Covid-19 update: 3.8.20

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

Monday 3 August 2020

The Government has updated its advice for wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces. From 8 August 2020, it will be mandatory to wear a face covering in the following settings:

  • funeral directors
  • premises providing professional, legal or financial services
  • cinemas
  • theatres
  • bingo halls
  • concert halls
  • museums, galleries, aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms, or other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural sites.
  • nail, beauty, hair salons and barbers – other than where necessary to remove for treatments
  • massage parlours
  • public areas in hotels and hostels
  • place of worship
  • libraries and public reading rooms
  • community centres
  • social clubs
  • tattoo and piercing parlours
  • indoor entertainment venues (amusement arcades, funfairs, adventure activities e.g. laser quest, go-karting, escape rooms, heritage sites etc)
  • storage and distribution facilities
  • veterinary services.
  • auction houses

It is already obligatory to wear a face covering on public transport, in shops and takeaways, in banks and post offices, and in public transport hubs.

The Government is also encouraging people to wear face coverings in places where social distancing is not possible. As a charity, you may therefore wish to ask your residents to wear face coverings in communal spaces, such as the narrow corridors, communal laundries, and communal rooms. Before implementing this, however, you will need to consider how this will be managed (e.g. what if one or more of your residents chooses not to wear a mask?) and support your residents in finding a suitable face covering. They can use disposable facemasks, washable cloth face masks, or a scarf or bandana.

If you run public tours of your almshouse site, visitors are required to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.

The full government guidance on the wearing of face coverings can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own.

Thursday 30 July 2020

The Government has today announced an extension to the self-isolation rules for anyone experiencing symptoms of Covid-19. Anyone who develops a persistent cough, high temperature and/or a loss of smell and taste should self-isolate for 10 days instead of 7 and get a free Covid-19 test. Those who have been in contact with someone who has contracted Covid-19 should continue to self-isolate for 14 days.

From 1 August, the recent Government announcements on the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions also come into force.

These include:

  • Shielding – the Government will no longer be advising the clinically extremely vulnerable to shield and support from the National Shielding Service will stop. Those who have been shielding will still be able to receive priority supermarket delivery slots and receive support from NHS Volunteer Responders.

    Those who have been shielding should still try to leave home as little as possible and to adhere to strict social distancing rules when they do. As a charity, you may wish to look at how you can best support your vulnerable residents during this transition period. If they have been receiving food parcels from the National Shielding Service, for example, you may wish to support them in delivering their shopping if needed.
  • Working from home – until now, the Government advice has been to work from home where possible. From 1 August, however, this will change and offices will be able to re-open so long as they are ‘COVID secure’. This means that if you have office staff working from home, you now have the discretion to re-open the office so long as hygiene and social distancing measures have been put in place to protect your employees.

For guidance on how to make your workplace COVID secure, visit:

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

We’ve had numerous enquiries in recent weeks from members regarding the opening of communal and guest facilities. Unless you live in an area that has had a local lockdown implemented, the Government guidance allows you to open these facilities should you wish to. We would suggest carrying out a risk assessment and, if you do decide to re-open these facilities, ensure they are COVID secure.

Detailed government guidance on the re-opening of communal facilities can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities.

To see if you area has a local lockdown in place, visit:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-restrictions-areas-with-an-outbreak-of-coronavirus-covid-19. 

Tuesday 21st July 2020

The Government has recently released guidance on the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities. Due to the communal nature of many almshouses, members may find this guidance useful, although it does not significantly add to guidance outlined in previous updates.

The full guidance can be found here.

The key points from the guidance are:

  • Measures are in place to ensure all users of community facilities follow the guidelines on social distancing, including strict adherence to social distancing of 2 metres or 1 metre with risk mitigation (where 2 metres is not viable) are acceptable.
  • It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes (including gardens and other outdoor spaces). However, premises or locations which are COVID-19 secure will be able to hold more than 30 people, subject to their own capacity limits.
  • Centre managers are required to also consider what changes might be needed to enable safe access to the building. These may include:
    • Making use of multiple exit and entry points: to introduce a one-way flow in and out of the premises, with appropriate floor markings or signage. Any changes to entrances, exits and queues should take into account the need to make reasonable adjustments for those who need them, such as people with disabilities.
    • Managing the arrival and departure times of different group so as to reduce the pressure at exits and entrances.
    • Queue management: the flow of groups in and out of the premises to be carefully controlled to reduce the risk of congestion. It may be necessary to introduce socially distanced queuing systems.

One point which is particularly significant for almshouses is the guidance on vulnerable people which states:

Certain groups of people are at increased risk of severe disease from coronavirus (COVID-19), including all people aged 70 or over. Such individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and, if they do go out, to take particular care to minimise contact with others outside of their household.

If any of the guidance is not clear or you would like further support, please do not hesitate to contact The Almshouse Association and we will endeavour to help.

To access previous updates, click below:

– June 2020
– May 2020
– April 2020
– Pre-April 2020.

updated 3 August 20

Southwark Charities proposes new 21st century almshouse development

LONDON, 30 JULY, 2020 – Southwark Charities unveiled emerging plans for rebuilding its almshouses situated on Nicholson Street, Blackfriars, SE1.

For over 250 years, Southwark Charities has provided charitable housing on the site for those in need, hardship or distress and intends to continue to fulfil its historic mission by providing new modern homes for the 21st century.

Southwark Charities’ Almshouses provide accommodation for older people of limited means, who have been resident in the borough for at least five years, enabling them to live safely and independently for as long as possible, for an extremely modest maintenance charge, making them truly affordable.

The existing almshouses were built in 1973 and are reaching the end of their useful life. The primary purpose of this proposed new development is to build 60 new almshouses, more than double the existing number, on the Blackfriars site.

In addition, there will be around 220,000 sq.ft of high quality office space, 10% of which will be affordable workspace available to other Southwark-based charities and local entrepreneurs. This will not only support jobs in the area but also generate income and capital to pay for the almshouses.

The proposed scheme will also feature a charitable hub with accessible community facilities for residents and others in the locality, and a new, enlarged, on-site Prince William Henry public house (a fixture since 1785) will replace the existing one. Sensitively landscaped gardens, roof terraces and public footpaths will be a key feature, including a new east-west pedestrian link in the form of “Edwards’ Walk”, a nod to the founding father of Southwark Charities.

The aim is to deliver a highly sustainable, socially responsible mixed-use scheme which will create a vibrant and striking presence onto Blackfriars Road.


Commenting on the planned scheme, Chris Wilson, Clerk to the Trustees of Southwark Charities, said:

“The Charity has built almshouses in the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries, and now we need to rebuild them for the 21st century. Significant investment would be required to bring the existing units up to contemporary standards – that’s why we need to replace them rather than remodel them. The opportunity exists to double the provision by building 60 modern, purpose-built Almshouses to meet changing regulations, including a focus on sustainability, mobility access and community living”.

The History of Southwark Almshouses

The genesis of Southwark Charities’ Almshouse provision dates from 1717, when a wealthy stonemason, Edward Edwards, left his property and the rents from them to a group of trustees from his parish church to acquire land and erect almshouses for “decayed housekeepers and widows”. The site was acquired in 1752 for £350, and the first almshouses were built in 1753, and eventually grew to a total of 44 homes. By the latter half of the 19th century, the buildings were not fit for purpose, and so were demolished and rebuilt to an archetypal Victorian pattern. Following bomb damage in the Second World War and the general dilapidation of the area, the Victorian almshouses were demolished in their turn and the current Edward Edwards’ House was opened in 1973.
The accommodation is for individuals over 55 years old who are in need, hardship or distress and who have been resident in the Greater London area for the past five years. However, preference is given to residents of the London Borough of Southwark.
Today, Southwark Charities focuses on five core areas:
• Provision of accommodation for older people
• Educational grants for schools in the borough
• Relief in need for the elderly
• Administrative services for other charities in Southwark
• Grant giving – the Charity supports the elderly people of Southwark via grants and gifts totalling £325,000 per annum.

The site was originally used as tenter grounds and market gardens; tenter grounds were fields covered in long wooden frames, onto which newly manufactured cloth was hooked and stretched taut to dry after the process of fulling (the removal of oils, dirt and impurities). Mr Boyfield’s “Dye-house” is shown on maps immediately to the south of the site. Generations of Boyfields were trustees and there is a Boyfield Street nearby.

The saying ‘on tenterhooks’ comes from this process of stretching cloth under tension on the frames and leaving it out to dry. The eastern half was given to market gardens, for the cultivation of food crops for sale in and around London. Although not reflected on maps, part of the land purchased by the trustees was then known as the ‘Physick Garden’, where herbs were grown for medicinal use. Shortly after the first almshouses were built, the remaining undeveloped land was leased for use as kitchen gardens.

Image credit: Secchi Smith

Local lockdowns

Planning for local lockdowns

Members will be aware of the local lockdowns which have been enforced throughout the country recently. These lockdowns highlight how we must be prepared to deal with and manage the coronavirus in the coming months. As a result, The Almshouse Association would like to offer some guidance on how to best prepare for these lockdowns.

So far the most difficult aspect of the lockdowns has been the timing of their implementation. The Government has announced lockdowns usually the evening before they are due to take effect, which does not leave a lot of time for you to adjust how you work. It is, therefore, a good idea to have a plan of action ready to go just in case. For many, this will be a case of reverting back to how you operated during the national lockdown but you always double check local guidance to see what specific restrictions are in place.

Things to consider

  • Residents
    • Ensure they are kept up to date with developments by providing official, trusted information.
    • Plan how you can help residents with shopping and any other services.
    • Make regular contact to ensure they are coping well.
    • Create contingency plans for those who receive outside care and support by liaising with providers.
  • Buildings
    • Consider closing all communal rooms and guest facilities.
    • Limit and restrict visitors such as family and contractors.
    • Only carry out essential maintenance work and legally required safety checks.
    • Ensure that any contractors attending the site are not displaying symptoms of Covid-19 and adhere to strict social distancing and hygiene rules.
    • Regular cleaning/disinfecting should be carried out.
    • Consider placing signs, floor stickers and hand sanitisers around communal entrances/exits if you haven’t already done so.
  • Staff
    • Arrange work from home responsibilities, ensuring that staff have all equipment they require to carry out their roles as effectively as possible.
    • Contact residents by phone rather than visiting in person.
    • Considering reaching out to one of the mutual aid groups which have been set up earlier in the crisis (many of these may now be winding down operations as lockdowns ease but, building a relationship could prove beneficial in the long-term).
    • Build a reserve of PPE.

Further guidance from the Government can be found here.

If any of the guidance is not clear or you would like further support, please do not hesitate to contact The Almshouse Association.

Posted 3 August 2020

Universal Credit: Changes to Alternative Payment Arrangements

From August 20, the way that deductions are made from Universal Credit to cover the cost of the Weekly Maintenance Charge will be changing.

Under the current rules claimants of Universal Credit are, in certain circumstances, allowed to agree to have their housing costs paid directly to their landlords under the Alternative Payment Arrangement, however, the schedule for these payments (four-weekly cycle) did not match the schedule of the remaining Universal Credit payment (monthly cycle). This system has been found to create difficulties for both claimants and landlords.

The new system will bring both of this payments in line with each other so that claimants and landlord receive their payments on the same date.

  • This change will only affect landlords who make use of the online Landlord Portal to manage payments.
  • Payment information can be accessed via the portal to see information which will enable them to more effectively support beneficiaries who are experiencing difficult circumstances.
  • Those who will be affected by the change should be contacted prior to the system going live and should be provided with detailed guidance on the changes.

More information on these payments can be found here.

If any of the guidance is not clear or you would like further support, please do not hesitate to contact The Almshouse Association and we will endeavour to help.

Posted 27 July 2020

TV Licence update

Update on free and concessionary television licences

On 1 August 2020 the BBC will be introducing changes to its TV licensing fees for the over-75s, which may have an impact on your residents. We have received a number of enquiries from our members on this issue and have developed a set of frequently asked questions to help you.

What are the changes coming into force on 1 August 2020?

From 1 August 2020 those aged 75 or over will no longer be eligible for a free TV licence unless they are on pension credit. This change was due to come into force on 1 June 2020 but, due to the Covid-19, was delayed by two months.

TV Licensing will be writing to anyone over the age of 75 from August to advise them of what they need to do to continue watching live TV or using services such as BBC iPlayer. 

What if the resident’s free TV licence has already expired or is due to expire on 31st July?

TV Licensing has issued the following guidance note:

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/generalnotice

They have indicated that there is no need to worry about the expired license at this stage and your residents will remain covered by their TV license until they are contacted with guidance on what to do next.

Do the changes apply to ARC licences?

No. If your charity has an ARC licence and your residents are aged 75 or over, their TV licence will remain free of charge, regardless of whether they’re on pension credit or not.

NOTE: For anyone who is aged between 60 and 75 and is retired, the cost of an ARC licence remains at £7.50 per year.

This has been confirmed in the TV Licensing Full General Notice available here

What is an ARC license and how can we apply?

The ARC licence is a type of concessionary TV licence available to people living in care homes and some other forms of sheltered housing. Both the resident and accommodation needs to be eligible for this type of licence.

Almshouses are eligible for an ARC licence if the building itself, land it was built on or charity was established before 1 November 1949. Sheltered or supported accommodation may also be eligible if it:

  • Is housed in a building that has been erected or converted for the purposes of occupation by residents that are retired and over 60, or disabled
  • Forms part of a group of at least four dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary (up to 25% of units in a scheme can be properties purchased under the ‘Right to Buy’ legislation)
  • Provides or is managed by a not for profit organisation; including local authority or a housing associations
  • Has a person whose function is to care for the needs of the residents (e.g. a warden) and who either lives on site or works there for at least 30 hours a week, excluding on-call hours.

Your residents will also need to qualify for the licence. They must be aged 60 or over and retired or not working more than 15 hours a week, or disabled (e.g. have substantially impaired sight, hearing or speech, a mental disorder or be substantially physically disabled by illness, any impairment present from birth or otherwise).

To apply for an ARC licence, please visit:

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/business-and-organisations/residential-care-homes-aud14.

How do I add a resident to our ARC licence?

You will need to write to TV licensing to let them know when you want to add someone to your ARC licence. If the resident has already paid for a full TV license, they can apply for a refund once they’ve been added to the ARC license.

If you have any questions or concerns about TV licences, please contact us at admin@almshouses.org or on 01344 452099.

Posted 27 July 2020

Members Survey 2020 Report

A big thank you to our members for responding to our 2020 Members Survey. 557 members completed the questionnaire, which is an excellent return and 137 more than our 2018 survey.

Your contributions help us enormously  – to  plan and tailor our services to suit your needs today and over the next 5 years and also to help us to gauge where members may be feeling frustrated and services need to be enhanced or introduced.

Many of you also took the opportunity to compliment the team on the service we provide and I thank you – like any organisation, it is always rewarding to receive good feedback, but it is also important that we make sure we address any concerns you may have and I will ensure these areas are reviewed and raised at future Board meetings and acted on.

I wonder though about those members that, through time commitments or other reasons, were not able to respond to the survey. I think we need to do more to reconnect to those members and canvas their views or at least remind them that we are here for them. Maybe they think we are doing just fine but I do not want to assume, so I will continue to seek more and different ways to communicate with all our membership.

Best regards

Nick Phillips | CEO Almshouse Association

Please click on the below to access the Almshouse Association 2020 Members Survey Report.

Members Survey 2020 Report

Posted 23 July 2020

Virtual Recruitment

Virtual Recruiting can work well!

Charisma recruitment is registered on the Almshouse Association’s Panel of Consultants and they have offered some great advice to any members that may be finding ‘in person recruitment’ a challenge at the moment:

Right now, recruitment may not be at the top of your list of priorities, however,  if you suddenly have a need in your team, you may be questioning the logic to start a recruitment process for a vital role at this time, knowing that you may not be able to meet (interview) potential interested candidates face to face. 

Let me put your mind at rest by sharing our experiences with you, as the Consultants at Charisma have been successfully recruiting for Almshouse charities and other not for profit organisations, both through personal and virtual interviews, for many years.

With a clear, well-structured, yet flexible, recruitment plan in place, even during these unprecedented times, a successful outcome can be achieved through creative methods!  

Expert, insightful recruitment takes time and should not be rushed. A commitment from the Board and executive team to allow this new, virtual, approach to work should allow each search to be made possible and, when an appointment has been made, then to carry this forward on to induction of a new team member virtually too.     With the benefit of using technology like MS Teams, Zoom and Skype, presentations can be shared via Dropbox, virtual interviews carried out successfully and you could even give the candidates a ‘tour’ of the offices and a chance to meet the team too – all through these specific on-line platforms.

We can share our experience of just how we have helped our clients to do this in recent weeks and how we can help to ensure that your almshouse has the best people to sustain its activities going forward.  

Contact details for Charisma Recruitment:
Jenny Warner, Managing Director, Charisma Recruitment Ltd
Specialists in recruitment for charities and not-for-profit organisationsjenny@charismarecruitment.co.uk | 0207 998 8888

Posted 22 July 20

Stoneking Webinar: Incorporation for Almshouses

Webinar: Incorporation for Almshouses – Why and How? – An Almshouse Toolkit

Date : 28.07.2020
Time: 2-3 pm
Fee: Free of Charge

Stone King LLP and The Trust Partnership invite Almshouse Association members to their third webinar providing almshouse charities with some legal guidance and practical tips as we reflect on the effects of the pandemic.

Following Part One: Surviving lockdown – an Almshouse Toolkit and Part Two: Post-Lockdown Risk Assessments Stoneking present, by popular request, Part Three: Incorporation for Almshouses – Why and How?

In the third part,  Tim Rutherford (Head of the Charity and Social Enterprise Group at Stone King) and Elizabeth Fathi (Director of Almshouses at The Trust Partnership) combine their extensive knowledge and experience of almshouses to present Part Three: Incorporation for Almshouses – Why and How?

The webinar will cover:

  • Why incorporate and what are the alternatives?
  • Which Structure to use
  • The Process
  • What to look out for
  • Timing

This webinar will follow a question and answer format with examples  to enable a full exploration of legal and practical matters.

If you have any questions you wish to submit in advance, please include them when registering or alternatively please email events@stoneking.co.uk.  There will also be opportunity to submit questions during the webinar.

To book your place at the webinar, please click here. 

Posted 21st July 2020

Trustee Recruitment Masterclass Course

Following the success of our Essential Boardfinder webinar in June, we are now offering an in-depth look at the trustee recruitment process in a five-part course.

When: 28 July – 25 August 2020
Cost: £50 (with a £25 refund to those who complete all five webinars)

Over five weeks, participants will discover:

  • how to identify the skills they need on their trustee board
  • how to develop a compelling trustee advert
  • how to interview candidates and tips on the induction process for new trustees.

Each masterclass will be 60 minutes long and held on Zoom.  Those booking onto the course will be expected to take part in each of the five webinars. Places are limited to 20 people so early booking is recommended.

To reserve your space, please complete the booking form and return to rosiesweeney@almshouses.org.

Posted 9th July 2020

Historic England: Improving energy efficiency in listed buildings

Historic England has produced a new report, Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: How to Improve Energy Efficiency, which looks at how you can improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings.

The report highlights the necessity of striking the correct balance between the benefits that improved efficiency can bring, with the harm that can be done to these precious establishments. To achieve this balance the report highlights the need to take a holistic ‘whole building’ approach which takes account of the buildings context, significance and factors which affect energy use.

Carried out properly this approach will ensure that you:

  • avoid harm to significance
  • are effective, cost efficient, proportionate and sustainable
  • ensure a healthy and comfortable environment for occupants
  • minimise the risk of unintended consequences

This guidance is likely to be useful to many of our members tasked with protecting and maintaining their historic almshouses. As always, the Association is here to offer support to members who may be looking to renovate their almshouses, so please do not hesitate to contact us.

Posted 20 July 2020