General COVID-19 guidance for charities

Use our Lockdown Postcode Checker Opens another website in new window  to see if you’re in an affected area.

Increased restrictions for Leicester and parts of Leicestershire

Residents in Leicester and its outlying areas are to be asked to continue to follow stricter lockdown restrictions for at least two weeks, and non-essential shops will be closed.

People are being urged to make essential journeys only and stay at home as much as they can.

The city’s bars, restaurants and hairdressers will not open on 4 July as planned, and shops that were allowed to open on 15 June will have to close again from 30 June.

Schools will close from 2 July but will stay open for children of key workers and vulnerable children.

The relaxation of shielding planned for 6 July will not happen.

Each local authority has been given funding by central government to develop tailored outbreak control plans, working with local NHS and other stakeholders.

The Leicester City Council  plan sets out the roles, responsibilities, structures, governance and implementation of a local outbreak management plan for Covid-19 in Leicester City.
Read more

The purpose of the outbreak control and prevention plan is to enable agencies in Leicestershire to prevent, manage, reduce and suppress outbreaks of COVID-19 infection across the County. 

This plan sets out the arrangements for surveillance of and response to local outbreaks and infection rates. On 22nd May 2020 the Government announced that as part of its national strategy to reduce infection from COVID-19 it would expect every area in England to create a local Outbreak Plan.
Read more

You may have questions on what the new restrictions mean for Leicester and how they will affect you. Leicester City Council have put together a frequently asked questions section to try to answer your queries and provide further information.

Please note that in these questions and answers, they use ‘Leicester’ to mean everywhere within the affected area. This includes some parts of Leicestershire.
Some of the answers may not take you to the national government’s local guidance webpage at this stage, therefore we recommend that you refer to the other articles in our sector support newsletter as well. View the FAQs here.

Over half-a-million-pounds is being given to food banks and community groups to support Leicestershire residents most in need.

Leicestershire County Council is using a £540,000 Government grant to help vulnerable people and those shielding access food, toiletries, and other essential supplies through local foodbanks and community hubs across the county.
Read more.

Find out what restrictions are in place if you live, work or travel in the Leicester area during the local outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). This guidance was updated on 1 August 2020.

Restrictions will be lifted for the Borough of Oadby and Wigston from 1 August. These areas will return to national social distancing guidelines, other than for clinically extremely vulnerable people who should continue shielding. Additional businesses and venues will be able to re-open in Leicester City from 3 August. The next review will take place by 13 August. Find out more

The Strategic Business Intelligence team at the council have recently released the statistics of unemployment Job Seeker allowance (JSA) claimants.

The dashboard provides statistics for the previous quarter both from a local district/ board perspective and as a county, region. The August 2020 Unemployment dashboard is now available at the link. Archived versions of previous bulletins can be found here. This may be useful for VCSE organisations that need this type of data for funding bids. Especially as the data is further analysed from an age, sex, occupation, and ethnicity perspective.

On 16 September the council published an article explaining that the Overview Select Committee will be advised in a report that the pandemic cost the authority over £40m. The report is the first one to review all the council’s spending this year, which has been dominated by the effects of the pandemic and lockdown.
The city council is expecting around £34m of Government funding, but there is concern that its total costs could rise if case numbers keep growing. Read more. Papers from the meeting should come available on this part of the council’s website in due course.

A small team of officers from the city council have been undertaking a series of visits to places of worship over the last several weeks to assist them with being COVID safe. Whilst these visits will continue, they are looking to now start providing advice and assistance to those who want to arrange other religious, cultural or social events within places of worship or any linked community facilities. Their initial emphasis will be on those events coming up between now and the end of the year – 31 December 2020. Read more

‘Celebrate differently’ to stay safe is the plea from organisations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland as residents gear up for Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali. Chiefs from councils, the NHS, police, fire service and other bodies are urging residents to find alternative ways of marking autumnal events and to follow the latest rules and advice. Read more

On 23 October The Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP and the Rt Hon Jon Ashworth MP have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling further financial support for Leicester’s businesses, following his statement to the House of Commons on Thursday. The Leicester MPs are urging the Chancellor to backdate full support for the city’s businesses to July, to account for the additional impact the local lockdown had on the economy. They have also called for further support for the City Council to fund test and trace, as well as making sure that no school loses out on funding due to paying to cover staff shortages. Read the full letter here.

On 20 November LCC issued a press release. Senior council, health and police figures across the city and county have made an unprecedented commitment to work together to drive down infection rates in the final days of the second coronavirus lockdown. At a briefing on Friday  morning, they all expressed deep concern about a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases – with the days now being counted down to the end of the national lockdown. Cases in Leicestershire alone have quadrupled since early October – and they are above the national average. Read more

Leicester City Council has been involved in the proactive COVID19 testing taking place in certain areas in the city. These focused areas of testing are selected based on a number of different factors, including the information they have about the levels of positive cases and where they are in Leicester. Read more

Many people across all sections of society experience loneliness or isolation at various times in their lives. Loneliness can affect anyone, regardless of the area you live in, your age, your background or your personal circumstances. The government has recognised that loneliness is a challenge experienced all over the country, which is why a national Loneliness Strategy was published in 2018. Read more

The council is currently offering a free telephone friendship befriending service, which offers an opportunity for people to enjoy talking to someone over the phone. Anyone interested in using the service  needs to have a landline or mobile phone. They also need to be able to hear and be understood over the phone. You can contact the service to obtain a referral form: vcshub@blaby.gov.uk Find out more here

At this time of year and in the current climate, we may all be doing more shopping or other transactions/interactions online so it’s particularly important to know how to spot when something may be fraudulent. If this is something of interest now or in the future and you’d like more information, please do contact, PCSO Tiffany Row on: tiffany.row@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk or call07966222895. Details of what Cyber Crime is and how to address it can be found here.

Leicester City Council have published their draft budget and capital programme for 2021-2022 further details are on the City Council website.

These reports will be discussed by councillors in January and February, and the final budget and capital programme will be approved by the Council on 17 February.

The City Mayor is keen to hear from key communities of interest in Leicester regarding the draft Budget.

This includes those groups and organisations that make up the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector. VAL will be responding with comments and if you would like to be part of that response you should contact our helpline on: 0116 255 5050 or email: helpline@valonline.org.uk

On 24 September the government released this policy paper.

Cabinet Office: On 23 September the government produced research and analysis related to the end of the transition period.

The UK has left the EU, and the transition period comes to an end on 31 December 2020.

On 14 October the government  published a collection regarding images, branding and other communication resources for use when supporting the UK Transition campaign in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The government would like to speak to organisations that are interested in amplifying these key messages in their own communications channels, free of charge, to help prepare businesses and citizens for the actions they need to take before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Details of who to contact if interested can be found here. The government’s UK Transition campaign can be found here: www.gov.uk/transition

On 14 October a written statement to Parliament was published regarding the agenda for a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on 19 October 2020 in London. The Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2020, after having been agreed on 17 October 2019, together with the Political Declaration setting the framework of the future EU-UK partnership. The Agreement consists of two main documents: The Withdrawal Agreement itself, including a Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland; and A Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union The agenda includes a discussion about Citizens’ rights. Read more

On 12 October the government published a news story explaining that there will  be guaranteed changes from 1 January 2021 for businesses as we start our new relationship with the EU, and there are many actions your organisation can take today to prepare. You can find out what your organisation might need to do by using the checker tool. The tool can be found here https://www.gov.uk/transition.
There are less than 80 days until the end of the transition period and there will be no extension, so the government urges you to act now. Read more

On 18 November the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma has written various letters to businesses. The letters provides tailored advice on what key actions certain businesses must take after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. The letters contain QR codes and URLs which direct readers to GOV.UK, where they can view the online transition checker, sector specific webinars and access further guidance. Read more

On 17 November the government updated this guidance. The EU Transition Trader and Industry Online Forum has been added. This allows you to ask questions about the preparations you need to make for when the UK leaves the EU on 1 January 2021. From 1 January 2020 the way we trade with the EU will change. To buy or sell from the EU you will need to follow new customs rules or you will not be able to continue to trade. These important actions are required regardless of the outcome of negotiations with the EU and whether or not the government secures a Free Trade Agreement. The guidance can be found here.

On 21 November the government published a press release. Owners of flats in buildings without cladding will no longer need an EWS1 form to sell or re-mortgage their property. This is due to an agreement reached  between the Government and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK Finance and the Building Societies Association (BSA). Read more

On 15 December Companies House published a news story titled Companies House customers encouraged to file online due to paper processing delays. They had a water supply issue at their Cardiff Office. This has been resolved but it remains a busy time for them with many companies due to file annual accounts before the end of December. As well as having limited numbers of staff in the office due to the pandemic. The news story can be found here. To submit your accounts online use this link.

On 23 June 2016, a referendum was held in the UK and Gibraltar on whether the UK should remain a member of the EU. 52 % of the people who voted, voted to leave the EU.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 was passed into law on 16 March 2017. This gave the prime minister the power to notify the European Council of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU under Article 50 (2) of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU). This notification was then given on 29 March 2017.

On 3 December the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) delivered a webinar aimed at small and medium organisations. The webinar discussed the key data protection requirements to consider at the end of the transition period for leaving the EU. Read more

Visit the NHS

The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP delivered an oral statement to parliament yesterday about the local measures to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

He stated that Leicester will have further testing capability, including opening a walk-in centre. Anyone in Leicester with symptoms must come forward for a test. There are two ways to get a coronavirus test, Getting a test kit delivered to your home or Going to a test site. You will need to book a test. The process to do this can be found here.

In light of the local lockdown, you may want to remind the communities you support of what to look out regarding symptoms of coronavirus and how to check. If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), you must stay at home (self-isolate) and get a test.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms. If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus.

The NHS guidance can be found here.

On 3 July the Secretary of State made the following regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 45C(1), (3)(c), (4)(d), 45F(2) and 45P of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984(1).

They were laid before parliament on that date and came into force on 4 July. We recommend all VCSE organisations have an awareness of these regulations to understand how it might affect your service delivery, staff, volunteers and beneficiaries. These Regulations are made in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in England.
Read more

On 16 July The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP delivered an oral statement to parliament.  He wanted to update the House on the situation in Leicester.
He explained that at the end of June the government made the decision to close schools and non-essential retail in the city, and not to introduce the relaxations that applied elsewhere in England  from 4 July, like the reopening of pubs.  This was not an easy decision, but it was one that they chose to take.
Read more

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers was published on 30 July.
The self-isolation period has been extended to 10 days for those in the community who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or a positive test result. It is very important people with symptoms self-isolate and get a test, which will allow contact tracing. Read more

The Healthy Start scheme is a national incentive to encourage the best start in life. Beneficiaries who are eligible for the scheme will receive vouchers to spend with local retailers.

There are have been some recent changes to the scheme. The vouchers can help encourage a healthy diet and access to wholesome foods for children and pregnant women. The changes to the ‘Healthy Start’ scheme include: A health professionals’ signature is no longer required on the application form, Beneficiaries will still need to provide their own signature before sending off the form and the expiry date of the Health Start vouchers have been increased by 4 weeks, so the vouchers will now be valid for 12 weeks. Find out more

This campaign communicates advice on how to respond to an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) to individuals that own, manage or are responsible for a specific business or organisation within the community. It covers, Identifying an outbreak of COVID-19 (one or more confirmed case depending on the business or organisation), Reporting the outbreak to your local health protection team and  Working with your local health protection team to respond. Read more

On 11 September the government updated the guidance with information on the restrictions that will come into force on 14 September across the country and also what restrictions have eased in the local area. From 15 September, the following businesses and venues can reopen or restart in Leicester City: indoor performances, close contact services, which are any treatments on the face such as eyebrow threading or make-up application and wedding receptions and celebrations, including for up to 30 people in the form of a sit-down meal.
The next review will take place by 24 September. Read more

On 19 September the government updated the guidance to add the borough of Oadby and Wigston to the areas affected by these restrictions.
The guidance has also been updated in line with guidance for other areas in England that have local restrictions, for example on team sport, shielding, childcare, and face coverings in schools and colleges. As from Tuesday 22 September Oadby and Wigston (Borough Council area) will be affected by the Leicester local restrictions. Read more

On 23 September the government updated the guidance. Changes have been made to the following sections: ‘When to wear a face covering’, ‘Enforcement measures for failing to comply with this law’, ‘When you do not need to wear a face covering’ and ‘Face coverings at work’. Read more

On 29 September the government updated the guidance to include a new section for students at university, information about childcare bubbles, and information on business closure times (in line with England guidance). Read more

On 20 October the government published a policy paper on how the UK prepares for and responds to an infectious disease pandemic, particularly a potential outbreak of pandemic influenza. It also sets out how exercises carried out as part of our pandemic preparedness have informed the UK’s COVID-19 response. Read more

On 20 October the government updated this guidance in context to order limits. The PPE portal can be used by social care and primary care providers to get critical coronavirus (COVID-19) personal protective equipment (PPE). Providers who can use the service will receive an email invitation to register. The guidance can be found here.

Venues required to enforce rule of 6, NHS QR code posters and contact logs

On 21 October the government updated its press release  explaining that children’s centres have been removed from the local authority facilities rule of 6. The press release explains that Hospitality venues in England are legally required to enforce the rule of 6 or face a fine of up to £4,000. Read more

On 21 October the government published correspondence about the letters sent setting  out arrangements for the Care Quality Commission designated premises scheme for people discharged to a care home with a positive COVID-19. The letter is titled Winter discharges: designated settings. Read more.

On 21 October the government published a press release about new data that suggests long COVID affects around 10% of 18 to 49 year olds who become unwell with COVID-19. The Health Secretary urges people to follow the guidelines to protect themselves and others from the potentially debilitating long-term impact of COVID-19. A new film has been released featuring the stories of 4 people, one aged just 22, who are living with the long-term effects of the virus. The press release and video can be found here:

On 26 October the government published an independent report showing the findings and recommendations of the independent review of NHS hospital food. The report highlights the main challenges for NHS catering and makes recommendations covering: Workforce, Nutrition and hydration, Food safety, Facilities, Technology, Sustainability, Enforcing standards and The way forward to improving hospital food for patients, staff and visitors. Read more

On 2 November the government published a press release about how UK testing capacity has increased to meet demand over the winter period. In order to meet the unprecedented scale of challenge this pandemic presents, the government has built a national coalition of people and organisations – from national and local government, the NHS, Public Health England, the military, academia, epidemiology, the private and not-for-profit and community sectors – to create a massive scale testing and tracing programme. Read more

New Public Health England (PHE) research suggests that people infected with both flu and COVID-19 between January and April were more at risk of severe illness and death. Three of the nation’s senior medics – Dr Yvonne Doyle, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, and Dr Nikita Kanani – are calling on all eligible people to get vaccinated against flu. The health system is working to provide the free flu vaccine to 30 million people. Read more

On 4 November the government updated this guidance to include some next text to the sections ‘When to wear a face covering’, ‘When you do not need to wear a face covering’ and ‘Staff in indoor settings’ to make people aware that from 5 November some of the settings listed may not be open because of the national restrictions.
Read more

The trust is proposing some changes at each individual hospital. This also includes changes to travel to the hospital. The consultation closes on 21 December 2020. The consultation is being led by NHS Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) NHS West Leicestershire CCG and NHS East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG, in partnership with regional and national health service organisations. Read more

On 6 November the government updated their guidance. Individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 should not be included in testing until after 90 days of their initial onset of symptom or, if asymptomatic when tested, 90 days after their positive test result. The guidance also provides details on which workers are classed as essential workers in context to priority testing. These include: Charities and workers delivering critical frontline services. Employers can refer essential workers for testing if they are self-isolating because either they or member(s) of their household have coronavirus symptoms. Read more

Talk/together is the UK’s biggest-ever conversation about what divides and unites us, and what could bring our society together in these difficult times. Together is a campaign that starts with questions rather than answers. It’s run by a major new coalition of household names like the NHS and the Scouts, and local community organisations too. Details of the campaign can be found here. 
They want you to have your say about what divides us, what unites us and what will bring us closer/together. They hope this will be the biggest public survey since the census, engaging people in conversations right across the UK. Details of the survey can be found here.

The consultation closes at midday on 23 November 2020

On 13 November the government launched an open consultation. The government wants your views on plans to minimise the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections by making residential and nursing care home providers restrict the movement of care staff. The government wants to make regulations that would temporarily modify regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 which deals with staffing. Read more:

On 12 November the government published guidance on how to use a coronavirus (COVID-19) home test kit. There is an easy read guide, which can be found here.
There is a step by step guide which can be found here.
Along with the more standard government guidance document which can be found here. Details of all of these  home testing  guidance can be found here.

On 11 November the government updated the guidance. This emergency guidance is for health and social care staff in England and Wales who are caring for, or treating, a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity during the coronavirus outbreak. This guidance is only valid during the COVID-19 pandemic and applies to those caring for adults who lack the relevant mental capacity to consent to their care and treatment. The guidance applies until withdrawn by the Department of Health and Social Care. Read more

On 12 November the government released a report about the deaths from COVID-19 of people identified as having learning disabilities. The review looked at:Deaths from COVID-19 of people with learning disabilities; Factors impacting the risk of death from COVID-19 of people with learning disabilities and Deaths in care settings of people with learning disabilities. The review will help inform policy and practice to reduce the future risk and impact of COVID-19 on people with learning disabilities. Read more

On 14 November the government issued a press release. Named family and friends may soon be able to regularly visit loved ones in care homes as a new testing pilot is launched. Care homes across Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon will pioneer the new system which will see a designated visitor given access to tests. Around 20 care homes will be included in the trial before a wider roll-out in December. Visitors will be offered either PCR tests which they can do at home, or the new 30-minute rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), which can be administered in person at care homes before a visit. The press release can be found here. Guidance on visiting arrangements in care homes for the period of national restrictions can be found here.

On 13 November the government updated the guidance to include letters to clinically extremely vulnerable people. These new shielding measures apply nationally for 4 weeks up to 2 December. At the end of the period, the government will look to return to a regional approach and will issue further guidance at the time. Read more

On 18 November the government updated the guidance. The guidance provides advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support. Such as local VCSE organisations. The updates reflect current national policy and include sections on mental health support, accessing the winter flu vaccination, and testing. The revised guidance can be found here.

On 18 November the government updated this guidance to include translations. The guidance is now available in  Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu. The guidance explains information for shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19. The various versions of the guidance can be found here.

On 19 November the government updated the guidance. Eligible organisations that can use the PPE portal also include; Community drug and alcohol services and Residential drug and alcohol services. If you’re a provider in one of the eligible categories, your invitation to register will be sent to your email account registered with Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS Business Services Authority (BSA), NHS England or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The email will be from: ppe.dedicated.supply.channel@notifications.service.gov.uk. Read guidance here.

On 20 November the government published this new guidance. The guidance sets out how homecare agencies in England can order regular tests for their homecare (domiciliary care) staff. NHS Test and Trace is making weekly COVID-19 testing available to all homecare workers in Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered domiciliary care organisations. Homecare worker testing should only be conducted on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The government is also delivering webinars on this topic, subscribe via this link. Read the full guidance here.

This guidance was updated to reflect the end of the national restrictions on 2 December 2020 and the reintroduction of the tiered system. Read more

On 2 December, additional powers came into force to support local authorities’ efforts to maintain COVID-secure environments in their area. In the guidance, published on 4 December,  it  explains that following proposals from and consultation with local authorities in England, the government has provided local authorities in England with new powers to take decisive action against premises that do not comply with COVID-secure rules. The tools are intended to enable local authorities to take targeted action against unsafe premises and  to avoid further sector-wide restrictions, thus keeping the majority of safe premises open. Read more.

On 4 December the government published a letter from the Minister for Care to local authorities, directors of adult social services and managers of care homes for older adults. It outlines plans for getting the first COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) to care home staff, from the first day vaccinations are available. Getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to care home residents is challenging because of the requirements for transporting it and the temperature at which it is stored. Initially the government’s focus, is on vaccinating care home workers and the over 80s. Read more.

On 4 December the government updated the guidance. Translations of the guidance are now available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu. Local VCSE organisations may want to share the guidance with their communities where English isn’t their beneficiaries first language. Read more

On 14 December the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England, Jo Churchill MP, and Kelly Tolhurst MP released a press release. Read more

On 14 December the government guidance published by Public Health England and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government titled COVID-19: guidance for hostel services for people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping was updated. The guidance has been revised to reflect that the self-isolation period has been reduced to 10 days. Read more

On 14 December the Department of Health and Social Care released a press release. Men who have sex with men in a long-term relationship will be able to donate blood in England following changes to blood donation criteria. The move sees the UK become one of the first countries in the world to adopt a more individualised risk-based approach to donor selection criteria. Read more

On 15 December the Department of Health and Social Care updated each individual tier guidance with links to financial support for businesses. Read more

In February 2020, the Marmot Review 10 Years On drew attention to widening health inequalities and worsening health outcomes in England. The report set out evidence-based recommendations to address these inequalities through action on the social determinants of health – the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age and which can lead to health inequalities. Read more

On 20 December Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care updated their guidance to reflect new shielding advice for the clinically extremely vulnerable in Tier 4. Read more

On 30 December the Department of Health and Social Care published an independent report titled Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the current COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems. Read more

On 6 January 2021 Public Health England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government updated the guidance titled COVID-19: guidance for those leading a nomadic way of life. Read more

On 6 January 2021  Public Health England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government updated  the COVID-19: guidance for hostel services for people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping. Read more

You can apply to extend your accounts filing deadline with Companies House if you cannot send your accounts because of an event that’s outside of your control. Due to Covid-19, you can apply for an immediate 3 month extension if your company is affected by coronavirus.

As a charitable company or a social enterprise such as a community interest company or a company limited by guarantee, you are legally required to complete a return to the regulator companies house. To qualify for this extension, you must apply before your filing deadline. You may not be eligible if you’ve already extended your filing deadline, or shortened your accounting period.

To apply for an extension due to coronavirus you must apply online.
Details of how to apply can be found here.

As part of companies house response to the pandemic, on 6 July they introduced  a temporary service to enable companies to upload a document to Companies House.
Their latest release of the service allows users to upload:

• Resolutions (in relation to a change of constitution)
• Articles of association (in relation a to change of constitution)

The upload form can be found here.
Details of the service can be found here.

On 15 July Companies House updated their guidance on authentication codes for online filing.  The authentication code is a 6 digit alphanumeric code issued by us to each company.

The code is used to authorise information filed online and is the equivalent of a company officer’s signature. As part of their response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, a  temporary service has been introduced. Users can now request to have the authentication code sent to a home address instead of the company’s registered office. For further details click here.

This policy explains how accessible the documents Companies House publishes on GOV.UK are.

A number of charities are registered with companies house and most social enterprises are. It covers PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations and other types of document. The policy can be found here.

From 10 October 2020,companies house will resume the process to strike off companies they believe are no longer carrying on business or in operation.

In April 2020, they introduced temporary easement measures in response to coronavirus (COVID-19) and they have reviewed these measures each month.
Following their latest review, the temporary measure to suspend compulsory strike off action will be lifted from 10 October 2020. From this date, they will resume the process to remove a company from the register if there’s reasonable cause to believe it’s no longer carrying on business or in operation. Read more

On 25 August companies house updated their guidance to include translation into Welsh. The guidance explains how they help users who need assistance because of a disability or health condition. They can provide reasonable adjustments for users with, visual impairments, auditory impairments, motor impairments, cognitive impairments, speech impairments and seizure disorders 
The guidance can be found here.

On 24 August companies house updated their guidance to include fees for ordering certificates through Companies House Service (CHS).

The guidance covers a list of all the fees companies House charges, and how they determine these fees. Registration fees do not apply to documents delivered under the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. Any document delivered under these acts will be free of charge.
The guidance can be found here.

In July the bill received Royal Assent and some of the measures introduced by the Act are still very relevant as we move into the month of September. Macfarlanes are a London-based law firm who have written an article on the act. They explain that until 30 September 2020, companies and certain other corporate bodies can hold virtual meetings. Read more

On 1 September the guidance was updated with BACS details of the new Companies House bank account. The guidance covers how a late filing penalty (LFP) will be imposed if your company accounts are not filed on time and how to appeal against an LFP. All customers who make payments by bank transfer (BACS) will need to use their new bank account details from 1 September 2020. Read More

An interim service has been created to enable paperless filing in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. On 1 September companies house introduced a 2^nd phase of this service to include insolvency documents. The Coronavirus guidance for Companies House customers explains what plans are in place to maintain services for their customers and protect the welfare of their employees during the coronavirus outbreak. The sending your forms to Companies House during the coronavirus outbreak guidance gives you access to the documents you can upload as part of this interim service.

On 10 September companies house published a news story which explained temporary measures to suspend voluntary strike off action has now been lifted. All companies that applied to be struck off before July 2020 will be struck off the register in a phased approach over the next 4 weeks, starting on 10 September 2020. For companies that applied to be struck off from July 2020, the voluntary strike off process will continue as normal post initial 4 week period. Read more

On 16 September companies house published this guidance.It explains how to restrict disclosure of certain information if you’re at serious risk as a company director, limited liability partnership (LLP) member or person with significant control (PSC). Most information registered at Companies House is available to the public. Other personal details, such as your home address and full date of birth, are not published on the Companies House register. Read more

On 18 September Companies House updated the guidance to explain that records of dissolved companies on CHS following the government’s response to the Corporate Transparency and Register Reform consultation. Following the government’s response to the Corporate Transparency and Register Reform consultation, they have  stopped removing dissolved records from the companies house service (CHS) with immediate effect.
They will also put dissolved records (all companies dissolved since 2010) back onto CHS from January 2021. The guidance can be found here.

On 17 September companies house updated their filing procedures to include online filing options for second filing and advice about correcting You can file your second filing online to correct an error made on: CS01 Confirmation statement (only for errors made on share capital or shareholders), SH01 Return of allotment of shares or AP01 Appointment of director.

Further details can be found here

Reforms to Companies House to clamp down on fraud and give businesses greater confidence in transactions

On 18 September the government released a press release  explaining that Companies House will be reformed to clamp down on fraud and money laundering, with directors unable to be appointed until their identity has been verified. It is hoped that the changes will give businesses confidence in who they are doing business with, with greater accuracy of data on the register, without impacting the speed of service. Read more

On 18 September the government published the consultation outcome. The government response sets out a range of proposals to improve the reliability and accuracy of information on the Companies Register.

The proposals include: Identity verification, Reforms to Companies House powers, Protecting personal information and Company accounts.The full outcome can be found here.

On 29 September companies house published a number of documents in context to their new strategy and business plan. They have a commitment to tackling economic crime and driving confidence in the UK economy. Read more

Companies house published a new story on 9 October explaining that from 10 October 2020, they will begin striking off companies that they believe are no longer in business or operation. Temporary easement measures taken in response to coronavirus (COVID-19) have been kept under monthly review. As part of that review they have resumed the process to remove a company from the register if there’s reasonable cause to believe it’s no longer carrying on business or in operation. Companies that do not file their annual accounts or confirmation statement will normally receive 2 letters from Companies House. Read more

On 12 October the government published a news story explaining that there will  be guaranteed changes from 1 January 2021 for businesses as we start our new relationship with the EU, and there are many actions your organisation can take today to prepare. You can find out what your organisation might need to do by using the checker tool. The tool can be found here https://www.gov.uk/transition.
There are less than 80 days until the end of the transition period and there will be no extension, so the government urges you to act now. Read more

On 2 November companies house updated its guidance with the latest Fees Determination. The guidance lists all the fees Companies House charges, and how they determine those fees. Companies House operates on the basis of cost recovery. They have a statutory duty to break even over time and to achieve an average annual return (surplus) of 3.5%. The list of fees can be found in part 1 and part 2 of the document here. The fees include the cost of  striking off the register of a company’s name costs £8. Read guidance

On 8 November the government updated the guidance in context to the appeal a late filing penalty’ online service. It’s taking much longer than usual for the department to process paper documents, forms and letters sent to them by post. You should use their online services to make sure your information is processed on time. They are continuing to write to companies who are late filing their annual accounts or confirmation statement, to help them bring their record up to date. Read more

On 10 June the commission published the report. The report audits government action on the commission’s key social mobility recommendations from 2013 to 2020.

You may find it useful for any secondary research that you might complete for a funding bid or updating the priorities  of your organisation’s strategic plan. The report covers several policy areas including:

• early years
• education
• employment
• housing
• health
• transport

It highlights areas of concern and sets out an action plan for the government to achieve greater social mobility in the UK.  In addition the world economic forum have produced a new index to measure social mobility, providing a much-needed assessment of the current state of social mobility worldwide. They published their report in January 2020.

On 23 May the Secretary of State for Transport announced that national charity Volunteering Matters is coordinating a volunteer response programme – Journey Makers – to help keep people safe using transport networks as lockdown restrictions are eased.

Volunteers, called Journey Makers, will be offering guidance, providing friendly advice, reminding passengers about social distancing measures, preventing overcrowding and helping vulnerable passengers on their journeys.  The main role of a Journey Maker will be to provide support for the public in preventing crowd congestion at major transport stations.

Volunteer tasks will involve:

• Supporting passenger flow in and out of stations
• Guiding passengers through new designated social distancing safe pathways
• Encouraging passengers to use face coverings (in line with government and station advice)
• Providing clear and concise verbal instructions to people moving through the station
• Reassuring passengers and answering questions

Volunteers will be provided with appropriate PPE (in line with that worn by staff) and have an induction by station staff before they begin their role.
Details of the scheme can be found here.

If you are interested in knowing more about the volunteer roles locally, then please get in touch with VAL’s helpline If using the online form, please use the option volunteering in the reason for contact drop down box.

Gurbinder Singh, Director of Leicester-based accountants BGS Accounting, provides guidance for local charities and community groups on how to manage their finances during COVID-19.

Read more

Gurbinder Singh, Director of Leicester-based accountants BGS Accounting, provides guidance for local charities and community groups on how to manage their finances once the COVID-19 lockdown passes.

Read more

This special briefing has been written to help small charities think through some of the issues that Coronavirus may mean for their organisation.

Visit the NHS website

COVID-19 has created extra challenges for the social sector. Many of your staff may now be working from home. You may have had to cancel events and change how you support your service users.

Visit Charity Bank

Members of the CFSG have come together to provide clear guidance to owners on how to look after their pets during the current COVID-19 crisis. Pets are valuable family members who can provide comfort and companionship to people during this period of time when many will be self-isolating or unwell. We want to ensure advice around their care is clear and people know where to go for further up to date information on controlling the spread of COVID-19 whilst meeting their pet’s welfare needs.

Visit the CFSG website

DCMS have released a survey to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on organisations in the digital, culture, media, sport, gambling, telecoms and tourism sectors and their engagement with the available government interventions. The survey should take around 10-20 minutes and the deadline for responses is 15 May 2020.

Visit the survey

Groop are a social business committed to supporting community groups in a sustainable way to collaborate and communicate. They provide facilities to enable you to schedule multi-user meetings and deliver group sessions with your participants via GroopEvents. They are offering to support voluntary, charity or small businesses during COVID-19 with a free 7 day trial to Groop, including GroopLive and a 60% discount for the next three months – £7.99 per month

Visi the Groop website

On 14 May the government introduced temporary measures to give companies and other bodies flexibility around Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and other meetings.

This will be made retrospective to 26 March and the successful passage of the upcoming Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill. Companies required by law to hold Annual General Meetings (AGMs) will be extended greater flexibilities, including holding Annual General Meetings (AGMs) online or postponing the meetings.

Details of this announcement can be found here, which we recommend social enterprises keep a track of. 

On 14 May, the government amend insolvency law to give companies breathing space and keep trading while they explore options for rescue.

This was initially announced on 28 March, but has now been extended in light of the government’s update to lockdown rules earlier this week.  This will enable companies to continue buying much-needed supplies, such as energy, raw materials or broadband, while attempting a rescue.

The temporary suspension of wrongful trading provisions,  retrospectively from 1 March 2020 for three months, will enable company directors to keep their businesses going without the threat of personal liability.  The press release on this can be found here.

To understand how this is relevant to a charity,  Bates Wells  have produced a guide called “Charity Governance and Solvency: A Coronavirus Guide” view here
Aspects of the guide might also be useful for social enterprises.

The charity retail association describe themselves as the primary membership organisation for charity shops in the United Kingdom.

The re-opening pack consists of helpful guidance for when charity shops  are given the green light to open up shops, and provides some suggestions of things to think about in the meantime.

The pack  should be read in conjunction with UK Government guidance for shops on working safely during coronavirus.
The pack is regularly revised to take account of government changes and feedback from members. The latest version published is version 3. Read more

VAL hopes that you enjoy the bank holiday whilst staying alert and safe.  Whilst some of the lockdown rules have changed as the UK moves to the next phase in our fight against coronavirus, we wanted to remind you about what the new social distancing rules are, so that you can inform your staff, volunteers, and the communities you work with.

Leicestershire Police has wrote a useful article about when we can legally have an excuse to go outside our homes. It explains that public gatherings of more than two people who don’t live together are banned. This includes all the leisure activities like exercise and picnics.
We can exercise or relax outdoors with one other person from another household. However, we must keep 2m apart from anyone you meet from outside your household. Read more

You may want to read this in conjunction with the Cabinet Office’s Staying alert and safe (social distancing) guidance which was published on 11 May.

SITR is a vital tax relief which supports the VCSE sector through private investment.  It has enabled many outstanding and crucial social enterprises to access the investment they need to grow on an unsecured and affordable basis. 

SITR will be retired by April 2021 unless action is taken now to extend it. There is an opportunity to extend the tax relief through an amendment in the Finance Bill currently passing through Parliament. Resonance who are leading on this campaign to save the tax relief would appreciate if you can  write to your MP,  to ask them to support such an amendment. This  would extend Social Investment Tax Relief’s end date from April 2021 to April 2023.

Resonance believe SITR could be a significant force for good as the UK emerges from this current crisis especially if it was allowed to include investing in community renewables, care homes and community facilities (as it was when first launched).

For now they want to make sure the relief doesn’t disappear.  Therefore if the sunset clause amendment isn’t passed the result will be that very soon, millions of pounds of investment capital that can be raised for social enterprises supporting the most vulnerable in society will not be able to be used.

For more details on the campaign see the link here.
Here it explains how to write to your MP. 

Law Works is a charity connecting volunteer lawyers with people in need of legal advice. They have produced an article -payment of rent where access to premises is forbidden.

The article covers :

• What are our rights?
• Can we withhold rent?
• If we cannot occupy the premises, does the lease come to an end?
• How to use  lease frustration and force majeure

Read more

St John Ambulance’s describe themselves  as a charity that steps forward in the moments that matter, to save lives and keep communities safe.

They have produced a  free online tool to help organisations can work safely during this fast-moving situation: Click here to read more and view the online tool and advice

Befriending Networks is a national support organisation for befriending projects throughout the UK. 
During the Covid-19 period they have produced a whole range of resources, templates and training videos for interim volunteers which are all available to download free on their website.

This includes information about DBS, handling money, boundaries, safeguarding and confidentiality as well as template forms and policies for telephone and distance befriending. More information can be found here.

The easy access Interim Volunteer Toolkit can be found here.

Food Bank Plus is one of several projects supported through the Feeding Leicester partnership which was established to address food poverty in Leicester City. 
Liz Kendall MP, who chairs Feeding Leicester, and is also a trustee of national anti-hunger charity Feeding Britain, comments:
“This first year’s record represents a milestone in Feeding Leicester’s fight against poverty and destitution in the city. By clearly identifying the underlying causes of hardship, it also shows the steps the Government needs to take to reduce the appalling levels of need for food banks in the first place.”. No family should have to go without basic essentials, yet all too many in our city are doing so. The findings from this project show what needs to be done to prevent this nightmare scenario afflicting yet more families in future.”

Mary Collier, from Reaching People, who is the project manager and adviser, adds: “Addressing poverty is critical to people in so many ways. Food Bank Plus demonstrates how important this model of local advice provision is to maximise people’s incomes, increase their independence, improve their health and wellbeing and to enable them to move forward without such reliance on foodbanks.”

The project has continued to offer specialist support for vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic, with ongoing funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.  Details of the report can be found here.

Neighbourhood Link , the community messaging system for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The aim of the service is to keep residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland informed and up to date with news on appeals, events and crime prevention advice as well as information on policing matters that affect you.

Scams being highlighted at the moment include: Paying for items such as face masks which don’t exist or are faulty. – They recommend not responding to unsolicited emails or texts offering items for sale. You have no way of verifying if the seller (or goods) are legitimate or not.
Read more

On 9 June a new free-of-charge online platform that brings together leaders of small businesses and charities with a community of digital expert volunteers was launched in the UK.
The Covid-19 crisis has presented many challenges for small businesses and charities, particularly in building digital capability. In response, Digital Boost has been created to provide much-needed digital support for small organisations. The platform is founded by Founders4Schools and BCG Digital Ventures, with support from DCMS.
The press release can be found here.

On 19 June the department of health and social care published their news story that there has been a steady decrease in cases they have seen in all four nations, and this continues.
However, they went on to say this does not mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still in general circulation, and localised outbreaks are likely to occur.
The latest government advice on whether you can leave home now includes symptoms relating to loss of smell or taste.
Read more

The 19 June government update from the UK Chief Medical Officers on the UK alert level stated that the Joint Biosecurity Centre had recommended that the COVID-19 alert level should move from Level 4 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially) to Level 3 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation.

Details of this update where the potential of localised outbreaks occurring was mentioned can be found here.

Whilst nationally the government updated its staying alert and safe guidance on 24 June regarding what the public can do during lockdown, it doesn’t have a section about local lockdown. Therefore this may mean that the public and organisations might get confused with what they can and can’t do.

As part of the local lockdown process extra funding has been allocated to Leicester and Leicestershire councils to support them to enhance their communications and ensure those communications are translated into all locally relevant languages. At this stage the detail of what this will be is not yet available. In the circumstances we recommend that you make sure you cross reference what is in the cabinet office guidance and what has been released by the various councils.

This is the Cabinet Office guidance which relates to England as a whole.
This is Leicester City Council’s guidance.
This is Leicestershire County Council’s guidance.
This is Blaby district council’s guidance.
This is Charnwood borough council’s guidance
This is Oadby & Wigston Council’s guidance

In some of the national media coverage of the local lockdown announcements some residents said they weren’t aware of the walking lanes set up in the city. You may want to share details with your beneficiaries and inform you staff and volunteers.

Pop-up cycling lanes and widened pavements are being installed across Leicester in response to the coronavirus restrictions. They will enable people to get around the city whilst protecting public transport for key workers. Whilst during local lockdown the government is recommending people in Leicester stay at home as much as you can and they recommend against all but essential travel to, from and within Leicester; if you do go out then knowledge of the current pop-up walking and cycling lanes might be useful.
Find out more

The recent local lockdown national media coverage has highlighted some potential issues with working practices in a small number of local employers.

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, as part of their day to day work to protect vulnerable and exploited workers, have produced some workers’ rights leaflets, which can be downloaded in 19 different language formats.
You may find these useful to share with your beneficiaries where appropriate. They have also produced some guidance on how to spot the signs of  labour exploitation which might prove useful to share with your staff and volunteers.

The Leicester Safeguarding Children Partnership Board have launched a new short film ‘Was not heard’, which was created by young people and is about youth voice and the importance of listening and creating safe environments of communication.

The film was was written by 17 year-old writer Yasmin Allen and the narration and performances were provided by twelve young actors aged between six and seventeen. It has been funded and supported by the Safeguarding Children Partnership (Board)s of Leicester and Leicestershire & Rutland (LLR), National Youth Agency, and also, secured through the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS England. Read more

Charities are navigating serious challenges relating to COVID-19 but also other long-term problems.

To help you meet these head-on, DSC are running a new series of free Zoom Talks, on topics ranging from how to set up your office in the new environment, to getting your board communication right. Zoom Talks are free to attend, so check out the list below and find out more:

The Covid Crisis CEO: How to get it right – Wednesday 19 August

The do’s and don’ts of successful board – Executive communication during the crisis – Monday 24 August

The end of the office as we know it? – Wednesday 26 August

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s COVID-19 and Food Supply Report has found that the pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity for millions of people.

The use of UK food banks almost doubled during lockdown, with a significant spike in demand from people with children. Recognising that the situation is likely to worsen, a cross-party group of MPs has called on Government to urgently appoint a ‘Minister for Food Security’. The new Minister would work across Government departments to collect robust data and deliver sustainable change. The report also urges the Government to consult on whether a ‘right to food’ should be put in legislation. Read the findings from the report here.

As England adjusts to the new normal, the government has introduced financial support to help employers hire new apprentices. When you hire new apprentices between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021, you can apply for extra funding to give your organisation a boost. Read more

Full Fact is the UK’s independent fact checking organisation. There has been a rumour spreading about parent’s rights regarding the coronavirus act. The claim was that the Coronavirus Act allowed children to be detained for 14 days without their parents’ consent. The claim is untrue and the full facts can be found here.

On 2 September the government introduced a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month work placements aimed at those aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment. Funding is available to employers. Employers will receive funding for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions. Read more

The Mobilising Volunteers Effectively (MoVE) project, run by a partnership between the Universities of Sheffield, Hull and Leeds included looking at how best volunteers can be deployed to help vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first of three reports from phase one of the MoVE (mobilising volunteers effectively) project, exploring key lessons from the national lockdown. Read more

The session examined how well the Windrush Compensation Scheme has provided support for those caught up in the Windrush scandal. The Home Affairs Committee held its first session of its new inquiry into the Windrush Compensation Scheme on Wednesday 9 December. Read more

22 ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the benefit of their communities to be recognised as a Census local hero. Nominations can be made up until 31 December 2020. To mark the 22nd census of England and Wales a search is underway across England and Wales. Do you know that special someone who would be a perfect nominee to be a Census local hero? Read more