The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact/requires action from member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Our latest update can be found below and previous updates are listed at the bottom of the page.

GOVERNMENT

  • DLUHC opens consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector – The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has opened a consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector. The consultation is seeking feedback on two proposals:
    • Proposal A: Mandatory checks on electrical installations for social housing at least every 5 years.
    • Proposal B: Mandatory Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) on all electrical appliances that are provided by social landlords as part of a tenancy.

      The proposed regulations would only apply to Registered Providers of Social Housing operating in England. Members can respond to the consultation here or you can send responses to specific questions to Jack Baldan via jackbaldan@almshouses.org.
  • Ombudsman plans systemic investigation into record keeping – The Housing Ombudsman has announced that it will be undertaking a ‘systemic investigation into record keeping’ following a number of issues being raised in this area.

    In a statement the Ombudsman said: “Strong record keeping practices are core to good services and will be the focus of a future systemic investigation by the Ombudsman with the aim of making recommendations and sharing learning across the social housing sector.”

    Members may wish to use this as an opportunity to review their recording keeping processes and ensure that they are of a high standard. The full statement can be found here.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Commission publishes research into public trust in charities – The Charity Commission has published annual research into public trust in charities and what trustees think about their duties.

The report highlights that public trust in charities has remained stable and that expectations of charities remain high. It also flags that trustees’ understanding of their role has not changed since 2020, but that there are some gaps in knowledge around decision making and financial oversight.

The report can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 18 July 22