Charity Commission: new guidance

The Charity Commission has released a number of “5-minute guides” to help trustees to carry out their roles in line with the law.

The new guides cover five key aspects of charity management – a ‘core syllabus’ covering the basics that the regulator expects all trustees to be aware of.

They explain the basics of:

  • financial oversight
  • achieving a charity’s purposes
  • good decision making
  • addressing conflicts of interest
  • what to file with the Commission and what support is available

Further information can be found here.

The Charity Commission has also published a useful reminder of what charities need to send them and details of the support and guidance they provide. This includes informing the Commission of changes to the charity’s details (e.g. changes of trustees or contact details), submitting your charity’s annual return, and reporting serious incidents. To read the guidance, please visit:

www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-send-to-the-charity-commission-and-how-to-get-help.

Similarly, trustees may find the following publication helpful:

Charities and Investment Matters – A guide for Trustees

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-and-investment-matters-a-guide-for-trustees-cc14/charities-and-investment-matters-a-guide-for-trustees

Charity Intelligence

Charity Intelligence is a free website that provides independent financial information and performance data for Charity Funds in the UK. It is a free service but charities/individuals have to register. Members seeking financial information may find this a useful tool:

https://www.charityintelligence.co.uk/

Posted 3 November 2020

House of Lords: response to almshouse discussion

The Almshouse Association has received a written response to a question raised by Baroness Eaton during the House of Lords discussion on almshouses on October 20.

During the discussion Baroness Eaton put forward:

“To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to protect and promote small-scale community housing models, such as almshouses, as part of their reforms of the planning system.”

The Government, through Lord Greenhalgh, responded by saying:

“As part of its contribution to the Loneliness Strategy being led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has commissioned the London School of Economics to undertake research into the benefits of community-led housing in respect of addressing loneliness. The final report of the research is expected in 2021.

We are currently consulting widely on the proposals for reform set out in the Planning White Paper, and we will be listening carefully to all the representations made, including those from organisations representing almshouses. In relation to s106 planning obligations, we are consulting on proposals to replace the existing system of developer contributions with a new Infrastructure Levy, which will deliver at least as much onsite affordable housing as at present.

The upcoming government guidance on producing local design codes will set out more detailed parameters for key elements of successful design, recognising the need for a variety of housing tenures, including community and co-housing schemes, to create diverse, equitable and resilient communities. Further information on this will be published in due course.”

The Almshouse Association welcomes this response and would like to thank Baroness Eaton for assisting us. We look forward to continuing our work with the Government to ensure that almshouses are able to continue offering their vital service.

Posted 3 November 2020

Covid-19 update: 2.11.20

On Saturday 31 October, the Prime Minister announced that England would go into a four week lockdown from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 2 December.

The finer details of the proposed lockdown are still to be published but the main points are as follows:

  • Stay at home – you should only leave your house for specific purposes, including to go to work (if it’s not possible to work from home), to go shopping for essential items, for medical reasons (to attend appointments, collect medication from the pharmacy etc), visit members of your support bubble or care for vulnerable people, and to exercise outdoors with members of your household or support bubble. 
  • Staying safe outside the home (Social Distancing) – you should minimise time spent outside your home and when around other people ensure that you are two metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.
  • Meeting family and friends – you should not meet indoors or in private gardens with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble. You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with the people you live with, your support bubble, or 1 person from another household. Outdoor public places include parks, beaches, countryside, public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them), allotments, and playgrounds.
  • Businesses and venues – all but essential shops will close, as will leisure, entertainment and personal care facilities. Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services will remain open.
  • Going to work – you should work from home if you are able to do so. Those who continue to go to work should follow social distancing guidelines.
  • Shielding – there won’t be a return to the shielding programme that was in place during the first lockdown. Instead, anyone over the age of 60 or who is clinically vulnerable should be especially careful in following the social distancing rules and minimise their contact with others. Those who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable should not go to work. The government will write to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
  • Visiting relatives in care homes – guidance on this will be published later this week.
  • Overnight stays – these will not be allowed. It means you cannot stay in a second home, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with. There are specific exceptions, for example if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes. Guest rooms should therefore be closed.
  • Property safety checks/repairs – repair work and essential safety checks can still be carried out on properties so long as social distancing is observed.
  • Moving home – the housing market remains open and people are free to move home should they wish to do so. Social distancing should be observed when viewing properties and interviews should be carried out via phone or videoconferencing.

Full details about the new restrictions can be found here.

We will publish further updates over the coming days to reflect new government guidance as it is published.

Posted 2 November 20

Festival of Trusteeship, 2-6 November 2020

From 2 to 6 November 2020, Getting on Board will be running its Festival of Trusteeship.

The week will consist of numerous webinars including:

  • safeguarding for trustees,
  • how to attract great candidates for trustee roles, and
  • charity finances – the basics.

Sessions are being held online and tickets range from £5 to £15. To find out more, visit: www.gettingonboard.org/festival-of-trusteeship

Posted 29 October 2020

Covid-19 update: 5.11.20

Today marks the start of the latest national lockdown in England after it was approved by MPs in Parliament on Wednesday.

For the most up-to-date Government advice, please visit www.gov.uk.

Posted 5 November 2020

Making changes to your governing document Webinar Recording

The Almshouse Association held a webinar on ‘Making Changes to your governing document’ in partnership with the Charity Commission on Wednesday 28th October 20.

The webinar was fully booked with 100 members signing up and more wanting to take part. To ensure all our members have the opportunity to see the webinar, we have made a recording and also produced pdf slides. These can be accessed by clicking in the links below.

About the Presenter
William Byrne is a Case Manager with The Charity Commission where he deals with complex permissions casework. He is based in the Commission’s Liverpool site within a team that spans Liverpool and Newport. William is a trustee himself, being the Vice Chair of Governors at a large primary school.

To see a list of previous webinars access recordings and slides, please visit our training pages and scroll down to webinars here.

Posted 29 October 2020

Affordable Homes Programme

Following the announcement of the Affordable Housing Programme, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced a number of roundtable meetings to take place over the next 2 months. Whilst they are targeted at regulated organisations, , re-modelling is available to all almshouse charities.

The events are open to any organisation with an interest in developing new affordable homes – including those who haven’t accessed affordable housing funding or worked with Homes England previously. ​

Each session will provide a general introduction to the new fund, covering:

  • Information about what the fund will deliver and policy requirements.
  • Details on how to bid for funding and what the Government is looking for.
  • Information on wider support that Homes England can provide. ​

In addition, four of the sessions will provide specific information on some of the key areas of focus for the fund, including: ​

  • The Supported Housing tenures that the funding can deliver and the support that Homes England can provide in this space​.
  • Information for New Entrants to the affordable housing sector​.
  • How the fund can help to address local housing challenges and the type of support Homes England can provide to Places​.
  • How Homes England can support the delivery of Rural Housing​.

More details on the events can be accessed here and you are invited to email queries to the Affordable Homes Programme team ahp2126@homesengland.gov.uk

The grant programme can be complex so some members may find an early conversation with Almshouse Consortium Ltd (ACL), an independent group led by Almshouse Association members, to get a ‘warts ‘n’ all’ guide to the process may be helpful, or call us at The Almshouse Association.

Contact details for ACL – email: kathy.green.projects@gmail.com or Tel: 01225 865573 Mob: 07940 590173

See also Chapter 9 of Standards of Almshouse Management

Posted 27 October 2020

National Statement of Expectations for Supported Housing

The Government has published a National Statement of Expectations (NSE) for supported housing.

This sets out guidelines of best practice in the sector for standards in accommodation and ‘is an important step in establishing what good looks like and how it can be achieved.’ To be clear, these are not legal requirements but recommendations on how to maximise the services offered. Members may, however, find their recommendations useful.

In supported housing, accommodation is provided alongside support, supervision or care to help people live as independently as possible in the community.

The statement outlines that all parties involved in the delivery of supported housing benefit from working collaboratively to:

  • assess local demand for supported housing
  • plan effectively for the required provision
  • deliver accommodation which is good quality and value for money

Some of the key recommendations include:

  • Collaboration between local councils, providers and local delivery partners to assess, plan and deliver supported housing
  • Accommodation is assessed for its suitability in meeting the needs of residents
  • Regular communication and collaboration between local council housing services, landlords, managing agents, support staff and commissioners of support services, to share information so that arrangements can be adapted as resources or residents’ needs change
  • Supported housing providers encouraged to participate in sector-led accreditation and benchmarking schemes which demonstrate compliance with standards and are aimed improving transparency and performance on value for money and quality of housing services
  • Both local councils and providers ensure they take a consistent approach to administration and information sharing.

The full statement can be found here.

Posted 27 October 20

Gardens & People Almshouse Association Awards

Each year the Association invites members to showcase their almshouse projects and achievements by applying for one of our awards. With the outbreak of coronavirus at the beginning of 2020,  the Association had to put the Patron’s Award and Award for Excellence and Inspiration on hold but we are delighted to be able announce the winners of the 2019 Gardens and People Award.

The winners all highlighted the sense of community their gardening projects created and the beneficial impact on their residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.  These projects and spaces have no doubt brought great comfort to residents during this year’s lockdown.

Lady Lumley’s Almshouses, Thornton-le-dale, North Yorkshire – set up a tea and chatter group, which now has 20 regular attendees. For the past three years they have also held an open day and in 2019 the residents won a local award for their outstanding garden display.

Partis College, Bath, Somerset –  established a new vegetable garden in a neglected part of the grounds. They put in 10 raised beds to ensure it was accessible to all residents. A handyman provides some physical support but otherwise it has been the hard work of the residents that had yielded delicious, home grown vegetables.

The residents at Yardley Great Trust, Birmingham initiated a project to improve small areas of the scheme by planting flower beds. The project grew and more residents got involved, spending more time outdoors and enjoying BBQs together. The project has fostered a greater sense of community, as well as improving the residents’ physical and mental health.

St Joseph’s Homestead, Stratford-upon-Avon converted the resident’s private gardens into a communal garden, creating a community feeling and providing a relaxing place for residents to sit. Residents are able to tend to part of the garden and there has been a focus on wildlife with the introduction of a hedgehog highway, bird feeders and bee-friendly plants.

Guild Cottages at the Municipal Charities of Stratford-Upon-Avon has a communal garden but gives its residents the opportunity to tend to the areas close to their homes. For those residents whose gardening skills aren’t quite as developed, a professional gardener is available to give a helping hand.

Residents at The Day Foundation, Coddenham, Suffolk took part in a local open garden scheme to help raise money for the local church and The Stone Foundation. They ran a stall selling second hand gardening equipment, sunflower seedlings and plants. They also took part in the scarecrow competition! These activities brought residents together and new friendships were formed.

To view more Gardens and People Awards photos, please click here

Gardens & People Award winners 2019

Each year the Association invites members to showcase their almshouse projects and achievements by applying for one of our awards. With the outbreak of coronavirus at the beginning of 2020,  the Association had to put the Patron’s Award and Award for Excellence and Inspiration on hold but we are delighted to be able announce the winners of the 2019 Gardens and People Award.

The winners all highlighted the sense of community their gardening projects created and the beneficial impact on their residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.  These projects and spaces have no doubt brought great comfort to residents during this year’s lockdown.

Lady Lumley’s Almshouses, Thornton-le-dale, North Yorkshire – set up a tea and chatter group, which now has 20 regular attendees. For the past three years they have also held an open day and in 2019 the residents won a local award for their outstanding garden display.

Partis College, Bath, Somerset –  established a new vegetable garden in a neglected part of the grounds. They put in 10 raised beds to ensure it was accessible to all residents. A handyman provides some physical support but otherwise it has been the hard work of the residents that had yielded delicious, home grown vegetables.

The residents at Yardley Great Trust, Birmingham initiated a project to improve small areas of the scheme by planting flower beds. The project grew and more residents got involved, spending more time outdoors and enjoying BBQs together. The project has fostered a greater sense of community, as well as improving the residents’ physical and mental health.

St Joseph’s Homestead, Stratford-upon-Avon converted the resident’s private gardens into a communal garden, creating a community feeling and providing a relaxing place for residents to sit. Residents are able to tend to part of the garden and there has been a focus on wildlife with the introduction of a hedgehog highway, bird feeders and bee-friendly plants.

Guild Cottages at the Municipal Charities of Stratford-Upon-Avon has a communal garden but gives its residents the opportunity to tend to the areas close to their homes. For those residents whose gardening skills aren’t quite as developed, a professional gardener is available to give a helping hand.

Residents at The Day Foundation, Coddenham, Suffolk took part in a local open garden scheme to help raise money for the local church and The Stone Foundation. They ran a stall selling second hand gardening equipment, sunflower seedlings and plants. They also took part in the scarecrow competition! These activities brought residents together and new friendships were formed.

To see more of their wonderful garden displays and previous years award winners, please click here

We are now inviting applications for our
2020 Almshouse Association Awards.
Full details on how to apply can be accessed here.
Deadline for applications is 15th January 2021

Posted 26 October 2020