women) and if it does, they should assess whether that restriction can still be justified in current times.

Proportionality requires trustees to consider whether the restriction is appropriate and necessary, whether the reasons outweigh the discriminatory impact, and whether a less discriminatory route could achieve the same aim. Trustees must carefully document the charity’s legitimate aim and proportionality assessment, and keep this under routine review.

Single-sex and separate-sex services

Separate services for men and women may be lawful where a joint service would be less effective and where this approach is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

A single-sex service may be lawful where providing it to one sex only is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim and one of the statutory criteria applies. The criteria include that only one sex has need of the service and that a joint service would be less effective.

Where the exception applies, service providers can defend direct sex discrimination claims from people who are excluded on the basis of their sex.

The Supreme Court ruling means that a service which includes trans people whose biological sex is different from the intended beneficiary group is not a single-sex service for the purposes of the Act. For example, if a women-only almshouse charity admits trans women, the service will be mixed sex and the charity will be unable to rely on the single-sex exception to defend sex discrimination claims brought by men.

There is a further exception which enables service providers to exclude a trans person whose biological sex falls within the intended group. For example, a women-only almshouse charity may be able to turn away a trans man applying to become a resident, but only if that decision is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, taking into account the individual circumstances and the reasonable impact on other residents. This must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Practical steps for trustees

Trustees should review their governing document (and in particular their purposes), admissions criteria, resident information, policies and staff guidance. Consideration should be given to the charity’s values and ethos, the needs and expectations of residents, stakeholder and donor views, reputational risk, and the possibility of complaints or claims from people with different protected characteristics.

Where a restriction is intended to be based on sex, documents should be clear what this means. Policies and practices must ensure confidentiality, compliant data handling, and respectful communication when asking for and handling sensitive information, including about sex or gender reassignment.

Decisions should be reasoned, evidenced, carefully documented and regularly reviewed.

If it is determined on review that the charities’ exception or other exceptions no longer apply, the charity’s purposes would need to be changed, and legal advice may be required.

EHRC Code and Charity Commission update

The new EHRC Code of Practice has now been published and comes into effect on 5 August 2026. It is available here: Equality Act 2010: Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, 2026 – GOV.UK.

The Charity Commission has issued an interim update stating that charities should take steps to comply with the Code and the clarified legal position on the meaning of sex. It aims to publish updated charity guidance in the Autumn, but has made clear that charities do not need to wait for that guidance before seeking to comply with the law. The Commission has stated that unreasonable delay in taking steps towards compliance may be considered a breach of trustee responsibilities. Almshouse charity trustees should therefore treat this as a prompt to review and seek advice on relevant policy and practice.

The information in this article is necessarily of a general nature. The law stated is correct as at 28 July 2026. Charities should seek specific legal advice in relation to specific situations.

Please contact Alacoque Marvin or Joanna Blackman at Wrigleys Solicitors LLP with any queries arising from this article.

posted 5 August 2026

Preparing for the Digital Switchover

DIGITAL SWITCHOVER: What almshouse charities need to do to ensure residents’ telecare equipment continues to operate.

Article contributed by appello.co.uk

What is the PSTN digital switchover?

The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) has powered UK landlines for over a century but this old copper network is now unreliable and costly to maintain. It’s being replaced with digital lines,referred to as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP that carry phone calls over the internet.

Remember the digital TV switchover?

In 2012, the UK turned off the analogue TV signal and everyone needed a digital box or a new TV to keep watching. The same thing is happening to our phone sockets with the PSTN switchover, so equipment needs to be digitally compatible.

Why is the digital switchover disrupting telecare?

The switchover especially affects telecare alarms as many of these rely on the analogue network. Alarm equipment communicates with a monitoring centre (Alarm Receiving Centre/ARC) using audible tones down the phone line. Digital networks, however, can misinterpret these, causing (i) Delays that cause the equipment to time out, (ii) Distortion which leads to call rejection and (iii) Call failure caused by connection issues.

What can you do to protect your residents?

A full digital upgrade is the ultimate goal but may not be feasible due to tight timescales and budgets. Analogue to digital (A2D) converters offer an alternative that is low cost and easy to install.

Firstly, you will need to check that your chosen converter is suitable for telecare and can maintain a complete service.
Once checked, plug into your existing equipment and it will translate analogue tones into a format the digital network can understand.
Whilst this is not a permanent fix, it will provide immediate peace of mind for you and the residents while managing long-term operational budgets.

What to do next

The January 2027 deadline isn’t going away, so it’s important to act now:

Contact your monitoring and equipment providers
Ask them what they can do, timings and what it will cost
Have the conversation early – put the burden of a plan onto your provider, not yourself.

posted 4 August 2026

Building Safety Levy and almshouses: Scope and exemption

What is the Building Safety Levy?

The Building Safety Levy (BSL) is a new charge on qualifying residential development in England, introduced as part of the Government’s post-Grenfell building safety reforms. Its purpose is to ensure that the residential development sector contributes to the cost of remediating unsafe residential buildings, particularly those affected by cladding and other fire safety defects.

The levy comes into force on 1 October 2026 and is expected to raise approximately £3.4 billion over a ten-year period. It is payable by developers and operates through the building control process rather than the planning system.

When the Levy applies

The BSL generally applies to major residential developments that create 10 or more dwellings or 30 or more student bedspaces, provided there is a net increase in residential floorspace. This includes many new-build developments, conversions and extensions.

The levy is calculated by reference to the development’s gross internal floor area, using a rate per square metre set by the relevant local authority. Rates will vary across England to reflect local housing market conditions. A reduced rate applies to qualifying brownfield developments, typically around 50% of the standard greenfield rate.

Local authorities are responsible for administering and collecting the levy. Developers will receive a Levy Liability Notice setting out the amount payable, with payment generally due before completion or occupation of the development.

Exemption for almshouses

The Building Safety Levy Regulations provide full or partial exemptions for certain categories of development where broader social policy considerations apply. These include affordable housing, certain supported and social housing, care homes, hospices, hotels, temporary accommodation and almshouses.

Almshouse developments are expressly exempt from the Building Safety Levy. Where a development falls within the relevant definition of an almshouse, no levy is payable and no levy calculation should be required at the building control stage.

The exemption recognises the distinctive nature of almshouses as charitable, not-for-profit housing provided to relieve financial hardship and offer secure, community-based accommodation for those in need. Subjecting such developments to the levy could adversely affect their financial viability and reduce the delivery of this important form of charitable housing.

For almshouse charities and their development partners, the exemption reduces development costs, removes a potential administrative burden and supports the continued provision of small-scale, community-based housing for beneficiaries.

Conclusion

The Building Safety Levy represents a significant new mechanism for funding the remediation of unsafe residential buildings. However, the express exemption for almshouses reflects their charitable purpose and social value, ensuring that the levy does not impede the delivery of this important form of affordable housing.

posted 30 June 2026

Stone King launches Annual Charity Chair Survey

Stone King launches Annual Charity Chair Survey in partnership with Bayes Business School

Almshouse Association panel consultant, Stone King Legal Services, has launched a new partnership with the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School to deliver the first Stone King Annual Charity Chair Survey.

This year’s survey explores the theme: “Governance under pressure: how Chairs are leading through political, regulatory and financial complexity and uncertainty.”

The survey is open to current Chairs, Co-Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Deputy Chairs of charities in England and Wales, as well as those who have held these roles within the last 12 months. This includes exempt and excepted charities, as well as those registered with the Charity Commission.

Stone King would be very pleased to encourage participation from members of The Almshouse Association, particularly those involved in governance and leadership of almshouse charities.

Input from this sector will help ensure that almshouses are well represented within the findings and broader sector analysis.

In addition to the survey, a series of discussion groups will take place in September, offering participants an opportunity to contribute more in-depth reflections on the challenges facing charity chairs. Those interested can register their interest via the Stone King website.

The findings from the survey will be published in the Autumn and are intended to provide practical guidance and sector-specific insights to help strengthen governance and leadership across the charity sector during a period of significant change and uncertainty.

The survey closes on Sunday 26 July.

Further information is available via Stone King’s website here.

posted 29 June 2026

Raising standards: qualifications

What the new housing qualifications requirements mean for almshouse charities

Under the new Competence and Conduct Standard framework, senior housing managers of Registered Providers, particularly those in roles responsible for the day-to-day delivery of housing services, will be expected to hold, or be working towards, a recognised housing management qualification. This typically aligns with Level 4 or Level 5 qualifications, broadly equivalent to foundation degree level.

Importantly, these requirements apply to Registered Providers of Social Housing – that is, organisations registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. This includes housing associations and some larger almshouse charities, but does not automatically extend to all almshouses, particularly those that are not registered.

Implications for almshouses

For almshouse charities, the picture is more complex – particularly given the distinction between those that are Registered Providers and those that are not.

Registered Provider almshouses will need to consider how these requirements apply to their staff and governance structures. This may involve:

supporting staff to gain qualifications
reviewing organisational structures and role definitions
planning for associated costs and capacity impacts

Non-Registered Provider almshouses, however, are not directly in scope of these requirements. Nevertheless, they may wish to work towards these qualifications to ensure good practice.

What should almshouses do now?

While further guidance is expected, there are practical steps almshouse charities can begin to take.

Map roles and responsibilities: Identify who carries out housing management functions
Assess training needs: Consider whether current staff or volunteers may need support
Engage early: Monitor guidance from the regulator and sector bodies
Explore partnerships: Shared training or pooled resources may help reduce costs

The Almshouse Association has been actively engaging with policymakers to ensure that the unique characteristics of almshouses are recognised and will continue to keep members updated.

Are your staff in or out of scope (of requiring the qualification)?

We have put together a helpful flowchart (below) that will guide you through assessing this, along with a practical toolkit of templates.