Overview

An

Energy

Performance

Certificate

EPC

rates

how

energy

efficient

your

building

is

using

grades

from

A

to

G

with

A

the

most

efficient

grade

When

you

need

an

EPC

You

must

have

an

EPC

if

you

rent

out

or

sell

the

premises

a

building

under

construction

is

finished

there

are

changes

to

the

number

of

parts

used

for

separate

occupation

and

these

changes

involve

providing

or

extending

fixed

heating

air

conditioning

or

mechanical

ventilation

systems

You

can

be

fined

between

and

based

on

the

rateable

value

of

the

building

if

you

do

n’t

make

an

EPC

available

to

any

prospective

buyer

or

tenant

When

you

must

display

one

You

must

display

an

EPC

by

fixing

it

to

your

commercial

building

if

all

these

apply

the

total

useful

floor

area

is

over

square

metres

the

building

is

frequently

visited

by

the

public

an

EPC

has

already

been

produced

for

the

building

’s

sale

rental

or

construction

How

much

it

costs

The

cost

of

an

EPC

will

depend

on

the

building

being

assessed

All

EPCs

are

valid

for

years

How

to

get

a

certificate

You

can

only

get

an

Energy

Performance

Certificate

EPC

from

a

commercial

energy

assessor

The

type

of

assessor

you

’ll

need

will

depend

on

the

complexity

and

features

of

the

building

If

you

need

advice

on

choosing

one

speak

to

a

commercial

non

domestic

energy

assessor

or

contact

the

approved

accreditation

scheme

they

belong

to

Exemptions

You

do

n’t

need

an

Energy

Performance

Certificate

EPC

if

you

can

demonstrate

that

the

building

is

any

of

these

listed

or

officially

protected

and

the

minimum

energy

performance

requirements

would

unacceptably

alter

it

a

temporary

building

only

going

to

be

used

for

years

or

less

used

as

a

place

of

worship

or

for

other

religious

activities

an

industrial

site

workshop

or

non

residential

agricultural

building

that

does

n’t

use

much

energy

a

detached

building

with

a

total

floor

space

under

square

metres

due

to

be

demolished

by

the

seller

or

landlord

and

they

have

all

the

relevant

planning

and

conservation

consents

Vacant

buildings

and

demolition

A

building

is

also

exempt

if

all

of

the

following

are

true

it

’s

due

to

be

sold

or

rented

out

with

vacant

possession

it

’s

suitable

for

demolition

and

the

site

could

be

redeveloped

the

buyer

or

tenant

has

applied

for

planning

permission

to

demolish

it

Appeal

a

penalty

charge

You

can

ask

for

a

review

if

you

get

a

penalty

charge

notice

The

notice

will

tell

you

how

to

do

this

If

the

review

fails

you

’ll

get

a

letter

confirming

your

penalty

You

can

then

appeal

to

the

county

court

or

sheriff

court

in

Scotland

but

you

must

do

this

within

days

of

receiving

your

confirmed

penalty


Overview

To

sell

food

and

drink

products

the

label

must

be

clear

and

easy

to

read

permanent

easy

to

understand

easily

visible

not

misleading

You

must

show

certain

basic

information

and

list

the

ingredients

You

might

also

have

to

show

certain

warnings

There

are

special

regulations

for

labelling

wine

Products

sold

loose

or

in

catering

businesses

If

you

run

a

catering

business

you

sell

food

loose

or

package

it

for

sale

in

your

shop

you

only

need

to

show

the

name

of

the

food

if

any

of

the

ingredients

have

been

irradiated

or

have

come

from

genetically

modified

sources

certain

warnings

any

food

additive

you

have

added

allergen

information

You

must

show

more

information

if

you

sell

meat

products

loose

Packaging

If

you

package

food

yourself

you

must

use

packaging

that

’s

suitable

for

food

use

Suitable

packaging

is

marked

for

food

contact

or

has

a

symbol

on

it

that

looks

like

a

wine

glass

and

a

fork

There

are

special

rules

for

using

plastics

ceramics

or

cellophane

for

packaging

You

must

have

written

evidence

that

you

’ve

kept

to

them

This

is

known

as

a

declaration

of

compliance

and

you

can

get

it

from

your

packaging

supplier

You

also

have

to

get

one

if

you

buy

food

that

’s

already

packaged

for

sale

in

any

of

those

materials

Read

the

national

legislation

on

food

contact

materials

for

England

Northern

Ireland

Wales

or

Scotland

Food

assurance

schemes

You

could

also

join

voluntary

food

assurance

schemes

such

as

Red

Tractor

or

Lion

Eggs

These

schemes

let

customers

know

food

has

been

produced

to

certain

standards

for

example

on

food

safety

or

animal

welfare

Food

labelling

what

you

must

show

You

must

show

the

following

information

the

name

of

the

food

a

best

before

or

use

by

date

any

necessary

warnings

net

quantity

information

a

list

of

ingredients

if

there

is

more

than

the

country

or

place

of

origin

if

required

the

lot

number

or

use

by

date

any

special

storage

conditions

instructions

for

use

or

cooking

if

necessary

If

you

’re

selling

food

in

Great

Britain

England

Wales

and

Scotland

you

must

also

include

the

name

and

address

of

the

UK

or

EU

business

responsible

for

the

information

on

the

food

If

the

business

is

not

in

the

UK

or

EU

you

must

include

the

name

and

address

of

the

importer

If

you

’re

selling

food

in

Northern

Ireland

you

must

include

the

name

and

address

of

the

Northern

Irish

or

EU

business

responsible

for

the

information

on

the

food

If

the

business

is

not

in

Northern

Ireland

or

the

EU

you

must

include

the

name

and

address

of

the

importer

Check

if

there

are

other

food

labelling

standards

you

must

follow

Quantity

information

You

must

put

the

net

quantity

in

grams

kilograms

millilitres

or

litres

on

the

label

of

packaged

food

over

g

or

packaged

herbs

and

spices

Solid

foods

packed

in

a

liquid

or

an

ice

glaze

must

show

the

drained

net

weight

The

net

quantity

must

be

close

enough

to

the

name

of

the

food

that

you

can

see

all

this

information

at

the

same

time

This

also

applies

to

the

alcoholic

strength

for

alcoholic

drinks

You

do

not

have

to

show

the

weight

or

volume

on

foods

sold

by

number

for

example

bread

rolls

provided

that

you

can

clearly

see

the

number

of

items

inside

the

packaging

Read

more

guidance

on

quantity

labelling

Information

you

may

have

to

show

You

must

also

show

these

if

they

apply

to

your

product

a

warning

for

drinks

with

an

alcohol

content

above

a

warning

if

the

product

contains

GM

ingredients

unless

their

presence

is

accidental

and

or

less

a

warning

if

the

product

has

been

irradiated

the

words

packaged

in

a

protective

atmosphere

if

the

food

is

packaged

using

a

packaging

gas

Country

or

place

of

origin

You

must

show

the

country

or

place

of

origin

for

beef

veal

lamb

mutton

pork

goat

and

poultry

fish

and

shellfish

honey

olive

oil

wine

fruit

and

vegetables

You

can

label

certain

food

from

EU

countries

and

Northern

Ireland

as

origin

EU

Food

from

and

sold

in

Great

Britain

can

be

labelled

as

origin

EU

until

September

Check

the

rules

for

when

to

label

meat

fish

and

shellfish

with

their

country

of

origin

You

must

also

show

the

country

of

origin

if

customers

might

be

misled

without

this

information

for

example

if

the

label

for

a

pizza

shows

the

leaning

tower

of

Pisa

but

the

pizza

is

made

in

the

UK

If

the

primary

ingredient

in

the

food

comes

from

somewhere

different

from

where

the

product

says

it

was

made

the

label

must

show

this

For

example

a

pork

pie

labelled

British

that

’s

produced

in

the

UK

with

pork

from

Denmark

must

state

with

pork

from

Denmark

or

made

with

pork

from

outside

the

UK

Special

rules

for

some

products

There

are

special

rules

about

what

you

have

to

show

on

the

label

if

you

supply

any

of

the

following

bottled

water

bread

and

flour

cocoa

and

chocolate

products

fats

and

oils

fish

fruit

juices

and

nectars

honey

jams

and

preserves

meat

and

meat

products

milk

and

milk

products

soluble

coffee

sugar

Ingredients

list

If

your

food

or

drink

product

has

or

more

ingredients

including

any

additives

you

must

list

them

all

Ingredients

must

be

listed

in

order

of

weight

with

the

main

ingredient

first

Ingredient

quantities

You

also

have

to

show

the

percentage

of

an

ingredient

if

it

is

highlighted

by

the

labelling

or

a

picture

on

a

package

for

example

extra

cheese

mentioned

in

the

name

of

the

product

for

example

cheese

and

onion

pasty

normally

connected

with

the

name

by

the

consumer

for

example

fruit

in

a

summer

pudding

Allergens

You

must

highlight

allergens

on

the

label

using

a

different

font

style

or

background

colour

You

must

also

list

them

in

the

ingredients

The

allergens

you

need

to

highlight

and

list

are

celery

cereals

containing

gluten

including

wheat

rye

barley

and

oats

crustaceans

including

prawns

crab

and

lobster

eggs

fish

lupin

milk

molluscs

including

squid

mussels

cockles

whelks

and

snails

mustard

nuts

peanuts

sesame

seeds

soya

beans

sulphur

dioxide

or

sulphites

at

levels

above

mg

per

kilogram

or

per

litre

Food

and

drink

warnings

You

must

show

an

appropriate

warning

on

the

label

if

your

food

contains

certain

ingredients

Ingredient

Wording

you

must

use

Allura

red

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Aspartame

Contains

a

source

of

phenylalanine

Caffeine

over

mg

l

Not

suitable

for

children

pregnant

women

and

persons

sensitive

to

caffeine

Carmoisine

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Liquorice

Contains

liquorice

you

may

need

extra

wording

for

confectionery

or

alcohol

containing

liquorice

Polyols

Excessive

consumption

may

cause

a

laxative

effect

Ponceau

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Quinoline

yellow

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Raw

milk

This

milk

has

not

been

heat

treated

and

may

therefore

contain

organisms

harmful

to

health

Skimmed

milk

with

non

milk

fat

There

’s

no

fixed

wording

but

you

must

show

a

warning

that

the

product

is

unfit

or

not

to

be

used

for

babies

Sulphur

dioxide

over

l

Contains

sulphur

dioxide

or

sulphites

sulfites

Sunset

yellow

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Sweeteners

With

sweetener(s

Sweeteners

and

sugar

With

sugar

and

sweetener(s

Tartrazine

May

have

an

adverse

effect

on

activity

and

attention

in

children

Nutrition

health

claims

and

supplement

labelling

Nutrition

labelling

You

must

follow

nutrition

labelling

information

rules

for

all

pre

packed

products

unless

both

of

the

following

apply

you

’re

a

small

business

with

under

employees

and

a

turnover

of

less

than

million

you

supply

either

direct

to

consumers

or

to

local

retailers

local

means

within

your

county

your

neighbouring

county

or

up

to

miles

from

your

county

boundary

Nutrition

and

health

claims

You

have

to

follow

certain

rules

if

you

want

to

make

a

nutrition

claim

for

example

low

fat

or

a

health

claim

for

example

calcium

helps

maintain

normal

bones

You

can

not

claim

or

imply

that

food

can

treat

prevent

or

cure

any

disease

or

medical

condition

Food

supplements

fortified

foods

and

foods

for

specific

nutritional

uses

You

must

follow

certain

rules

if

you

are

manufacturing

selling

or

importing

a

food

supplement

a

food

fortified

with

vitamins

and

minerals

There

are

also

specific

rules

for

parnuts

foods

for

example

formula

milk

for

infants

and

young

children

baby

food

meal

and

total

diet

replacement

for

weight

control

medical

foods

You

must

tell

the

Department

for

Health

if

you

want

to

sell

infant

formula

or

medical

food

in

the

UK

Organic

food

If

you

’re

a

retailer

you

can

label

products

organic

as

long

as

at

least

of

the

farm

grown

ingredients

are

organic

you

sell

direct

to

customers

in

your

shop

Organic

certification

You

must

be

certified

by

one

of

the

organic

control

bodies

if

you

produce

or

prepare

organic

food

and

you

want

to

sell

or

label

it

as

organic

You

can

decide

which

body

to

register

with

based

on

your

location

and

needs

Once

registered

you

’ll

have

to

follow

a

strict

set

of

guidelines

laid

down

by

national

and

international

law

keep

thorough

and

accurate

records

of

production

processes

allow

annual

and

random

inspections

You

’ll

also

have

to

follow

the

rules

for

labelling

organic

products

You

can

check

how

food

labelling

rules

are

enforced


Overview

You

may

need

permission

to

temporarily

move

or

export

goods

outside

the

UK

for

example

if

you

take

sales

samples

to

a

trade

show

Temporarily

export

goods

out

of

the

UK

Most

countries

have

a

limit

on

the

value

of

goods

you

can

bring

in

duty

free

If

you

’re

taking

goods

to

another

country

temporarily

for

business

reasons

and

you

think

you

’ll

be

over

the

duty

free

limit

you

can

usually

get

an

ATA

Carnet

to

avoid

paying

duty

This

includes

things

like

samples

to

show

at

trade

fairs

or

sales

meetings

publicity

materials

recorded

film

and

audio

equipment

you

need

for

work

like

laptops

cameras

or

sound

equipment

goods

for

educational

scientific

or

cultural

purposes

personal

effects

and

sports

goods

If

you

’re

taking

a

vehicle

get

a

CPD

Carnet

instead

Licences

for

controlled

goods

Check

if

your

goods

are

controlled

and

you

need

a

licence

Temporary

licences

are

available

for

some

types

of

controlled

goods

for

example

controlled

drugs

for

personal

use

weapons

or

dual

use

goods

and

services

Get

an

ATA

Carnet

You

can

use

an

ATA

Carnet

in

around

countries

Countries

have

their

own

rules

about

what

goods

you

can

bring

in

with

an

ATA

Carnet

Check

with

the

issuer

in

the

country

you

’re

exporting

to

If

you

can

not

use

an

ATA

Carnet

or

do

not

want

to

pay

the

fee

use

a

Duplicate

List

to

temporarily

export

your

goods

instead

If

you

do

not

get

an

ATA

Carnet

or

Duplicate

List

You

’ll

need

to

declare

your

goods

and

pay

duties

every

time

your

goods

go

through

customs

You

’ll

also

need

to

follow

the

full

customs

rules

and

processes

for

exports

and

imports

You

can

check

the

rules

on

how

to

export

goods

from

the

UK

how

to

import

goods

into

the

UK

How

to

apply

You

can

apply

for

an

ATA

Carnet

online

by

post

If

you

’re

using

a

freight

forwarder

they

’ll

usually

fill

this

in

for

you

It

usually

costs

and

you

’ll

need

to

pay

a

security

deposit

If

you

’re

sending

goods

to

Taiwan

apply

for

a

Taiwan

Carnet

instead

ATA

Carnets

are

usually

valid

for

year

Ask

the

overseas

customs

authority

if

you

need

to

extend

it

You

’ll

need

their

written

approval

before

you

apply

for

a

replacement

Carnet

Using

an

ATA

Carnet

Call

the

helpline

when

you

’re

planning

your

journey

They

’ll

check

that

a

customs

officer

can

stamp

your

Carnet

at

the

port

or

airport

your

goods

are

being

shipped

from

When

you

return

to

the

UK

Go

through

the

red

channel

at

customs

if

you

’re

bringing

the

goods

back

in

your

baggage

Get

help

with

ATA

Carnets

Contact

the

ATA

Carnet

Unit

if

you

have

a

question

If

you

do

not

use

an

ATA

Carnet

Use

a

Duplicate

List

to

temporarily

export

goods

if

the

country

you

’re

exporting

to

does

not

recognise

the

ATA

Carnet

you

do

not

want

to

pay

for

an

ATA

Carnet

As

with

an

ATA

Carnet

you

do

not

have

to

pay

customs

duty

or

tax

There

’s

no

fee

but

it

’s

more

complicated

than

exporting

something

with

an

ATA

Carnet

How

to

export

goods

using

a

Duplicate

List

Before

you

export

the

goods

prepare

a

list

on

company

stationery

Include

a

description

of

the

goods

how

many

there

are

serial

numbers

if

the

goods

have

them

value

of

the

goods

At

customs

you

’ll

need

to

provide

copies

of

the

list

a

completed

form

C&E

PDF

KB

Contact

the

helpline

in

advance

to

make

the

arrangements


Self

employed

sole

trader

When

you

sell

your

business

you

have

legal

responsibilities

to

staff

you

employ

You

must

also

finalise

your

business

tax

affairs

Staff

If

you

have

anyone

working

for

you

you

must

tell

them

when

and

why

you

’re

selling

the

business

about

redundancy

terms

or

relocation

packages

if

necessary

Make

sure

you

do

n’t

breach

employees

rights

when

a

business

changes

ownership

Telling

HMRC

You

can

use

the

online

form

to

tell

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

that

you

’ve

sold

your

business

It

covers

both

Self

Assessment

and

National

Insurance

You

can

also

call

HMRC

’s

National

Insurance

helpline

to

cancel

your

Class

National

Insurance

contributions

VAT

registration

If

you

’re

registered

for

VAT

you

may

be

able

to

transfer

the

VAT

registration

number

to

the

new

owner

Tax

returns

You

must

send

a

Self

Assessment

tax

return

by

the

deadline

You

’ll

need

to

put

the

date

you

stopped

trading

on

the

return

Capital

Gains

Tax

You

may

have

made

a

capital

gain

when

selling

your

business

for

example

the

money

you

get

from

the

sale

or

assets

from

the

business

that

you

keep

If

this

means

you

need

to

pay

Capital

Gains

Tax

you

may

be

able

to

reduce

the

amount

by

claiming

Entrepreneurs

Relief

You

may

also

be

able

to

claim

other

reliefs

Business

partnership

Your

responsibilities

when

selling

a

partnership

depend

on

whether

you

’re

selling

your

share

of

the

partnership

the

entire

partnership

Check

your

business

partnership

agreement

it

may

have

restrictions

and

conditions

on

the

sale

Staff

If

you

have

anyone

working

for

you

you

must

tell

them

about

the

sale

including

when

and

why

you

’re

selling

the

partnership

details

about

the

redundancy

terms

or

relocation

packages

you

will

offer

if

required

Make

sure

you

do

n’t

breach

employees

rights

when

a

business

changes

ownership

If

you

’re

stopping

self

employment

If

you

’re

stopping

self

employment

when

you

sell

the

partnership

call

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

cancel

your

Class

National

Insurance

contributions

VAT

registration

If

the

partnership

is

registered

for

VAT

you

may

be

able

to

transfer

the

VAT

registration

number

to

the

new

owner

Tax

returns

If

you

’re

selling

your

share

in

the

partnership

You

must

fill

out

a

personal

Self

Assessment

tax

return

by

the

deadline

If

you

’re

selling

the

whole

partnership

You

must

make

sure

the

nominated

partner

sends

a

Partnership

Tax

Return

by

the

deadline

send

your

personal

Self

Assessment

tax

return

by

the

deadline

Capital

Gains

Tax

You

may

have

made

a

capital

gain

when

selling

the

partnership

for

example

the

money

you

get

from

the

sale

or

assets

from

the

partnership

that

you

keep

If

this

means

you

need

to

pay

Capital

Gains

Tax

you

may

be

able

to

reduce

the

amount

by

claiming

Entrepreneurs

Relief

You

may

also

be

able

to

claim

other

reliefs

Limited

company

Your

responsibilities

will

be

different

depending

on

whether

you

’re

selling

the

entire

shareholding

in

your

limited

company

the

company

is

selling

part

of

its

business

Selling

the

entire

shareholding

Appoint

new

directors

or

company

secretaries

You

should

appoint

new

directors

before

you

resign

as

a

director

yourself

Tell

Companies

House

to

make

these

changes

Capital

Gains

Tax

You

may

have

made

a

capital

gain

when

selling

the

company

for

example

the

money

you

get

from

the

sale

or

assets

from

it

that

you

keep

If

this

means

you

need

to

pay

Capital

Gains

Tax

you

may

be

able

to

reduce

the

amount

by

claiming

Entrepreneurs

Relief

You

may

also

be

able

to

claim

other

reliefs

Charges

against

your

company

If

you

’ve

secured

finance

for

the

company

against

your

personal

property

for

example

a

mortgage

on

your

house

to

secure

a

business

loan

you

must

let

the

provider

know

within

days

of

the

sale

VAT

registration

If

the

company

is

registered

for

VAT

you

may

want

to

transfer

the

VAT

registration

number

to

the

new

owner

If

your

company

sells

part

of

the

business

If

any

employees

are

affected

by

the

sale

for

example

the

company

’s

selling

its

production

business

and

factory

staff

will

be

affected

you

must

tell

them

about

the

changes

including

when

and

why

part

of

the

company

is

being

sold

details

about

the

redundancy

terms

or

relocation

packages

if

necessary

Make

sure

you

do

n’t

breach

employees

rights

when

a

business

changes

ownership


Overview

If

you

sell

a

customer

a

product

or

a

service

you

need

to

give

them

an

invoice

bill

by

law

if

both

you

and

the

customer

are

registered

for

VAT

a

business

to

business

transaction

An

invoice

is

not

the

same

as

a

receipt

which

is

an

acknowledgement

of

payment

The

invoice

must

include

certain

information

such

as

how

much

the

customer

needs

to

pay

you

when

the

customer

must

pay

you

You

and

the

customer

also

have

certain

obligations

on

payment

Invoices

what

they

must

include

Your

invoice

must

include

a

unique

identification

number

your

company

name

address

and

contact

information

the

company

name

and

address

of

the

customer

you

’re

invoicing

a

clear

description

of

what

you

’re

charging

for

the

date

the

goods

or

service

were

provided

supply

date

the

date

of

the

invoice

the

amount(s

being

charged

VAT

amount

if

applicable

the

total

amount

owed

Sole

trader

invoices

If

you

’re

a

sole

trader

the

invoice

must

also

include

your

name

and

any

business

name

being

used

an

address

where

any

legal

documents

can

be

delivered

to

you

if

you

are

using

a

business

name

Limited

company

invoices

If

your

company

is

a

limited

company

you

must

include

the

full

company

name

as

it

appears

on

the

certificate

of

incorporation

If

you

decide

to

put

names

of

your

directors

on

your

invoices

you

must

include

the

names

of

all

directors

VAT

invoices

You

must

use

VAT

invoices

if

you

and

your

customer

are

VAT

registered

These

include

more

information

than

non

VAT

invoices

Payment

obligations

Your

right

to

be

paid

You

can

set

your

own

payment

terms

such

as

discounts

for

early

payment

and

payment

upfront

Unless

you

agree

a

payment

date

the

customer

must

pay

you

within

days

of

getting

your

invoice

or

the

goods

or

service

You

can

use

a

statutory

demand

to

formally

request

payment

of

what

you

’re

owed

Charging

interest

for

late

payment

You

have

the

right

to

charge

interest

for

late

payment

but

you

can

choose

not

to

Liability

for

disputed

card

payments

If

a

customer

asks

their

credit

or

debit

card

issuer

to

reverse

a

transaction

they

can

reclaim

the

value

of

the

transaction

from

you

This

is

known

as

a

chargeback

Chargebacks

can

be

made

when

the

purchased

item

never

arrived

the

item

was

n’t

as

described

a

customer

’s

card

was

used

without

their

permission

to

purchase

the

item

fraudulently

You

can

be

charged

up

to

days

after

the

transaction

has

been

debited

or

from

when

the

goods

or

services

were

due

to

be

received

Minimising

chargebacks

If

a

customer

uses

their

PIN

you

’ll

only

be

liable

for

a

chargeback

if

the

goods

are

faulty

or

are

n’t

as

described

Where

you

ca

n’t

accept

a

PIN

a

clear

signature

will

help

but

there

is

no

guarantee

against

a

chargeback

For

card

not

present

transactions

such

as

online

sales

the

risks

of

chargeback

will

be

higher

Regulation

If

you

want

to

set

up

a

business

that

takes

a

sum

of

money

from

a

customer

every

time

they

use

a

service

for

example

online

trading

you

may

need

to

be

authorised

by

the

Financial

Conduct

Authority

If

customers

pay

you

in

large

amounts

of

cash

your

business

may

need

to

be

registered

for

an

anti

money

laundering

scheme

Protecting

customer

data

You

must

follow

the

rules

on

storing

customer

data

to

protect

their

financial

information


Overview

You

must

register

with

Ofsted

if

you

want

to

set

up

a

childminder

agency

in

England

Childminder

agencies

register

childminders

and

give

training

business

support

advice

and

help

finding

suitable

parents

You

can

register

as

an

individual

or

as

a

private

or

public

sector

organisation

such

as

a

school

or

academy

You

must

have

a

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

DBS

check

and

be

interviewed

and

inspected

by

Ofsted

as

part

of

your

application

Which

register

to

join

There

are

registers

You

must

apply

to

join

the

Early

Years

Register

to

register

childminders

who

look

after

children

aged

and

under

the

compulsory

part

of

the

Childcare

Register

to

register

childminders

who

look

after

children

aged

to

both

registers

to

register

childminders

who

look

after

children

of

all

ages

The

Early

Years

Register

is

for

children

from

birth

up

to

the

August

after

their

birthday

If

you

’re

on

the

compulsory

part

of

the

Childcare

Register

you

can

also

join

the

voluntary

part

You

can

only

register

childminders

on

the

voluntary

part

of

the

register

if

you

’ve

already

registered

them

on

the

compulsory

part

How

long

it

takes

Registration

can

take

up

to

weeks

Fees

It

costs

to

register

as

a

childminder

agency

It

’s

free

to

join

the

Childcare

Register

if

you

’re

already

on

or

applying

to

the

Early

Years

Register

How

to

apply

Read

the

childminder

agency

handbook

Apply

for

a

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

DBS

check

through

the

Ofsted

portal

Join

the

DBS

update

service

and

agree

to

Ofsted

checking

your

DBS

certificate

at

least

once

every

months

You

have

days

to

join

the

service

after

getting

your

certificate

otherwise

you

’ll

need

to

get

a

new

certificate

Download

fill

in

and

send

the

application

form

Check

whether

you

need

to

fill

in

and

send

a

declaration

and

consent

form

Prepare

for

your

registration

visit

by

an

Ofsted

inspector

see

the

childminder

agency

handbook

for

details

on

this

Get

help

and

advice

Contact

Ofsted

if

you

have

any

questions

about

the

application

process

Change

your

details

You

must

tell

Ofsted

if

there

are

any

changes

to

anyone

named

in

your

application

Download

and

fill

in

a

notification

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

After

you

apply

You

’ll

be

told

at

the

end

of

your

registration

inspection

visit

if

you

can

start

working

as

an

agency

You

’ll

get

a

registration

certificate

in

the

post

that

you

must

display

at

all

times

in

your

work

place

After

you

’re

registered

you

can

be

inspected

again

or

get

an

investigation

visit

if

someone

makes

a

complaint

about

you

You

must

tell

Ofsted

if

there

are

any

changes

to

anyone

named

in

your

application

Download

and

fill

in

a

notification

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

If

your

application

is

refused

Ofsted

will

send

you

a

letter

called

a

notice

of

intention

which

will

tell

you

why

you

’ve

been

turned

down

You

’ll

also

be

sent

a

leaflet

on

how

to

object

and

appeal

Withdraw

your

application

You

can

withdraw

your

application

up

until

you

get

a

notice

of

intention

to

refuse

your

registration

Your

fee

wo

n’t

be

refunded


Overview

If

you

own

or

manage

a

farm

you

’re

responsible

for

ensuring

the

health

and

safety

of

your

workers

and

anyone

who

’s

affected

by

what

they

do

You

must

carry

out

a

assessment

of

any

risks

related

to

your

farm

have

a

plan

to

manage

these

risks

and

protect

people

from

harm

plan

and

set

standards

to

be

sure

that

your

health

and

safety

practices

work

check

how

you

’re

doing

through

regular

inspections

and

monitoring

You

must

make

sure

that

all

farming

vehicles

and

equipment

are

safe

to

use

appropriate

for

the

jobs

they

are

used

for

their

safety

risks

are

reduced

as

much

as

possible

Health

and

safety

assessments

The

Health

and

Safety

Executive

HSE

has

produced

guidance

to

help

farmers

conduct

health

and

safety

assessments

of

their

farms

The

Farmwise

guide

also

provides

information

and

guidance

on

health

and

safety

for

farm

vehicles

and

machinery

Buying

vehicles

and

equipment

CE

Mark

Most

new

machines

vehicles

or

pieces

of

farming

equipment

you

buy

must

be

CE

marked

This

mark

means

that

it

has

been

built

to

meet

minimum

legal

safety

requirements

Most

new

machines

or

pieces

of

equipment

should

also

have

a

declaration

of

conformity

to

show

that

it

meets

EU

standards

a

manual

information

on

noise

levels

Second

hand

equipment

and

vehicles

Before

using

second

hand

machinery

you

should

make

sure

that

it

complies

with

the

Provision

and

Use

of

Work

Equipment

Regulations

get

the

operator

’s

manual

or

suitable

instructions

for

use

replace

or

repair

any

missing

or

damaged

safety

guards

before

use

Maintaining

vehicles

and

equipment

You

must

make

sure

that

all

your

equipment

is

properly

maintained

and

in

good

working

order

You

’ll

need

to

perform

regular

maintenance

checks

on

all

of

your

vehicles

and

machinery

You

can

find

useful

equipment

maintenance

checklists

on

the

British

Agricultural

and

Garden

Machinery

Association

website

The

Department

for

Transport

also

provides

guidance

on

performing

health

checks

on

farm

vehicles

You

can

find

information

on

the

safe

use

of

agricultural

machinery

on

the

Health

and

Safety

Executive

website

Noise

levels

High

levels

of

noise

can

damage

hearing

By

law

you

must

assess

the

level

of

noise

in

areas

where

people

work

for

you

You

must

take

action

where

noise

exceeds

certain

levels

If

you

have

noisy

machinery

or

equipment

you

should

consider

providing

hearing

protection

for

operators

using

barriers

or

screens

to

block

sound

using

materials

to

absorb

sound

limiting

the

time

spent

in

noisy

environments

Read

information

from

the

Health

and

Safety

Executive

HSE

on

noise

levels

at

work


Register

a

trade

mark

You

can

register

your

trade

mark

to

protect

your

brand

for

example

the

name

of

your

product

or

service

When

you

register

your

trade

mark

you

’ll

be

able

to

take

legal

action

against

anyone

who

uses

your

brand

without

your

permission

including

counterfeiters

put

the

symbol

next

to

your

brand

to

show

that

it

’s

yours

and

warn

others

against

using

it

sell

and

license

your

brand

How

to

register

a

trade

mark

Check

if

your

brand

qualifies

as

a

trade

mark

Apply

to

register

your

trade

mark

Respond

to

any

objections

The

registration

process

takes

about

months

if

no

one

objects

Registered

trade

marks

last

years

Register

your

trade

mark

overseas

Registering

a

trade

mark

in

the

UK

only

protects

your

brand

in

the

UK

There

are

different

processes

for

registering

EU

and

international

trade

marks

What

you

can

and

can

not

register

Your

trade

mark

must

be

unique

It

can

include

words

sounds

logos

colours

a

combination

of

any

of

these

Your

trade

mark

can

not

be

offensive

for

example

contain

swear

words

or

pornographic

images

describe

the

goods

or

services

it

will

relate

to

for

example

the

word

cotton

can

not

be

a

trade

mark

for

a

cotton

textile

company

be

misleading

for

example

use

the

word

organic

for

goods

that

are

not

organic

be

a

dimensional

shape

associated

with

your

trade

mark

for

example

the

shape

of

an

egg

for

eggs

be

too

common

and

non

distinctive

for

example

be

a

simple

statement

like

we

lead

the

way

look

too

similar

to

state

symbols

like

flags

or

hallmarks

based

on

World

Intellectual

Property

Organization

guidelines

Series

applications

If

you

have

similar

versions

of

your

trade

mark

you

can

make

a

series

application

for

up

to

marks

All

your

marks

should

look

the

same

sound

the

same

mean

the

same

Any

differences

must

be

minor

Check

if

your

trade

mark

is

already

registered

Before

you

apply

you

must

search

the

trade

marks

database

to

check

if

anyone

has

already

registered

an

identical

or

similar

trade

mark

for

the

same

or

similar

goods

or

services

You

must

also

check

the

EU

trade

marks

register

on

the

European

Union

Intellectual

Property

Office

website

for

any

EU

applications

that

were

pending

on

January

These

applications

have

priority

over

yours

You

can

ask

the

holder

of

an

existing

trade

mark

for

permission

to

register

yours

They

must

give

you

a

letter

of

consent

you

must

send

this

letter

with

your

application

You

can

use

a

trade

mark

attorney

to

help

you

with

searches

and

registrations

Apply

This

service

will

be

unavailable

from

am

to

pm

on

Saturday

June

You

can

not

change

your

trade

mark

once

you

’ve

applied

and

the

fees

are

non

refundable

You

’ll

get

feedback

on

your

application

called

an

examination

report

within

weeks

working

days

Before

you

apply

You

must

check

if

your

trade

mark

is

already

registered

Read

the

guide

to

new

applications

before

you

start

if

you

’ve

not

applied

before

Apply

to

register

a

trademark

You

’ll

need

details

of

what

you

want

to

register

for

example

a

word

illustration

or

slogan

the

trade

mark

classes

you

want

to

register

in

for

example

food

and

drink

services

class

or

chemicals

class

Apply

now

How

much

it

costs

You

can

use

the

Right

Start

service

if

you

want

to

check

your

application

meets

the

rules

for

registration

You

pay

initially

plus

for

each

additional

class

You

’ll

then

get

a

report

telling

you

if

your

application

meets

the

rules

If

you

want

to

continue

you

must

pay

the

full

fee

within

days

of

getting

your

report

You

can

also

choose

to

continue

your

application

even

if

it

does

not

meet

the

rules

for

registration

Fee

Each

additional

class

Standard

application

online

Right

Start

application

online

up

front

plus

if

you

go

ahead

with

your

registration

up

front

plus

if

you

go

ahead

with

your

registration

A

series

application

for

or

more

marks

costs

an

additional

per

mark

Other

ways

to

apply

Fill

in

the

paper

forms

if

you

want

to

apply

by

post

It

costs

for

one

class

plus

for

each

additional

class

After

you

apply

You

’ll

get

feedback

on

your

application

an

examination

report

in

up

to

weeks

working

days

you

have

months

to

resolve

any

problems

If

the

examiner

has

no

objections

your

application

will

be

published

in

the

trade

marks

journal

for

months

during

which

time

anyone

can

oppose

it

Your

trade

mark

will

be

registered

once

any

objections

are

resolved

you

’ll

get

a

certificate

to

confirm

this

If

your

application

is

opposed

The

Intellectual

Property

Office

will

tell

you

if

someone

opposes

your

application

You

can

either

withdraw

your

application

talk

to

the

person

making

the

opposition

defend

your

application

You

can

not

register

your

trade

mark

until

the

matter

is

settled

and

may

have

to

pay

legal

costs

if

you

want

to

challenge

the

opposing

party

Read

guidance

on

your

options

following

an

opposition

Research

previous

trade

mark

decisions

to

help

you

with

a

dispute

and

prepare

for

a

hearing

Once

your

trade

mark

is

registered

You

must

report

any

changes

to

your

name

address

or

email

address

You

can

object

to

other

people

’s

trade

marks

for

example

if

you

think

they

are

identical

or

similar

to

yours

You

can

sell

market

license

and

mortgage

your

trade

mark

Your

trade

mark

will

last

years

you

can

renew

it

after

that

time

Unregistered

trade

marks

You

may

be

able

to

stop

someone

using

a

similar

trade

mark

to

yours

on

their

goods

and

services

known

as

passing

off

even

if

you

have

not

registered

it

You

’ll

usually

need

to

get

legal

advice

from

a

trade

mark

attorney

It

’s

harder

to

prove

passing

off

than

it

is

to

defend

a

registered

trade

mark

To

be

successful

you

’ll

need

to

show

that

the

mark

is

yours

you

’ve

built

up

goodwill

associated

with

the

mark

you

’ve

been

harmed

in

some

way

by

the

other

person

’s

use

of

the

mark


What

you

can

patent

You

can

use

a

patent

to

protect

your

invention

It

gives

you

the

right

to

take

legal

action

against

anyone

who

makes

uses

sells

or

imports

it

without

your

permission

To

be

granted

a

patent

your

invention

must

be

all

of

the

following

something

that

can

be

made

or

used

new

inventive

not

just

a

simple

modification

to

something

that

already

exists

Patents

are

expensive

and

difficult

to

get

Before

you

apply

check

if

a

patent

is

right

for

your

business

What

you

can

not

patent

You

can

not

patent

certain

types

of

invention

including

literary

dramatic

musical

or

artistic

works

a

way

of

doing

business

playing

a

game

or

thinking

a

method

of

medical

treatment

or

diagnosis

a

discovery

scientific

theory

or

mathematical

method

the

way

information

is

presented

some

computer

programs

or

mobile

apps

essentially

biological

processes

like

crossing

breeding

plants

and

plant

or

animal

varieties

Before

you

apply

Patents

are

the

most

difficult

form

of

protection

to

get

Check

if

a

patent

is

right

for

your

business

before

you

apply

for

one

You

should

only

apply

for

a

patent

if

your

invention

is

new

check

for

similar

ones

by

searching

published

patents

the

internet

and

trade

publications

you

have

the

time

and

money

for

the

application

process

The

application

process

is

complicated

only

in

applicants

get

a

patent

without

professional

help

expensive

with

professional

help

applications

typically

cost

long

it

usually

takes

years

If

you

get

a

patent

you

’ll

also

have

to

pay

to

renew

it

each

year

and

the

costs

of

legal

action

if

you

need

to

defend

it

Other

ways

to

protect

your

intellectual

property

Other

types

of

protection

might

be

more

appropriate

for

your

business

For

example

you

can

use

trade

marks

if

you

can

create

a

brand

and

be

first

to

market

design

rights

if

how

your

product

looks

rather

than

how

it

works

is

important

and

innovative

non

disclosure

agreements

to

keep

it

secret

before

launch

this

can

provide

enough

protection

if

your

product

is

likely

to

sell

for

only

a

short

time

Getting

help

You

can

get

a

professional

to

help

you

decide

whether

a

patent

is

right

for

your

business

You

may

be

able

to

get

free

advice

by

speaking

to

a

patent

attorney

or

other

professional

advisor

many

offer

basic

advice

for

free

attending

an

intellectual

property

IP

clinic

going

to

the

British

Library

Business

and

IP

Centre

in

London

This

advice

will

be

confidential

Do

not

talk

to

other

people

without

a

non

disclosure

agreement

or

you

may

not

be

able

to

patent

your

invention

You

can

get

help

with

this

from

a

patent

attorney

or

solicitor

If

you

decide

to

apply

When

you

’ve

checked

that

a

patent

is

right

for

your

business

you

should

find

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

They

will

help

you

prepare

your

application

correctly

you

can

not

add

in

additional

information

later

give

you

the

best

chance

of

being

granted

a

patent

try

to

make

your

patent

as

commercially

valuable

as

possible

You

may

be

approached

by

companies

offering

to

promote

your

invention

for

a

fee

Get

independent

legal

or

financial

advice

before

you

agree

to

anything

Applying

for

a

patent

If

you

work

with

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

they

’ll

help

you

through

the

application

process

Applications

typically

cost

and

the

process

usually

takes

years

There

are

steps

if

you

apply

for

patent

protection

in

the

UK

through

the

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

Search

for

similar

patents

to

make

sure

your

invention

is

new

Prepare

your

patent

application

File

your

patent

application

and

request

a

search

from

IPO

Receive

your

search

report

usually

within

months

and

decide

whether

you

want

to

continue

with

your

application

Your

application

will

be

published

months

after

you

file

it

Ask

for

a

substantive

examination

within

months

of

publication

Respond

to

comments

from

IPO

’s

substantive

examination

The

examination

may

take

place

several

years

after

you

file

your

application

Your

application

will

be

granted

or

refused

You

can

commercially

benefit

from

your

patent

once

it

has

been

granted

for

example

license

sell

or

mortgage

your

patent

Do

not

make

your

invention

public

before

you

apply

You

may

not

be

able

to

patent

it

if

you

do

Other

ways

to

get

a

UK

patent

You

can

also

file

a

UK

patent

application

through

the

European

Patent

Office

EPO

World

Intellectual

Property

Organization

WIPO

Prepare

your

application

If

you

work

with

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

they

’ll

help

you

through

the

application

process

A

patent

application

is

made

up

of

parts

that

need

to

meet

specific

criteria

You

must

include

a

description

of

your

invention

that

allows

others

to

see

how

it

works

and

how

it

could

be

made

legal

statements

that

set

out

the

technical

features

of

your

invention

that

are

to

be

protected

known

as

claims

a

summary

of

all

the

important

technical

aspects

of

your

invention

known

as

the

abstract

You

should

also

include

any

drawings

you

need

to

illustrate

your

description

The

fees

are

higher

if

your

description

has

more

than

pages

or

you

include

more

than

claims

Read

the

patent

application

fact

sheets

for

instructions

on

how

to

produce

each

part

of

your

application

You

have

to

submit

your

description

and

any

drawings

with

your

application

form

You

can

file

your

claims

and

abstract

once

your

patent

is

pending

but

it

’s

best

if

you

submit

all

the

parts

together

Academic

papers

You

can

send

academic

papers

as

part

of

your

patent

application

to

help

describe

your

invention

You

still

need

to

send

a

description

drawings

and

claims

Statement

of

inventorship

You

need

to

complete

a

statement

of

inventorship

if

you

’re

not

the

inventor

there

’s

more

than

one

inventor

and

they

’re

not

listed

as

applicants

you

’re

applying

on

behalf

of

a

company

The

statement

provides

the

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

with

more

information

about

who

the

inventor

is

and

why

you

have

the

right

to

apply

for

the

patent

Submit

your

statement

of

inventorship

online

when

you

apply

for

a

patent

or

do

it

later

by

filing

documents

for

a

pending

UK

patent

Alternatively

download

the

statement

of

inventorship

form

and

send

it

with

your

application

Apply

for

a

patent

If

you

work

with

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

they

’ll

help

you

through

the

application

process

You

can

file

a

UK

patent

application

with

the

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

Read

the

patent

application

fact

sheets

for

instructions

on

how

to

produce

each

part

of

your

application

You

can

apply

either

online

by

post

You

can

request

and

pay

for

your

search

and

examination

at

this

point

or

later

in

the

process

Fees

Stage

Apply

online

Apply

by

post

Application

if

you

pay

when

you

apply

Application

if

you

pay

later

Search

plus

for

each

claim

over

claims

plus

for

each

claim

over

claims

Substantive

examination

plus

for

each

page

of

description

over

pages

plus

for

each

page

of

description

over

pages

If

you

get

a

patent

you

’ll

also

have

to

pay

to

renew

it

to

keep

it

in

force

Get

your

patent

granted

more

quickly

You

can

get

your

application

processed

more

quickly

if

you

file

your

search

and

examination

requests

at

the

same

time

as

you

apply

This

costs

the

same

as

applying

separately

and

means

they

’ll

be

processed

at

the

same

time

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

a

fast

grant

if

for

example

your

invention

has

some

sort

of

environmental

benefit

green

channel

you

’ve

already

submitted

a

patent

application

for

your

invention

at

another

patent

office

Patent

Prosecution

Highway

Read

the

patents

fast

grant

guidance

Request

your

search

and

examination

If

you

work

with

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

they

’ll

help

you

through

the

application

process

As

part

of

the

application

process

you

must

pay

for

a

patent

search

and

a

substantive

examination

You

can

request

the

search

either

when

you

apply

or

later

in

the

process

You

must

request

your

search

within

months

of

your

filing

or

priority

date

You

must

request

your

examination

within

months

of

publication

Patent

search

The

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

carries

out

a

search

to

check

whether

your

invention

is

new

and

inventive

You

have

to

request

and

pay

for

your

search

within

months

of

your

filing

date

or

priority

date

You

’ll

be

sent

the

results

and

told

if

any

part

of

your

application

is

not

right

Read

the

search

report

factsheet

Search

reports

can

take

up

to

months

Publication

Your

application

will

be

published

months

from

your

filing

or

priority

date

provided

it

’s

complete

and

passes

the

search

The

open

part

of

your

application

which

includes

your

address

will

be

publicly

available

in

the

online

patents

journal

on

the

IPO

website

IPO

records

Substantive

examination

The

examination

checks

whether

your

invention

is

new

and

inventive

enough

It

also

checks

that

your

description

and

claims

match

and

are

good

enough

to

patent

The

examination

will

show

if

your

application

meets

the

legal

requirements

You

’ll

be

told

what

you

need

to

do

if

it

does

not

You

must

request

an

examination

of

your

patent

application

within

months

of

publication

Examinations

can

take

place

several

years

after

you

file

your

application

How

to

apply

You

can

apply

online

or

by

post

for

both

the

search

and

examination

Apply

online

You

can

request

your

search

and

examination

either

with

your

initial

application

later

in

the

process

You

must

request

your

search

within

months

of

your

filing

or

priority

date

and

examination

within

months

of

publication

Apply

by

post

Download

the

forms

search

request

form

examination

request

form

Fill

in

and

post

the

forms

The

address

is

on

the

forms

After

you

apply

If

you

work

with

a

patent

attorney

or

advisor

they

’ll

help

you

through

the

application

process

You

’ll

be

sent

a

receipt

with

your

application

number

and

filing

date

the

date

your

application

is

received

You

’ll

be

told

what

to

do

next

and

when

After

you

’ve

applied

you

can

mark

your

invention

as

patent

pending

or

patent

applied

for

You

can

either

add

the

patent

number

and

say

that

you

applied

for

it

in

the

UK

or

use

a

web

address

instead

if

the

patent

number

is

online

If

you

use

a

web

address

make

sure

the

patent

number

and

the

product

it

relates

to

are

clearly

displayed

on

your

website

If

your

patent

is

granted

your

application

will

be

published

in

its

final

form

you

’ll

be

sent

a

certificate

You

’ll

be

responsible

for

renewing

and

defending

your

patent

File

more

documents

once

your

patent

is

pending

You

may

need

to

file

more

forms

and

documents

once

you

have

a

patent

pending

for

example

a

form

to

request

a

search

or

a

document

with

your

claims

You

must

send

your

claims

abstract

application

fee

and

search

fee

within

months

of

your

filing

date

If

your

application

includes

a

priority

date

from

an

earlier

application

You

must

send

your

claims

abstract

application

fee

and

search

fee

within

whichever

of

the

following

is

later

months

of

the

date

when

you

filed

your

previous

application

the

priority

date

months

of

your

current

filing

date

Withdraw

your

application

You

can

withdraw

your

application

for

any

reason

for

example

to

stop

it

becoming

public

To

stop

your

invention

entering

the

public

domain

you

must

withdraw

your

application

before

it

’s

published

You

can

ask

for

a

withdrawal

up

to

the

day

before

the

deadline

given

in

your

search

report

Withdraw

by

email

Email

withdraw@ipo.gov.uk

with

your

patent

application

number

in

the

subject

line

Clearly

state

that

you

want

to

withdraw

in

the

body

of

the

email

State

why

you

have

the

authority

to

withdraw

the

application

for

example

that

you

’re

the

applicant

or

their

agent

Withdraw

by

post

You

can

also

withdraw

by

post

mark

your

request

as

urgent

if

there

’s

less

than

weeks

until

publication

Make

a

new

application

with

a

priority

date

You

can

withdraw

your

application

and

reapply

if

you

want

to

change

it

for

any

reason

for

example

if

you

’ve

developed

your

invention

since

you

first

applied

or

have

new

information

You

can

use

the

filing

date

of

your

earlier

application

known

as

the

priority

date

if

your

new

application

is

made

within

months

Terminated

applications

Your

application

will

be

terminated

if

you

do

not

submit

the

right

documents

forms

and

payment

when

asked

to

You

may

be

able

to

reopen

your

application

if

you

apply

within

months

of

termination

You

need

to

be

able

to

show

why

you

failed

to

meet

the

requirements

that

the

failure

was

not

intentional

when

you

became

able

to

meet

the

requirements

It

costs

to

apply

this

is

not

refundable

Reopen

your

application

Download

the

reinstatement

request

form

Send

the

form

your

fee

and

any

supporting

evidence

to

IPO

If

your

request

is

granted

you

must

meet

the

requirements

within

months

You

can

ask

for

an

ex

parte

hearing

if

you

’re

turned

down

where

you

can

put

your

case

to

a

senior

official

International

patents

A

patent

only

protects

your

invention

in

the

country

where

the

patent

is

registered

For

protection

overseas

you

can

file

a

single

application

under

the

Patent

Cooperation

Treaty

PCT

for

protection

in

more

than

countries

file

a

single

application

with

the

European

Patent

Office

EPO

for

protection

in

more

than

countries

in

Europe

apply

separately

to

the

patent

office

of

each

country

where

you

want

a

patent

Read

the

guidance

on

filing

a

patent

abroad

for

basic

information

on

filing

for

international

protection


Overview

Land

can

be

contaminated

by

things

like

heavy

metals

such

as

arsenic

cadmium

and

lead

oils

and

tars

chemical

substances

and

preparations

like

solvents

gases

asbestos

radioactive

substances

What

counts

as

contaminated

land

Land

is

legally

defined

as

contaminated

land

where

substances

are

causing

or

could

cause

significant

harm

to

people

property

or

protected

species

significant

pollution

of

surface

waters

for

example

lakes

and

rivers

or

groundwater

harm

to

people

as

a

result

of

radioactivity

Contaminated

land

may

previously

have

been

used

as

a

factory

mine

steel

mill

refinery

landfill

Special

sites

Some

types

of

contaminated

land

are

classed

as

special

sites

This

includes

land

that

seriously

affects

drinking

waters

surface

waters

or

important

groundwater

sources

has

been

or

is

being

used

for

certain

industrial

activities

such

as

oil

refining

or

making

explosives

is

being

or

has

been

regulated

using

a

permit

issued

under

the

integrated

pollution

control

or

pollution

prevention

and

control

regimes

has

been

used

to

get

rid

of

waste

acid

tars

is

owned

or

occupied

by

the

Ministry

of

Defence

is

contaminated

by

radioactivity

is

a

nuclear

site

The

Environment

Agency

has

technical

guidance

on

special

sites

Once

a

local

council

has

decided

that

an

area

is

a

special

site

it

is

regulated

by

the

Environment

Agency

in

England

Natural

Resources

Wales

in

Wales

the

Scottish

Environment

Protection

Agency

SEPA

in

Scotland

Who

decides

if

land

is

contaminated

Your

local

council

or

an

environment

agency

will

decide

if

your

land

is

contaminated

Your

land

could

be

investigated

for

a

number

of

reasons

including

when

land

is

sold

let

used

or

otherwise

transferred

land

is

proposed

for

development

local

councils

inspect

land

in

their

area

an

application

is

made

for

an

environmental

permit

or

other

licence

land

is

polluted

Contact

your

local

council

if

you

believe

your

land

is

contaminated

Dealing

with

contamination

The

rules

for

who

’s

responsible

for

contamination

and

how

to

deal

with

it

depend

on

whether

the

land

is

legally

considered

contaminated

land

If

the

land

counts

as

contaminated

land

If

the

land

is

legally

considered

contaminated

land

the

person

who

caused

or

allowed

the

contamination

to

happen

is

responsible

for

dealing

with

it

unless

they

ca

n’t

be

identified

the

local

council

or

environment

agency

investigating

the

issue

decides

they

’re

exempt

The

council

or

agency

will

then

decide

who

’s

responsible

for

dealing

with

it

instead

This

may

be

the

landowner

or

the

person

who

uses

the

land

What

happens

next

The

council

or

agency

will

decide

how

the

land

should

be

dealt

with

ask

the

responsible

person

to

deal

with

the

contamination

tell

them

how

they

should

take

care

of

it

clean

it

up

or

fence

it

off

for

example

If

the

person

does

n’t

deal

with

the

contamination

the

council

or

agency

will

send

a

remediation

notice

telling

them

when

they

must

take

care

of

it

by

You

can

agree

a

voluntary

scheme

with

the

council

or

agency

if

you

’re

responsible

for

part

or

all

of

the

clean

up

You

must

tell

them

what

steps

you

’ll

take

to

clean

up

the

land

If

the

land

does

n’t

count

as

contaminated

land

If

the

land

is

n’t

legally

considered

contaminated

land

you

could

be

responsible

for

dealing

with

the

contamination

if

you

’re

responsible

for

causing

it

the

landowner

You

may

face

legal

action

if

you

do

n’t

deal

with

contamination

that

you

’re

responsible

for

Find

out

how

to

manage

contamination

on

your

land

If

you

’re

developing

the

land

You

’ll

have

to

deal

with

the

contamination

either

before

you

get

planning

permission

as

part

of

the

development

Contact

your

local

council

to

check

what

you

must

do

to

make

sure

the

land

is

suitable

for

your

proposed

development


Overview

You

must

make

sure

hazardous

waste

produced

or

handled

by

your

business

in

England

causes

no

harm

or

damage

You

have

responsibilities

known

as

your

duty

of

care

You

must

also

meet

extra

requirements

depending

on

whether

you

’re

a

waste

producer

or

holder

you

produce

or

store

waste

carrier

you

collect

and

transport

waste

consignee

you

receive

waste

such

as

for

recycling

or

disposal

Check

what

you

need

to

do

in

Northern

Ireland

Scotland

and

Wales

There

are

different

requirements

for

exporting

waste

Check

if

your

waste

is

hazardous

Waste

is

generally

considered

hazardous

if

it

or

the

material

or

substances

it

contains

are

harmful

to

humans

or

the

environment

Examples

of

hazardous

waste

include

asbestos

chemicals

such

as

brake

fluid

or

print

toner

batteries

solvents

pesticides

oils

except

edible

ones

such

as

car

oil

equipment

containing

ozone

depleting

substances

like

fridges

hazardous

waste

containers

Classify

your

waste

to

find

out

if

it

is

hazardous

Producers

and

holders

You

must

follow

these

steps

in

England

if

your

business

produces

hazardous

waste

holds

or

stores

hazardous

waste

has

hazardous

waste

removed

from

its

premises

Classify

your

waste

to

check

if

it

’s

hazardous

Separate

and

store

hazardous

waste

safely

Use

authorised

businesses

to

collect

recycle

or

dispose

of

your

hazardous

waste

check

that

waste

carriers

are

registered

and

waste

sites

have

environmental

permits

Fill

in

the

parts

of

the

consignment

note

that

apply

to

you

keep

one

copy

and

give

copies

to

the

carrier

collecting

your

waste

Keep

records

known

as

a

register

for

years

at

the

premises

that

produced

or

stored

the

waste

Records

you

must

keep

You

must

keep

your

copies

of

consignment

notes

consignee

returns

you

’ll

get

these

from

businesses

that

receive

your

waste

consignees

any

related

documents

for

example

carrier

schedules

list

of

carriers

when

there

is

more

than

one

records

of

rejected

loads

If

these

documents

are

not

accurate

or

complete

you

must

keep

a

record

of

any

missing

information

Extra

requirements

You

must

meet

extra

requirements

in

these

situations

Your

waste

is

rejected

You

must

follow

the

guidance

on

rejected

loads

if

your

hazardous

waste

is

rejected

by

the

destination

site

you

sent

it

to

You

transport

your

own

waste

You

must

meet

the

requirements

for

carriers

if

you

transport

any

hazardous

waste

from

your

own

or

another

business

You

receive

treat

or

dispose

of

waste

You

must

meet

the

requirements

for

consignees

if

you

receive

hazardous

waste

this

includes

deliveries

of

waste

from

your

own

business

treat

or

dispose

of

hazardous

waste

on

your

business

premises

this

includes

your

own

waste

Carriers

You

must

follow

these

steps

if

your

business

collects

and

transports

hazardous

waste

in

England

for

example

you

’re

a

waste

carrier

or

you

move

your

own

waste

Register

as

a

waste

carrier

Check

parts

A

and

B

of

the

consignment

note

and

the

waste

before

you

accept

it

make

sure

the

waste

is

classified

correctly

Separate

waste

correctly

when

you

load

it

for

transportation

Fill

in

the

part

of

the

consignment

note

that

applies

to

you

Leave

one

copy

of

the

consignment

note

with

the

waste

producer

or

holder

and

keep

copies

these

must

stay

with

the

waste

until

it

reaches

its

destination

Take

the

waste

to

the

destination

on

the

consignment

note

it

must

be

an

authorised

waste

site

Keep

records

known

as

a

register

for

one

year

You

must

keep

records

at

your

head

office

Records

you

must

keep

You

must

keep

copies

of

consignment

notes

any

related

documents

for

example

carrier

schedules

list

of

carriers

when

there

is

more

than

one

records

of

rejected

loads

If

these

documents

are

not

accurate

or

complete

you

must

keep

a

record

of

any

missing

information

You

’re

a

waste

dealer

or

broker

Ask

the

waste

producer

or

holder

for

copies

of

their

records

You

must

keep

these

for

years

Check

what

other

registration

requirements

and

responsibilities

you

may

need

to

meet

Your

waste

delivery

is

rejected

You

must

follow

the

guidance

on

rejected

loads

if

a

consignee

rejects

the

hazardous

waste

you

’re

transporting

Consignees

You

must

follow

these

steps

if

you

receive

treat

or

dispose

of

hazardous

waste

at

premises

in

England

Get

an

environmental

permit

or

register

an

exemption

for

your

premises

Check

the

consignment

note

and

waste

before

you

accept

it

make

sure

it

’s

classified

correctly

Reject

the

waste

if

the

consignment

note

is

missing

incorrect

or

incomplete

Fill

in

part

E

of

the

consignment

note

for

any

hazardous

waste

you

accept

or

reject

keep

one

copy

and

hand

one

copy

back

to

the

carrier

Send

consignee

returns

to

the

Environment

Agency

and

the

waste

producer

or

holder

to

report

on

any

hazardous

waste

you

accept

or

reject

Keep

records

known

as

a

register

You

must

keep

records

at

the

site

where

the

hazardous

waste

was

stored

treated

or

disposed

Records

you

must

keep

You

must

keep

consignment

notes

any

related

documents

for

example

carrier

schedules

list

of

carriers

when

there

is

more

than

one

records

of

rejected

loads

a

site

inventory

that

records

where

waste

was

stored

treated

or

disposed

of

at

your

waste

site

keep

this

in

a

secure

marked

area

that

’s

accessible

in

emergencies

Site

inventories

for

tipped

waste

Tipped

waste

permanent

waste

storage

for

example

landfill

includes

Type

of

storage

Disposal

code

from

the

Waste

Framework

Directive

Deposit

into

or

onto

land

for

example

landfill

Land

treatment

Deep

injection

Surface

impoundment

Specially

engineered

landfill

Release

into

a

water

body

except

seas

or

oceans

Permanent

storage

Your

site

inventory

must

be

a

site

plan

that

shows

where

hazardous

waste

is

stored

at

your

waste

site

together

with

its

consignment

note

code

get

this

from

the

consignee

return

if

there

’s

no

consignment

note

waste

description

including

the

waste

classification

code

its

chemical

components

and

hazardous

properties

Use

either

a

grid

or

contour

lines

to

divide

up

your

site

plan

Site

inventories

for

all

other

waste

operations

These

requirements

are

for

all

waste

operations

other

than

tipped

waste

including

disposal

by

other

methods

treatment

recovery

incineration

Your

site

inventory

can

be

a

site

plan

or

table

showing

the

location

of

waste

at

your

site

together

with

its

consignment

note

code

get

this

from

the

consignee

return

if

there

’s

no

consignment

note

information

cross

referencing

each

incoming

or

outgoing

waste

waste

transfer

activities

only

You

must

also

keep

records

for

each

delivery

of

hazardous

waste

you

accept

at

your

site

include

its

weight

in

kilograms

its

waste

description

including

the

waste

classification

code

its

chemical

components

and

hazardous

properties

the

name

address

and

postcode

of

the

waste

holder

or

producer

it

came

from

the

disposal

or

recovery

method

you

applied

to

the

waste

How

long

you

must

keep

records

The

type

of

waste

site

you

have

determines

how

long

you

keep

records

Type

of

record

How

long

you

must

keep

it

Landfill

site

disposal

codes

to

and

All

records

As

long

as

you

have

a

permit

Other

waste

site

with

a

permit

Consignment

notes

years

Other

waste

site

with

a

permit

Site

inventory

and

all

other

records

As

long

as

you

have

a

permit

Waste

sites

with

an

exemption

All

records

years

You

must

send

your

records

to

the

Environment

Agency

if

you

give

up

or

lose

your

permit

Consignment

notes

You

must

use

consignment

notes

to

move

hazardous

waste

A

consignment

note

must

stay

with

hazardous

waste

until

it

reaches

its

final

destination

Fill

in

a

consignment

note

Read

the

consignment

notes

guidance

Download

a

consignment

note

form

Fill

in

the

parts

that

apply

to

you

Use

a

continuation

sheet

if

you

need

more

space

The

part

that

applies

to

you

depends

on

your

role

in

the

waste

process

Your

role

Part

you

must

complete

Producer

A

and

B

Holder

stores

waste

A

and

B

Carrier

collects

and

transports

waste

C

Consignor

hands

the

waste

to

the

carrier

D

Consignee

receives

waste

for

recycling

or

disposal

E

You

’re

the

waste

producer

or

holder

You

’ll

need

to

know

both

the

Standard

Industrial

Classification

SIC

code

this

describes

the

business

activity

that

produced

the

waste

waste

classification

code

also

referred

to

as

LoW

List

of

Waste

or

EWC

European

Waste

Catalogue

code

this

describes

the

waste

Get

consignment

notes

another

way

You

can

also

use

a

note

from

your

waste

contractor

or

write

your

own

it

must

include

the

information

on

the

form

buy

consignment

notices

from

the

Environment

Agency

these

have

colour

coded

copies

Consignee

returns

Consignee

returns

are

reports

on

any

hazardous

waste

received

treated

or

disposed

of

by

a

business

the

consignee

You

’re

a

waste

producer

or

holder

You

should

get

consignee

returns

every

quarter

from

the

consignee

dealing

with

your

hazardous

waste

Ask

for

consignee

returns

in

writing

if

you

do

not

get

them

you

need

them

to

keep

records

You

should

contact

the

Environment

Agency

and

stop

using

a

waste

business

if

they

do

not

provide

consignee

returns

You

’re

a

consignee

You

must

send

consignee

returns

every

quarter

to

the

Environment

Agency

the

waste

producer

or

holder

You

must

send

separate

consignee

returns

to

the

Environment

Agency

and

the

waste

producer

or

holder

You

can

not

send

copies

of

the

same

document

to

both

Read

the

consignee

returns

guidance

for

help

with

filling

in

your

consignee

returns

Send

consignee

returns

to

the

Environment

Agency

Fill

in

the

consignee

returns

spreadsheet

Send

the

spreadsheet

to

the

Environment

Agency

either

email

it

to

hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk

or

upload

it

online

in

Wales

email

it

to

waleshazreturns@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Read

the

consignee

returns

guidance

for

other

ways

you

can

send

your

returns

Deadlines

Reporting

period

Deadline

January

to

March

April

April

to

June

July

July

to

September

October

October

to

December

January

Fees

Fees

are

per

consignment

of

waste

and

depend

on

whether

the

consignment

formed

part

of

a

multiple

collection

if

it

came

from

multiple

locations

or

not

The

fees

are

single

consignment

electronic

returns

or

paper

returns

multiple

collection

electronic

returns

or

paper

returns

Contact

the

Environment

Agency

Contact

the

Environment

Agency

if

you

have

any

questions

about

hazardous

waste


Overview

When

you

’re

hiring

crew

for

a

ship

or

yacht

you

must

check

crew

members

discharge

books

to

make

sure

they

have

the

qualifications

and

certificates

of

competency

for

their

jobs

check

that

all

crew

members

have

the

necessary

medical

certificates

for

the

work

they

’ll

be

doing

make

sure

everyone

has

the

necessary

travel

documents

check

that

all

crew

can

speak

the

ship

’s

common

working

language

draw

up

a

crew

agreement

send

a

full

crew

list

to

the

owner

of

the

ship

or

yacht

You

must

make

sure

all

crew

members

know

the

ship

’s

safety

and

emergency

procedures

before

the

start

of

your

journey

Checking

crew

qualifications

You

must

check

crew

members

discharge

books

to

make

sure

everyone

has

the

necessary

qualifications

and

experience

Crew

members

doing

specialist

jobs

or

working

on

particular

types

of

craft

may

need

special

training

Officers

Officers

in

your

crew

must

have

the

necessary

certificates

of

competency

CoCs

Check

that

officers

CoCs

are

valid

on

the

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

website

Officers

may

need

special

training

if

working

on

tankers

high

speed

craft

or

passenger

ships

Merchant

navy

ratings

Make

sure

that

all

crew

have

the

correct

rating

for

the

work

they

’ll

be

doing

Watch

ratings

need

a

CoC

if

they

’re

performing

navigation

or

engine

room

duties

Crew

on

large

yachts

metres

long

or

over

You

must

make

sure

your

crew

have

a

MCA

Yacht

Rating

Certificate

or

other

MCA

recognised

qualification

for

example

an

able

seaman

AB

certificate

issued

under

the

International

Labour

Organisation

ILO

AB

Convention

a

UK

efficient

deck

hand

EDH

certificate

a

navigational

or

engine

room

watch

rating

certificate

issued

under

Standards

of

Training

Certification

and

Watchkeeping

STCW

Certificates

of

competency

You

must

follow

international

regulations

from

Standards

in

Training

Certification

and

Watchkeeping

for

Seafarers

STCW

if

you

have

a

commercial

vessel

going

to

sea

Some

crew

members

need

a

certificate

of

competency

CoC

or

certificate

of

equivalent

competency

CEC

to

carry

out

certain

duties

For

seafarers

CoCs

to

remain

valid

on

certain

types

of

ship

they

’ll

need

to

meet

new

training

standards

in

line

with

STCW

regulations

Manila

Amendments

Deck

officers

Masters

and

other

deck

department

officers

need

a

CoC

if

they

’re

performing

bridge

watch

keeping

duties

navigational

duties

CoCs

for

deck

officers

are

restricted

depending

on

the

size

of

the

ship

or

yacht

the

area

of

sea

where

it

will

operate

Download

an

application

for

a

CoC

for

masters

chief

mates

and

deck

officers

in

the

merchant

navy

masters

chief

mates

and

deck

officers

on

yachts

You

can

use

a

Certificate

of

Service

instead

if

you

have

one

These

were

issued

until

Engineer

officers

Engineer

officers

on

a

ship

or

yacht

with

a

power

output

of

kilowatts

or

more

need

a

CoC.

There

are

different

CoCs

for

engineer

officers

depending

on

the

power

output

of

the

ship

or

yacht

the

area

of

sea

where

it

will

be

operating

Download

an

application

for

a

CoC

for

a

merchant

navy

engineering

officer

a

yacht

engineering

officer

Revalidating

CoCs

Deck

and

engineering

officers

must

revalidate

their

certificate

every

years

They

do

this

by

showing

they

’ve

completed

either

months

sea

service

in

the

last

years

months

sea

service

in

the

last

months

years

in

a

relevant

job

contact

the

MCA

for

advice

Use

form

MSF

if

someone

you

want

to

hire

ca

n’t

revalidate

their

CoC

because

they

do

n’t

meet

the

requirements

Watch

ratings

Watch

ratings

on

merchant

ships

need

a

CoC

if

they

’re

performing

navigation

or

engine

room

duties

Radio

operators

Radio

operators

need

CoCs

if

they

handle

distress

and

safety

radio

communications

All

radio

personnel

serving

on

UK

registered

ships

must

have

either

a

Restricted

Operator

’s

Certificate

ROC

a

General

Operator

’s

Certificate

GOC

Other

crew

Ships

cooks

and

security

officers

may

also

need

a

CoC.

More

information

To

find

out

more

about

the

certification

structure

and

examination

and

training

requirements

read

MSN

M+F

for

merchant

navy

deck

officers

MSN

M+F

for

merchant

navy

engineer

officers

Contact

the

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

to

find

out

which

members

of

your

crew

need

a

CoC.

Certificate

of

equivalent

competency

CEC

A

CEC

allows

officers

holding

Standards

of

Training

Certification

and

Watchkeeping

STCW

certificates

issued

by

some

non

UK

countries

to

work

as

officers

on

UK

registered

merchant

ships

To

get

a

CEC

your

crew

member

must

complete

the

CEC

application

form

As

part

of

the

application

process

they

may

be

asked

to

prove

their

standards

of

competency

ability

to

use

the

English

language

this

may

include

an

oral

exam

knowledge

of

UK

law

relating

to

their

job

Read

more

about

CECs

or

download

part

of

the

MCA

’s

training

and

certification

guidance

for

more

information

Crew

agreements

A

crew

agreement

is

an

employment

contract

between

a

ship

or

yacht

’s

owners

and

its

crew

All

crew

agreements

must

have

a

cover

with

details

of

the

ship

and

its

owners

an

up

to

date

crew

list

with

names

dates

of

birth

and

addresses

a

list

of

anyone

on

board

who

is

under

or

exempt

from

a

crew

agreement

contractual

clauses

for

each

crew

member

A

crew

agreement

can

last

up

to

months

After

this

period

a

new

agreement

must

be

drawn

up

What

goes

in

a

contractual

clause

Clauses

must

include

the

name

of

the

crew

member

a

description

of

the

journey(s

that

the

agreement

relates

to

the

crew

member

’s

job

description

details

of

their

pay

hours

and

leave

details

of

required

notice

and

how

the

crew

agreement

can

be

terminated

The

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

gives

guidance

on

drawing

up

crew

agreements

for

merchant

ships

and

yachts

download

MGN

Approval

of

crew

agreements

merchant

ships

download

MGN

Approval

of

crew

agreements

yachts

Contact

MCA

for

advice

on

drawing

up

a

crew

agreement

What

to

do

once

you

’ve

drawn

up

a

crew

agreement

Get

every

crew

member

to

sign

the

agreement

when

they

join

the

ship

and

at

the

end

of

the

journey

File

the

agreement

with

the

shipping

registry

in

the

ship

’s

flag

state

the

country

where

it

’s

registered

Display

a

copy

on

board

the

vessel

Send

a

copy

with

the

official

log

book

if

a

merchant

ship

to

a

superintendent

or

proper

officer

within

days

of

its

expiry

Who

signs

a

crew

agreement

Most

of

the

people

on

board

a

ship

or

yacht

must

sign

the

crew

agreement

However

certain

personnel

will

have

separate

employment

contracts

and

wo

n’t

have

to

sign

like

captains

bodyguards

nannies

entertainment

staff

Travel

documents

All

crew

members

must

have

either

a

valid

passport

a

Seafarers

Identity

Document

SID

containing

a

photograph

signature

or

fingerprints

and

a

description

of

the

holder

including

their

nationality

The

standard

seafarer

’s

identity

document

for

British

citizens

is

the

British

seaman

’s

card

Crew

lists

The

master

or

skipper

of

a

UK

registered

ship

must

provide

the

ship

’s

owner

with

a

copy

of

an

up

to

date

crew

list

at

the

start

of

each

journey

They

must

also

tell

the

owner

if

there

are

any

changes

of

crew

during

the

journey

If

a

ship

is

lost

at

sea

the

crew

list

will

be

used

to

find

out

who

is

missing

The

ship

’s

owner

should

hand

the

crew

list

in

to

a

local

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

Marine

Office

or

post

it

to


How

to

claim

Tax

credits

have

been

replaced

by

Universal

Credit

You

can

only

make

a

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

or

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

tax

credits

You

’ll

need

to

update

your

existing

tax

credit

claim

by

reporting

a

change

in

your

circumstances

online

or

by

phone

If

you

can

not

apply

for

tax

credits

you

can

apply

for

Universal

Credit

instead

You

might

be

able

to

apply

for

Pension

Credit

if

you

and

your

partner

are

State

Pension

age

or

over

When

to

claim

Apply

as

soon

as

you

know

you

’re

eligible

so

you

get

all

the

money

you

’re

entitled

to

You

can

claim

tax

credits

at

any

time

of

year

If

you

know

your

income

will

go

down

Apply

straight

away

if

you

know

your

income

will

drop

to

a

level

that

means

you

’ll

be

eligible

for

tax

credits

For

example

you

could

make

a

claim

now

if

you

found

out

your

income

is

going

to

drop

in

months

time

The

income

levels

for

Working

Tax

Credit

and

Child

Tax

Credit

are

different

Usually

tax

credits

are

backdated

by

up

to

days

from

the

start

of

your

claim

Joint

claims

You

can

apply

for

tax

credits

as

a

single

person

or

as

a

couple

known

as

a

joint

claim

if

you

’re

both

or

over

and

living

in

the

UK

Usually

you

must

make

a

joint

claim

if

you

’re

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

and

not

permanently

or

legally

separated

you

live

with

your

partner

as

though

you

’re

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

you

’re

temporarily

living

away

from

one

another

for

example

looking

after

a

relative

or

working

away

from

home

your

partner

is

working

abroad

for

the

government

You

might

also

need

to

make

a

joint

claim

if

you

and

your

partner

are

not

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

but

sometimes

live

in

the

same

house

have

a

joint

financial

agreement

have

dependent

children

Exceptions

You

do

not

always

make

a

joint

claim

because

you

have

a

partner

For

example

make

a

single

claim

if

you

live

in

the

UK

but

your

partner

lives

abroad

unless

your

partner

works

for

the

government

you

both

live

abroad

you

’re

from

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

and

you

work

in

the

UK

but

your

partner

does

not

If

you

’re

not

sure

Call

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

to

find

out

if

you

should

make

a

joint

claim

You

must

pay

back

any

tax

credits

you

’re

not

entitled

to

if

you

do

not

make

the

right

sort

of

application

Backdate

a

claim

When

you

make

a

claim

your

tax

credits

are

usually

backdated

automatically

by

up

to

days

You

do

not

have

to

do

anything

If

you

’re

claiming

other

benefits

You

have

to

ask

for

your

tax

credits

to

be

backdated

if

you

get

Income

Support

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

based

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

income

related

Pension

Credit

You

might

not

get

the

full

backdated

claim

if

you

stopped

getting

one

of

these

benefits

in

the

last

days

and

you

’re

claiming

both

Child

Tax

Credit

and

Working

Tax

Credit

Backdating

by

more

than

days

Tax

credit

claims

can

sometimes

be

backdated

by

more

than

days

if

you

apply

within

a

month

of

getting

refugee

status

apply

within

days

of

qualifying

for

certain

sickness

or

disability

benefits

such

as

Disability

Living

Allowance

or

Personal

Independence

Payment

Do

not

apply

to

backdate

these

claims

until

you

’ve

been

given

a

decision

on

your

refugee

status

or

disability

benefits

You

should

still

apply

for

other

tax

credits

if

you

already

qualify

for

them

for

example

if

you

have

children

How

to

backdate

a

claim

If

you

’re

claiming

over

the

phone

call

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

to

ask

them

to

backdate

your

claim

If

you

’re

using

claim

form

include

a

page

confirming

your

name

address

and

National

Insurance

number

the

date

you

started

work

the

date

you

started

getting

one

of

the

benefits

listed

if

you

’re

not

in

work

the

date

you

got

a

decision

on

your

refugee

status

or

disability

benefits

if

you

’re

applying

to

backdate

by

more

than

days

What

counts

as

income

Usually

what

you

’re

entitled

to

is

based

on

your

income

for

the

last

tax

year

April

to

April

Income

includes

money

from

employment

before

tax

and

National

Insurance

including

if

you

can

not

work

but

you

’re

still

getting

paid

on

furlough

check

your

or

payslips

earnings

if

you

’re

self

employed

before

tax

and

National

Insurance

including

grants

from

the

Self

Employment

Income

Support

Scheme

check

your

Self

Assessment

tax

return

money

from

some

coronavirus

payments

benefits

from

your

employer

check

your

certain

state

benefits

money

from

a

pension

including

your

State

Pension

interest

on

savings

your

partner

’s

income

if

you

make

a

joint

claim

UK

company

dividends

profit

from

a

property

you

own

or

rent

out

in

the

UK

earnings

from

the

Rent

a

Room

Scheme

above

or

if

you

’re

a

joint

owner

payment

above

because

your

job

ended

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

has

detailed

guidance

if

you

need

help

working

out

your

income

Benefits

Income

includes

money

from

UK

state

benefits

or

their

foreign

equivalents

except

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

or

tax

free

benefits

Tax

free

benefits

include

Child

Benefit

Housing

Benefit

Attendance

Allowance

Disability

Living

Allowance

Personal

Independence

Payment

the

foreign

equivalents

of

UK

tax

free

benefits

To

support

your

claim

keep

records

of

your

income

bills

payslips

benefits

tax

credits

childcare

and

child

’s

education

for

the

current

tax

year

and

at

least

years

before

that

Work

out

your

hours

Put

the

number

of

hours

you

work

in

a

normal

week

on

your

claim

form

Add

all

your

hours

together

if

you

have

more

than

one

job

If

you

’ve

just

started

work

put

the

hours

you

expect

to

work

Type

of

work

How

to

work

out

your

hours

Employed

Include

overtime

but

not

unpaid

breaks

Self

employed

Include

all

the

time

you

spend

on

your

business

once

you

’ve

set

it

up

Seasonal

Put

the

hours

you

’re

working

at

the

moment

Regular

term

time

Put

the

hours

you

work

during

term

time

Agency

Decide

your

normal

hours

with

your

employer

On

call

Only

count

the

hours

you

’re

called

to

work

On

standby

Do

not

count

the

time

when

you

’re

not

paid


Overview

The

basic

school

curriculum

includes

the

national

curriculum

as

well

as

religious

education

and

sex

education

The

national

curriculum

is

a

set

of

subjects

and

standards

used

by

primary

and

secondary

schools

so

children

learn

the

same

things

It

covers

what

subjects

are

taught

and

the

standards

children

should

reach

in

each

subject

Other

types

of

school

like

academies

and

private

schools

do

not

have

to

follow

the

national

curriculum

Academies

must

teach

a

broad

and

balanced

curriculum

including

English

maths

and

science

They

must

also

teach

religious

education

Key

stages

The

national

curriculum

is

organised

into

blocks

of

years

called

key

stages

KS

At

the

end

of

each

key

stage

the

teacher

will

formally

assess

your

child

’s

performance

Child

’s

age

Year

Key

stage

Assessment

to

Early

years

to

Reception

Early

years

Teacher

assessments

there

’s

also

an

optional

assessment

at

the

start

of

the

year

to

Year

Phonics

screening

check

to

Year

National

tests

and

teacher

assessments

in

English

maths

and

science

to

Year

to

Year

to

Year

to

Year

National

tests

and

teacher

assessments

in

English

and

maths

and

teacher

assessments

in

science

to

Year

to

Year

to

Year

to

Year

Some

children

take

GCSEs

to

Year

Most

children

take

GCSEs

or

other

national

Assessments

By

the

end

of

each

summer

term

the

school

must

write

a

report

on

your

child

’s

progress

and

talk

it

through

with

you

Key

stage

and

Compulsory

national

curriculum

subjects

at

primary

school

are

English

maths

science

design

and

technology

history

geography

art

and

design

music

physical

education

PE

including

swimming

computing

ancient

and

modern

foreign

languages

at

key

stage

Schools

must

provide

religious

education

RE

but

parents

can

ask

for

their

children

to

be

taken

out

of

the

whole

lesson

or

part

of

it

Schools

often

also

teach

personal

social

and

health

education

PSHE

citizenship

modern

foreign

languages

at

key

stage

Tests

and

assessments

Year

phonics

screening

check

The

check

will

take

place

in

June

when

your

child

will

read

words

out

loud

to

a

teacher

You

’ll

find

out

how

your

child

did

and

their

teacher

will

assess

whether

he

or

she

needs

extra

help

with

reading

If

your

child

does

not

do

well

enough

in

the

check

they

’ll

have

to

do

it

again

in

Year

Key

stage

Key

stage

tests

cover

English

reading

English

grammar

punctuation

and

spelling

maths

Your

child

will

take

the

tests

in

May

You

can

ask

the

school

for

the

test

results

You

’ll

be

sent

the

results

of

your

child

’s

teacher

assessments

automatically

Key

stage

Your

child

will

take

national

tests

in

May

when

they

reach

the

end

of

key

stage

These

test

your

child

’s

skills

in

English

reading

English

grammar

punctuation

and

spelling

maths

The

tests

last

less

than

hours

You

’ll

get

the

results

in

July

The

school

will

send

you

the

results

of

your

child

’s

tests

and

teacher

assessments

Key

stage

and

Key

stage

Compulsory

national

curriculum

subjects

are

English

maths

science

history

geography

modern

foreign

languages

design

and

technology

art

and

design

music

physical

education

citizenship

computing

Schools

must

provide

religious

education

RE

and

sex

education

from

key

stage

but

parents

can

ask

for

their

children

to

be

taken

out

of

the

whole

lesson

or

part

of

it

Key

stage

During

key

stage

most

pupils

work

towards

national

qualifications

usually

GCSEs

The

compulsory

national

curriculum

subjects

are

the

core

and

foundation

subjects

Core

subjects

are

English

maths

science

Foundation

subjects

are

computing

physical

education

citizenship

Schools

must

also

offer

at

least

one

subject

from

each

of

these

areas

arts

design

and

technology

humanities

modern

foreign

languages

They

must

also

provide

religious

education

RE

and

sex

education

at

key

stage

English

Baccalaureate

EBacc

The

EBacc

is

a

way

to

measure

how

many

pupils

in

a

school

choose

to

take

a

GCSE

in

these

core

subjects

English

language

and

literature

maths

the

sciences

history

or

geography

a

language

Find

out

more

about

the

EBacc

Other

compulsory

subjects

Children

must

also

study

sex

and

relationships

education

year

onwards

religious

education

RE

They

may

not

have

to

take

exams

in

these

subjects

Sex

and

relationship

education

Sex

and

relationship

education

SRE

is

compulsory

from

age

onwards

It

involves

teaching

children

about

reproduction

sexuality

and

sexual

health

It

does

not

promote

early

sexual

activity

or

any

particular

sexual

orientation

Some

parts

of

sex

and

relationship

education

are

compulsory

these

are

part

of

the

national

curriculum

for

science

Parents

can

withdraw

their

children

from

all

other

parts

of

sex

and

relationship

education

if

they

want

All

schools

must

have

a

written

policy

on

sex

education

which

they

must

make

available

to

parents

for

free

Religious

education

Schools

have

to

teach

RE

but

parents

can

withdraw

their

children

for

all

or

part

of

the

lessons

Pupils

can

choose

to

withdraw

themselves

once

they

’re

Local

councils

are

responsible

for

deciding

the

RE

syllabus

but

faith

schools

and

academies

can

set

their

own


The

law

Some

forms

of

bullying

are

illegal

and

should

be

reported

to

the

police

These

include

violence

or

assault

theft

repeated

harassment

or

intimidation

for

example

name

calling

threats

and

abusive

phone

calls

emails

or

text

messages

hate

crimes

Call

if

you

or

someone

else

is

in

immediate

danger

Schools

and

the

law

By

law

all

state

not

private

schools

must

have

a

behaviour

policy

in

place

that

includes

measures

to

prevent

all

forms

of

bullying

among

pupils

This

policy

is

decided

by

the

school

All

teachers

pupils

and

parents

must

be

told

what

it

is

Anti

discrimination

law

Schools

must

also

follow

anti

discrimination

law

This

means

staff

must

act

to

prevent

discrimination

harassment

and

victimisation

within

the

school

This

applies

to

all

schools

in

England

and

Wales

and

most

schools

in

Scotland

Northern

Ireland

has

different

anti

discrimination

law

Reporting

bullying

You

should

report

bullying

to

your

school

in

the

first

place

or

someone

you

trust

if

it

happens

outside

school

for

example

in

a

club

or

online

Tell

the

police

if

the

bullying

involves

a

crime

Schools

reporting

bullying

School

staff

will

deal

with

bullying

in

different

ways

depending

on

how

serious

the

bullying

is

They

might

deal

with

it

in

school

for

example

by

disciplining

bullies

or

they

might

report

it

to

the

police

or

social

services

Any

discipline

must

take

account

of

special

educational

needs

or

disabilities

that

the

pupils

involved

may

have

You

can

complain

about

a

school

if

you

think

it

has

n’t

dealt

with

your

concerns

Police

reporting

bullying

Anyone

can

make

a

complaint

to

the

police

about

bullying

but

it

’s

usually

a

good

idea

to

speak

to

your

school

first

If

you

’re

reporting

cyberbullying

keep

a

record

of

the

date

and

time

of

the

calls

emails

or

texts

do

n’t

delete

any

messages

you

receive

Call

if

you

or

someone

else

is

in

immediate

danger

Where

to

get

help

and

advice

There

are

lots

of

organisations

that

provide

support

and

advice

if

you

’re

worried

about

bullying

Anti

Bullying

Alliance

Bullying

UK

Childline

The

Diana

Award

Internet

Matters

Kidscape

The

UK

Safer

Internet

Centre

UK

Council

for

Child

Internet

Safety

UKCCIS

Bullying

outside

school

Head

teachers

have

the

legal

power

to

make

sure

pupils

behave

outside

of

school

premises

state

schools

only

This

includes

bullying

that

happens

anywhere

off

the

school

premises

for

example

on

public

transport

or

in

a

town

centre

School

staff

can

also

choose

to

report

bullying

to

the

police

or

local

council

Bullying

a

definition

There

is

no

legal

definition

of

bullying

However

it

’s

usually

defined

as

behaviour

that

is

repeated

intended

to

hurt

someone

either

physically

or

emotionally

often

aimed

at

certain

groups

for

example

because

of

race

religion

gender

or

sexual

orientation

It

takes

many

forms

and

can

include

physical

assault

teasing

making

threats

name

calling

cyberbullying

bullying

via

mobile

phone

or

online

for

example

email

social

networks

and

instant

messenger

Your

school

should

have

its

own

policy

to

stop

bullying