Overview

Agricultural

workers

in

Wales

and

those

employed

in

England

before

October

are

normally

entitled

to

minimum

rates

of

pay

which

may

be

higher

than

the

National

Minimum

Wage

paid

holiday

Agricultural

Sick

Pay

pay

even

if

bad

weather

stops

work

night

work

pay

on

call

allowance

minute

rest

breaks

if

they

are

or

over

and

work

more

than

hours

a

day

There

are

different

employment

rights

for

agricultural

workers

employed

in

England

from

October

There

are

also

different

rules

for

agricultural

workers

rights

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Terms

and

conditions

England

Agricultural

workers

in

England

employed

before

October

still

have

the

terms

and

conditions

set

out

in

the

Agricultural

Wages

England

and

Wales

Order

Wales

Before

starting

work

employers

must

give

agricultural

workers

in

Wales

an

Agricultural

Wage

Order

This

sets

out

many

of

the

terms

and

conditions

of

employment

But

employers

must

still

give

agricultural

workers

a

written

statement

of

employment

particulars

This

sets

out

many

of

the

terms

and

conditions

of

employment

However

agricultural

workers

must

still

be

given

a

written

statement

of

employment

particulars

by

their

employer

Trainees

Trainees

have

different

rights

for

example

they

do

not

get

paid

holidays

Help

and

advice

If

you

were

employed

in

England

before

October

you

can

contact

the

Acas

helpline

or

use

the

Acas

Helpline

Online

to

get

further

advice

You

can

also

make

a

complaint

to

the

Rural

Payments

agency

For

queries

about

wages

and

rights

in

Wales

after

October

contact

the

Agriculture

Sustainable

Development

Division

What

counts

as

an

agricultural

worker

An

agricultural

worker

is

someone

who

works

in

farming

and

rearing

animals

growing

produce

including

non

edible

crops

like

bulbs

plants

and

flowers

forestry

market

gardens

and

nurseries

maintaining

meadow

or

pasture

land

woodlands

and

reed

beds

This

list

does

not

include

everything

If

you

’re

not

sure

if

a

job

counts

as

work

in

agriculture

call

the

Acas

helpline

Pay

and

overtime

Agricultural

workers

in

England

must

be

paid

at

least

the

National

Minimum

Wage

Workers

employed

before

the

rules

changed

on

October

still

have

the

right

to

the

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

if

it

says

so

in

their

contract

Agricultural

workers

in

Wales

must

be

paid

at

least

the

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

or

the

National

Minimum

Wage

if

that

’s

higher

The

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

depends

on

the

worker

’s

job

grade

and

category

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

Grades

to

If

a

worker

’s

contract

says

they

should

work

hours

a

week

not

including

overtime

they

must

be

paid

the

weekly

rate

otherwise

they

must

be

paid

the

hourly

rate

Weekly

pay

Hourly

pay

Hourly

overtime

Grade

compulsory

school

age

n

a

Grade

above

compulsory

school

age

Grade

Grade

Grade

Grade

Grade

Full

time

and

part

time

flexible

workers

Flexible

workers

must

be

paid

at

least

the

weekly

rate

if

they

are

full

time

or

at

least

the

hourly

rate

if

they

are

part

time

Hourly

pay

Weekly

pay

Hourly

overtime

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Grade

days

per

week

Apprentices

For

years

and

above

apprentices

must

receive

at

least

the

rate

for

Grade

workers

Weekly

pay

Hourly

pay

Hourly

overtime

Year

any

age

Year

age

to

Year

age

to

Year

age

and

over

Trainees

A

trainee

does

not

have

to

be

paid

for

the

hours

they

’re

being

trained

holidays

They

should

be

paid

for

any

work

done

as

part

of

a

separate

contract

Training

courses

If

an

employed

worker

is

on

a

training

course

they

should

be

paid

at

least

their

normal

wage

including

for

the

time

spent

travelling

to

and

from

the

training

Overtime

Overtime

must

be

paid

if

a

person

works

more

than

basic

hours

in

a

week

more

than

hours

in

a

day

any

hours

over

the

normal

working

hours

in

the

employment

contract

on

a

public

or

bank

holiday

on

a

Sunday

if

the

contract

started

before

October

Piece

work

Even

if

they

are

paid

for

completing

a

task

for

example

for

each

box

of

fruit

packed

a

worker

must

be

paid

the

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

according

to

the

hours

they

work

Night

work

A

worker

who

works

at

any

time

between

pm

and

am

must

be

paid

per

hour

more

than

their

basic

pay

rate

Dog

allowance

If

a

worker

keeps

a

dog

for

their

job

they

must

get

a

week

for

each

dog

Tied

accommodation

If

a

worker

gets

a

house

or

self

contained

accommodation

as

part

of

their

job

they

can

be

paid

less

than

their

normal

weekly

pay

They

may

automatically

get

an

agricultural

tenancy

If

the

accommodation

is

not

a

house

for

example

a

caravan

they

can

be

paid

less

each

day

they

stay

there

Accommodation

must

be

safe

warm

secure

and

have

toilet

and

washing

facilities

and

fresh

drinking

water

On

call

allowance

The

on

call

allowance

for

a

worker

is

hours

overtime

pay

for

their

grade

and

is

paid

if

they

are

not

at

work

but

have

an

arrangement

with

their

employer

to

be

contactable

by

an

agreed

method

to

be

able

to

reach

their

workplace

within

an

agreed

time

If

they

are

called

into

work

they

must

be

paid

overtime

for

the

hours

they

work

or

for

hours

whichever

is

the

higher

Sick

pay

Agricultural

workers

are

entitled

to

sick

pay

meaning

they

’ll

get

at

least

the

Agricultural

Minimum

Wage

when

they

’re

off

Grades

and

categories

The

minimum

wage

and

other

rights

and

entitlements

for

agricultural

workers

depends

on

their

grade

and

category

Grades

An

agricultural

worker

’s

grade

is

based

on

their

skills

and

responsibilities

Grade

initial

grade

A

grade

worker

is

usually

supervised

and

works

on

simple

tasks

like

harvesting

or

packing

They

have

the

right

to

be

trained

to

become

a

grade

worker

once

they

’ve

worked

for

the

same

employer

continuously

for

weeks

Grade

standard

worker

Someone

is

a

grade

worker

if

they

have

one

of

the

following

a

vocational

qualification

of

at

least

NVQ

at

level

a

certificate

of

competence

for

the

agricultural

sector

they

work

in

Someone

is

also

a

grade

worker

if

they

work

mainly

unsupervised

work

with

animals

use

powered

machinery

drive

a

tractor

Grade

lead

worker

If

someone

has

worked

in

agriculture

for

at

least

of

the

past

years

they

’re

a

grade

worker

if

they

have

either

a

National

Certificate

in

agriculture

or

horticulture

certificates

of

competence

or

non

accredited

competencies

for

the

agricultural

sector

they

work

in

Someone

is

also

a

grade

worker

if

they

manage

a

team

but

not

discipline

team

members

their

employer

views

them

as

a

grade

team

leader

and

they

’ve

completed

a

one

month

maximum

trial

period

Grade

craft

grade

Someone

is

a

grade

worker

if

they

have

an

NVQ

level

vocational

qualification

certificates

of

competence

for

the

agricultural

sector

they

work

in

They

should

also

have

worked

for

the

same

employer

continuously

for

months

since

getting

this

qualification

worked

in

agriculture

for

at

least

of

the

past

years

There

are

other

qualifications

for

grade

you

can

get

more

help

and

advice

Grade

supervisory

grade

A

grade

worker

is

responsible

for

either

supervising

work

on

a

farm

on

a

daily

basis

instructing

supervising

and

disciplining

staff

Grade

farm

management

grade

A

grade

worker

has

either

management

responsibility

for

a

farm

or

part

of

a

farm

if

it

’s

run

as

a

separate

business

responsibility

for

employing

disciplining

and

dismissing

staff

Categories

An

agricultural

worker

’s

category

depends

on

their

duties

responsibilities

and/or

qualifications

Flexible

workers

Flexible

workers

must

have

a

written

flexible

working

agreement

A

full

time

flexible

worker

works

a

basic

hour

week

the

hours

can

vary

over

different

days

set

working

hours

and

working

days

which

can

not

be

changed

unless

agreed

with

the

employer

on

a

Sunday

when

needed

A

part

time

flexible

worker

works

less

than

basic

hours

a

week

the

hours

can

vary

over

different

days

set

working

hours

and

working

days

which

can

not

be

changed

unless

agreed

with

the

employer

Trainee

A

trainee

is

someone

who

is

on

work

experience

as

part

of

a

Business

Innovation

and

Skills

approved

training

scheme

on

work

experience

in

agriculture

as

part

of

the

Diploma

in

Environmental

and

Land

Based

Studies

for

to

year

olds

taking

part

in

the

second

phase

of

the

European

Leonardo

da

Vinci

Programme

Apprentice

Rights

for

apprentices

are

different

Agricultural

tenancies

If

an

agricultural

worker

gets

a

self

contained

home

as

part

of

their

job

they

may

automatically

have

an

assured

agricultural

occupancy

This

will

not

happen

if

they

had

a

written

notice

at

the

start

of

the

tenancy

saying

that

it

was

an

assured

shorthold

tenancy

instead

How

it

starts

An

assured

agricultural

occupancy

starts

when

the

worker

has

been

employed

in

agriculture

by

any

employer

for

weeks

of

the

last

including

paid

holiday

and

sick

leave

and

the

tenant

works

hours

or

more

a

week

the

accommodation

is

owned

by

the

farmer

or

arranged

by

them

Who

can

get

one

The

tenant

must

be

a

serving

farm

worker

or

a

farm

manager

or

family

worker

retired

farm

worker

farm

worker

forced

to

give

up

work

former

farm

worker

who

has

taken

other

employment

deceased

farm

worker

’s

widow

widower

or

family

member

of

a

worker

and

were

living

with

the

worker

when

they

died

They

have

to

have

been

working

for

the

farmer

who

provides

or

arranges

the

accommodation

You

can

get

more

detailed

information

on

who

can

get

an

assured

agricultural

occupancy

in

agricultural

lettings

Rent

increases

The

rent

can

go

up

at

any

time

if

the

worker

agrees

if

they

do

not

then

it

can

only

go

up

yearly

unless

a

different

interval

is

stated

in

the

tenancy

agreement

The

farmer

must

tell

the

worker

in

writing

before

putting

the

rent

up

The

employment

ends

If

the

worker

loses

their

job

or

retires

they

can

stay

in

the

accommodation

The

farmer

can

ask

them

to

start

paying

rent

or

a

higher

rent

than

before

If

the

farmer

and

worker

can

not

agree

on

a

rent

they

can

go

to

a

rent

assessment

committee

If

the

farmer

wants

the

property

back

they

can

apply

to

the

courts

although

they

may

have

to

provide

the

tenant

with

suitable

alternative

accommodation

If

nothing

suitable

is

available

the

tenant

may

be

entitled

to

re

housing

by

the

council

The

farmer

wants

to

end

the

tenancy

The

farmer

may

want

the

property

back

for

a

new

worker

or

to

end

the

tenancy

because

the

worker

is

not

paying

the

rent

breaking

terms

of

the

tenancy

agreement

damaging

the

property

or

its

contents

being

a

nuisance

to

neighbours

If

the

worker

does

not

leave

willingly

the

farmer

will

have

to

go

to

court

and

the

court

will

decide

whether

the

worker

has

to

go

If

the

worker

is

still

a

serving

farm

worker

the

farmer

may

have

to

provide

alternative

accommodation

If

a

tenant

dies

The

tenancy

will

automatically

pass

to

their

husband

or

wife

If

they

did

not

have

a

husband

or

wife

it

can

pass

to

another

family

member

if

they

lived

there

for

the

years

before

the

worker

’s

death

Gangmasters

An

individual

or

business

that

provides

workers

for

agricultural

work

is

called

a

gangmaster

Gangmasters

must

be

licensed

if

they

provide

workers

for

agriculture

horticulture

dairy

farming

food

and

drink

processing

or

packaging

forestry

gathering

shellfish

anybody

who

uses

supplied

workers

to

gather

shellfish

also

needs

to

be

licensed

There

are

some

jobs

in

these

industries

that

do

not

need

a

gangmaster

licence

You

can

check

if

a

gangmaster

is

licensed

Changes

to

employment

terms

and

conditions

From

October

the

terms

and

conditions

changed

for

agricultural

and

horticultural

workers

in

England

who

begin

new

jobs

This

includes

workers

supplied

by

a

gangmaster

Employment

started

on

or

after

October

Workers

must

receive

at

least

the

National

Minimum

Wage

other

statutory

minimum

terms

of

employment

Employment

started

before

October

Workers

including

those

supplied

by

a

gangmaster

are

still

entitled

to

the

terms

and

conditions

of

their

contract

For

example

this

might

mean

workers

are

entitled

to

overtime

rates

agricultural

sick

pay

and

dog

allowance

Where

accommodation

is

provided

in

a

contract

workers

can

continue

living

in

that

accommodation

These

entitlements

and

any

other

terms

and

conditions

already

agreed

will

continue

to

apply

unless

the

contract

is

changed

by

mutual

agreement

or

it

finishes

Workers

must

always

be

paid

at

least

the

appropriate

National

Minimum

Wage

A

worker

’s

rate

must

be

raised

if

it

ever

falls

below

the

minimum

Enforcement

of

workers

rights

Workers

should

contact

the

Acas

helpline

if

they

’re

concerned

that

they

’re

not

working

under

the

right

terms

and

conditions

Wales

There

is

no

change

in

terms

and

conditions

for

workers

in

Wales

after

October

Workers

should

contact

the

Agriculture

Sustainable

Development

Division

if

they

’re

concerned

they

’re

not

working

under

the

correct

terms

and

conditions


Overview

You

must

use

the

Rural

Land

Register

RLR

to

register

agricultural

land

You

can

register

any

type

of

land

or

property

with

HM

Land

Registry

You

must

register

your

land

with

both

the

RLR

and

HM

Land

Registry

to

claim

from

most

land

based

funding

schemes

including

Environmental

Stewardship

schemes

the

English

Woodland

Grant

Scheme

Register

with

your

local

Rural

Payments

and

Inspections

Directorate

RPID

office

if

your

land

is

in

Scotland

What

to

register

You

only

need

to

register

land

that

you

want

to

claim

payments

on

This

includes

land

that

you

farm

qualifies

for

land

based

payment

schemes

for

example

because

it

has

environmental

value

What

you

’ll

get

You

’ll

get

a

complete

set

of

maps

showing

your

registered

land

Who

can

register

Customer

registration

You

need

to

register

as

a

customer

with

the

Rural

Payments

Agency

RPA

before

you

register

your

land

You

’ll

need

to

tell

them

the

name

and

address

of

your

business

who

is

legally

responsible

for

your

business

the

address

of

your

land

including

the

grid

reference

or

postcode

who

your

main

contact

person

should

be

and

what

powers

they

should

have

The

main

contact

person

can

be

yourself

a

person

legally

responsible

for

your

business

or

someone

independent

an

agent

You

can

give

an

agent

full

powers

empowerment

to

deal

with

your

land

registration

or

partial

powers

for

example

they

can

access

information

but

not

change

it

The

Rural

Payments

Agency

has

produced

a

leaflet

about

the

different

levels

of

empowerment

you

can

give

your

contact

person

Call

the

RPA

to

give

this

information

for

the

first

time

or

change

existing

contact

details

for

your

business

You

’ll

receive

a

Single

Business

Identifier

for

your

business

and

each

person

will

get

a

Personal

Identifier

You

’ll

need

these

to

register

your

land

Landlords

and

tenants

Either

the

landlord

or

the

tenant

can

register

land

on

the

Rural

Land

Register

but

the

land

can

only

be

registered

once

However

it

’s

possible

for

the

landlord

to

claim

funds

under

one

land

scheme

and

their

tenant

to

claim

under

another

How

to

register

land

or

change

a

registration

You

can

use

the

form

to

register

new

land

for

the

first

time

make

changes

to

land

already

on

the

Rural

Land

Register

for

example

if

the

boundaries

change

or

if

you

sell

the

land

to

someone

else

Fill

in

the

form

and

post

it

to

the

Rural

Payments

Agency

RPA

You

can

either

download

the

form

below

or

ask

the

RPA

to

send

you

a

pre

printed

copy

You

’ll

need

to

give

your

Single

Business

Identifier

you

’ll

get

this

when

you

complete

the

customer

registration

process

for

the

first

time

You

also

need

to

enclose

a

map

with

a

visible

scale

if

you

’re

registering

land

for

the

first

time

or

if

your

boundaries

have

changed

Mark

your

land

boundaries

clearly

with

a

fine

tipped

pen

Read

the

guidance

on

filling

out

form

Contacting

the

RPA

If

you

live

in

Scotland

Wales

or

Northern

Ireland

The

Rural

Land

Register

only

covers

land

in

England

If

your

land

is

in

more

than

one

country

you

’ll

need

to

register

each

piece

of

land

separately

for

each

country

Contact

the

Rural

Payments

Agency

if

you

have

land

in

more

than

one

country

and

have

questions

about

your

land

in

England

Use

the

numbers

below

if

you

have

land

in

more

than

one

country

and

have

questions

about

land

in

Scotland

Northern

Ireland

or

Wales

Land

in

Scotland

Land

in

Northern

Ireland

Land

in

Wales

Find

out

about

call

charges


Overview

You

can

get

copies

of

documents

if

you

need

to

prove

who

owns

or

has

applied

for

a

UK

patent

trade

mark

or

design

registration

There

are

types

of

copy

certified

and

uncertified

Certified

copy

This

is

an

official

document

also

called

a

Certificate

of

the

Registrar

You

need

a

certified

copy

to

register

a

piece

of

intellectual

property

IP

outside

the

UK

prove

legal

ownership

of

intellectual

property

such

as

in

a

court

case

Uncertified

copy

An

uncertified

copy

is

a

photocopy

or

digital

copy

of

the

details

on

the

register

You

can

use

this

for

research

or

personal

use

Request

patent

documents

Use

patents

form

to

apply

for

either

a

certified

or

uncertified

copy

of

a

patent

You

must

send

a

separate

form

for

each

certified

copy

you

need

but

you

can

make

multiple

requests

on

one

form

Fill

in

the

form

and

post

it

The

address

is

on

the

form

You

can

request

uncertified

copies

of

patent

documents

online

How

much

they

cost

Certified

copies

cost

each

Uncertified

copies

cost

Uncertified

copies

by

email

cost

a

set

fee

and

per

page

Request

trade

marks

documents

Use

form

to

get

a

certified

copy

of

a

trade

mark

Certified

copies

cost

each

Fill

in

the

form

and

post

it

The

address

is

on

the

form

Uncertified

copies

Send

an

email

to

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

sales

including

the

trade

mark

number

your

telephone

number

the

address

you

want

the

photocopy

sent

to

Uncertified

copies

usually

cost

large

documents

may

cost

more

Uncertified

copies

by

email

cost

a

set

fee

and

per

page

After

you

email

you

’ll

get

a

quote

and

instructions

on

how

you

pay

Request

design

registration

documents

Use

form

to

request

a

certified

copy

of

a

design

registration

or

application

You

should

use

one

form

for

each

certified

copy

you

’re

requesting

Certified

copies

cost

each

Fill

in

the

form

and

post

it

The

address

is

on

the

form

Uncertified

copies

Send

an

email

to

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

sales

including

the

design

number

your

telephone

number

the

address

you

want

the

photocopy

sent

to

Uncertified

copies

usually

cost

large

documents

may

cost

more

Uncertified

copies

by

email

cost

a

set

fee

and

per

page

After

you

email

you

’ll

get

a

quote

and

instructions

on

how

you

pay


Overview

You

can

usually

get

permission

to

use

someone

else

’s

intellectual

property

IP

by

buying

the

rights

from

them

or

getting

their

permission

to

use

it

Using

someone

’s

trade

mark

patent

copyright

or

design

without

their

permission

is

known

as

IP

infringement

and

could

lead

to

a

fine

prison

or

both

Read

about

IP

crime

and

enforcement

for

more

information

on

the

penalties

Trade

marks

To

use

an

existing

trade

mark

you

should

contact

the

current

owner

Find

the

owner

of

a

registered

trade

mark

by

searching

the

trade

marks

database

Licensing

A

licence

is

a

formal

agreement

to

use

someone

else

’s

trade

mark

You

and

the

owner

must

agree

the

terms

of

the

licence

for

example

the

cost

or

how

long

it

will

last

When

you

’ve

agreed

a

licence

to

use

the

trade

mark

fill

in

the

form

to

record

a

licensee

and

post

it

The

address

is

on

the

form

Post

an

application

to

remove

or

amend

the

record

of

a

licence

when

the

licensing

agreement

ends

or

if

you

need

to

change

it

The

owner

must

sign

any

form

you

send

or

you

must

send

proof

of

the

agreement

with

your

application

Each

application

costs

Buying

You

must

tell

IPO

if

you

become

the

new

owner

of

a

trade

mark

for

example

by

buying

it

or

as

the

result

of

a

company

merger

In

some

cases

the

owner

may

only

sell

you

one

part

of

a

trade

mark

for

example

they

may

not

sell

the

right

to

register

derivative

marks

This

is

known

as

a

partial

assignment

Use

either

Application

to

record

a

change

of

ownership

form

Application

to

record

a

partial

assignment

of

goods

and/or

services

form

Each

application

costs

Fill

in

the

form

and

post

it

The

address

is

on

the

form

Coexistence

agreements

You

may

be

able

to

use

an

identical

trade

mark

for

example

company

name

logo

as

someone

else

by

making

a

coexistence

agreement

This

means

you

agree

that

both

of

you

can

continue

to

use

the

trade

mark

Patents

Contact

the

owner

of

the

patent

to

see

if

they

’ll

license

it

to

you

sell

it

to

you

Search

the

patent

databases

to

find

the

current

owner

Licensing

Any

licence

arrangement

including

cost

is

made

directly

between

you

and

the

patent

owner

You

can

ask

Intellectual

Property

Office

IPO

for

help

to

resolve

patent

disputes

if

you

ca

n’t

reach

an

agreement

IPO

ca

n’t

decide

the

exact

terms

of

the

licence

for

example

the

price

but

can

decide

what

can

and

ca

n’t

be

part

of

a

licence

if

the

patent

owner

must

grant

you

a

licence

known

as

a

compulsory

licence

under

a

patent

Licence

of

right

A

patent

with

licence

of

right

means

that

the

patent

owners

will

give

anyone

a

licence

to

use

it

You

must

still

agree

with

the

owner

on

the

terms

of

the

licence

before

you

can

use

the

patent

You

can

ask

IPO

for

help

if

you

ca

n’t

reach

agreement

Registering

your

licence

Register

a

licence

agreement

or

changes

to

an

existing

licence

for

example

cancellation

by

filling

in

Patents

form

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

You

can

use

the

form

to

record

licences

on

more

than

one

patent

It

costs

for

each

form

you

submit

Buying

a

patent

When

someone

sells

you

a

patent

they

must

transfer

ownership

to

you

You

need

a

written

document

to

record

the

transfer

This

is

known

as

an

assignment

and

must

be

signed

by

the

person

selling

the

patent

A

solicitor

can

help

you

draw

up

this

document

Fill

in

Patents

form

and

return

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

Include

a

copy

of

your

assignment

You

can

use

the

form

to

record

licences

on

more

than

one

patent

It

costs

for

each

form

you

submit

Copyright

You

ca

n’t

copy

or

use

copyright

material

without

permission

For

example

you

ca

n’t

buy

a

painting

and

then

use

copies

of

it

for

a

book

cover

or

buy

a

CD

and

use

a

track

from

it

in

a

film

To

use

something

protected

by

copyright

you

must

either

agree

a

licence

with

the

owner

to

use

it

buy

or

acquire

the

copyright

confirm

that

your

intended

use

falls

within

the

exceptions

to

copyright

Finding

a

copyright

owner

A

person

can

give

permission

if

they

are

the

person

who

made

it

the

creator

or

their

family

or

heirs

the

creator

’s

employer

if

it

was

created

it

as

part

of

the

creator

’s

job

a

person

who

bought

acquired

or

licensed

the

rights

an

organisation

representing

the

copyright

owner

You

may

be

able

to

find

out

who

owns

copyright

from

Writers

Artists

and

their

copyright

holders

WATCH

If

you

ca

n’t

find

out

who

the

copyright

owner

is

check

if

you

need

a

licence

to

use

the

work

Licensing

You

must

agree

the

terms

of

an

agreement

with

the

current

owner

to

use

all

or

part

of

copyright

works

The

licence

agreement

may

allow

you

to

use

it

for

one

or

more

specified

purposes

and

may

apply

only

for

a

limited

time

or

in

specific

places

Exclusive

use

You

’ll

be

the

only

person

able

to

use

something

for

the

duration

of

the

agreement

This

includes

the

copyright

owner

who

wo

n’t

be

able

to

use

it

themselves

while

the

agreement

is

in

place

Limited

use

You

’ll

only

be

given

permission

to

use

something

for

one

or

more

specific

reasons

for

example

publishing

a

photograph

in

one

edition

of

a

magazine

or

using

a

song

as

the

theme

for

one

series

of

a

TV

show

You

need

to

agree

another

licence

if

you

want

to

use

the

material

for

something

else

Creative

Commons

licence

Some

copyright

owners

release

work

under

a

Creative

Commons

licence

You

must

check

what

kind

of

use

the

licence

allows

Buying

copyright

When

you

buy

copyright

the

person

you

’re

buying

from

transfers

the

copyright

to

you

Once

you

own

the

copyright

to

something

you

can

use

it

for

anything

you

like

without

the

creator

’s

express

permission

as

long

as

you

respect

their

moral

rights

You

must

have

a

written

agreement

signed

by

the

copyright

owner

stating

that

they

have

transferred

ownership

of

the

copyright

to

you

Moral

rights

The

creator

may

still

have

certain

rights

regarding

how

their

work

is

used

even

if

you

’ve

bought

the

copyright

Authors

playwrights

composers

artists

and

film

directors

have

the

moral

right

to

be

recognised

as

the

creator

of

the

work

when

copies

are

made

available

to

the

public

to

object

to

the

work

being

altered

in

a

way

that

has

negative

effect

on

their

reputation

to

not

have

someone

else

’s

work

falsely

attributed

to

them

Performers

such

as

actors

or

dancers

have

the

moral

right

to

be

recognised

as

the

performer

of

the

piece

to

object

to

the

performance

being

altered

in

a

way

that

is

damaging

to

their

reputation

The

creator

or

performer

of

a

piece

of

work

to

which

you

own

the

copyright

must

tell

you

if

they

want

to

exercise

these

rights

They

can

choose

whether

or

not

to

use

their

moral

rights

Moral

rights

ca

n’t

be

sold

or

transferred

in

the

same

way

as

copyright

They

last

for

as

long

as

the

piece

of

work

is

covered

by

copyright

Performers

rights

Performers

for

example

in

films

or

broadcasts

may

still

have

economic

rights

to

some

copyright

material

even

if

you

’ve

bought

the

copyright

For

example

if

you

’ve

bought

the

copyright

to

a

filmed

recording

of

a

play

you

may

still

have

to

pay

the

actors

if

you

broadcast

it

Permitted

use

of

copyright

works

You

may

not

need

permission

if

you

’re

using

a

copyright

work

for

the

following

reasons

non

commercial

research

and

private

study

criticism

review

and

reporting

current

events

teaching

in

educational

establishments

helping

disabled

people

recording

for

use

at

a

later

date

You

may

not

need

permission

if

you

only

want

to

use

a

less

than

a

substantial

part

of

a

copyright

protected

work

This

is

decided

on

a

case

by

case

basis

Generally

something

wo

n’t

be

less

than

a

substantial

part

if

it

could

be

seen

as

an

important

part

of

the

work

for

example

a

frame

from

a

film

or

the

conclusions

of

a

report

Get

legal

advice

from

an

intellectual

property

professional

before

using

copyrighted

material

if

you

’re

in

any

doubt

Read

the

guidance

on

exceptions

to

copyright

for

detailed

information

Designs

To

use

a

registered

design

you

must

contact

the

current

owner

and

either

agree

a

licence

to

use

the

design

or

buy

it

from

them

The

licence

between

you

and

the

design

’s

owner

will

tell

you

what

you

can

do

with

the

design

how

long

your

licence

will

last

what

you

have

to

pay

if

anything

You

can

do

anything

with

a

design

that

you

’ve

bought

Fill

in

and

send

form

to

register

a

licence

or

transfer

ownership

of

the

design

the

address

is

on

the

form

There

’s

no

fee


Overview

Environmental

taxes

encourage

your

business

to

operate

in

a

more

environmentally

friendly

way

There

are

taxes

and

schemes

for

different

types

and

size

of

business

You

may

get

reliefs

or

be

exempt

from

some

taxes

for

example

if

you

use

a

lot

of

energy

because

of

the

nature

of

your

business

you

’re

a

small

business

that

does

not

use

much

energy

you

buy

energy

efficient

technology

for

your

business

You

can

pay

less

tax

by

applying

for

schemes

to

help

you

demonstrate

that

you

’re

operating

more

efficiently

and

producing

waste

that

’s

less

damaging

Climate

Change

Levy

Climate

Change

Levy

CCL

is

paid

at

either

the

main

rates

carbon

price

support

CPS

rates

Main

rates

You

pay

CCL

at

the

main

rate

on

electricity

gas

solid

fuels

like

coal

lignite

coke

and

petroleum

coke

The

CCL

main

rates

are

listed

on

your

business

’s

energy

bill

There

’s

more

detailed

information

on

Climate

Change

Levy

rates

and

allowances

Who

it

applies

to

You

pay

the

main

rates

of

CCL

if

your

business

is

in

one

of

the

following

sectors

industrial

commercial

agricultural

public

services

You

do

not

pay

the

main

rate

of

CCL

on

certain

supplies

for

example

if

you

’re

a

business

that

uses

small

amounts

of

energy

domestic

energy

user

charity

engaged

in

non

commercial

activities

Fuels

that

are

exempt

Electricity

gas

and

solid

fuel

are

normally

exempt

from

the

main

rates

of

CCL

if

any

of

the

following

apply

they

will

not

be

used

in

the

UK

they

’re

supplied

to

or

from

certain

combined

heat

and

power

CHP

schemes

registered

under

the

CHP

quality

assurance

CHPQA

programme

the

electricity

was

generated

from

renewable

sources

before

August

they

’re

used

to

produce

electricity

in

a

generating

station

which

has

a

capacity

of

or

greater

they

will

not

be

used

as

fuel

they

’re

used

in

certain

forms

of

transport

There

are

other

exemptions

and

reliefs

Pay

a

reduced

rate

You

can

get

a

reduction

on

the

main

rates

of

CCL

if

you

’re

an

energy

intensive

business

and

have

entered

into

a

climate

change

agreement

CCA

with

the

Environment

Agency

Energy

intensive

businesses

can

get

a

reduction

for

electricity

and

a

reduction

for

gas

liquefied

petroleum

gas

LPG

coal

and

other

solid

fuel

Check

if

your

business

is

eligible

Your

industry

trade

association

can

also

give

advice

Carbon

price

support

rates

The

CPS

rates

of

CCL

encourage

industry

to

use

low

carbon

technology

for

producing

electricity

You

pay

CPS

rates

for

gas

LPG

coal

and

other

solid

fossil

fuels

Who

pays

CPS

rates

The

CPS

rates

of

CCL

are

paid

by

owners

of

electricity

generating

stations

and

operators

of

combined

heat

and

power

CHP

stations

Certain

suppliers

do

not

have

to

pay

CPS

rates

These

include

small

generators

stand

by

generators

and

generating

stations

in

Northern

Ireland

CRC

Energy

Efficiency

Scheme

The

CRC

Energy

Efficiency

Scheme

formerly

known

as

the

Carbon

Reduction

Commitment

covers

large

non

energy

intensive

organisations

for

example

supermarkets

hotels

water

companies

banks

local

authorities

including

state

funded

schools

all

central

government

departments

How

it

works

You

should

already

be

registered

if

your

business

qualifies

for

the

CRC

Energy

Efficiency

Scheme

You

must

now

monitor

and

report

your

emissions

from

gas

and

electricity

use

buy

enough

allowances

to

cover

your

annual

emissions

and

surrender

them

at

the

end

of

the

year

If

you

need

more

help

There

’s

more

detailed

guidance

on

the

scheme

if

you

’re

in

England

or

Wales

Emissions

trading

The

EU

Emissions

Trading

System

EU

ETS

affects

businesses

from

energy

intensive

sectors

like

the

energy

industry

and

certain

manufacturers

It

lets

you

buy

and

sell

greenhouse

gas

emission

allowances

to

reduce

your

organisation

’s

environmental

impact

Large

organisations

not

covered

by

the

EU

ETS

are

covered

by

another

scheme

called

the

CRC

Energy

Efficiency

Scheme

How

it

works

If

your

business

is

covered

by

the

EU

ETS

you

must

meet

targets

by

cutting

your

business

emissions

trading

emissions

allowances

You

’ll

need

to

open

an

EU

Registry

account

so

you

can

trade

allowances

You

can

then

trade

allowances

by

trading

directly

with

other

businesses

buying

or

selling

from

intermediaries

for

example

banks

and

specialist

traders

using

the

services

of

a

broker

joining

one

of

the

several

exchanges

that

list

carbon

allowance

products

bidding

at

UK

government

or

other

EU

member

state

auctions

Calculate

your

greenhouse

gas

emissions

Work

out

your

greenhouse

gas

emissions

by

multiplying

the

amount

of

energy

you

use

by

the

emissions

they

produce

You

need

to

do

this

for

each

type

of

energy

you

use

To

do

this

you

need

to

know

how

much

non

renewable

energy

you

’ve

used

this

information

can

be

found

on

your

gas

electricity

and

water

bills

invoices

and

receipts

the

greenhouse

gases

produced

by

each

type

of

energy

the

emission

factor

these

are

updated

every

year

You

can

calculate

your

carbon

emissions

online

Capital

allowances

on

energy

efficient

items

You

can

claim

capital

allowances

when

you

buy

energy

efficient

or

low

or

zero

carbon

technology

for

your

business

This

reduces

the

amount

of

tax

you

pay

Landfill

Tax

You

pay

tax

on

top

of

your

normal

landfill

fees

if

your

business

gets

rid

of

waste

using

landfill

sites

If

you

get

rid

of

waste

at

sites

not

authorised

for

landfill

you

’ll

be

charged

Landfill

Tax

You

may

also

have

to

pay

a

penalty

or

be

taken

to

court

Landfill

operators

what

you

must

do

You

need

to

get

a

permit

register

within

days

of

setting

up

if

you

do

not

you

can

be

fined

What

to

pay

The

tax

is

charged

by

weight

There

are

rates

You

pay

the

lower

rate

on

inactive

waste

for

example

rocks

or

soil

Rate

Amount

you

pay

Lower

rate

per

tonne

Standard

rate

per

tonne

Loss

on

Ignition

LOI

testing

regime

If

your

landfill

site

accepts

waste

fines

you

may

need

to

carry

out

a

loss

on

ignition

test

to

help

determine

the

rate

of

tax

to

pay

Exemptions

You

do

not

have

to

pay

Landfill

Tax

on

dredging

activities

quarrying

and

mining

pet

cemeteries

inactive

waste

used

for

filling

quarries

You

can

get

tax

credits

if

you

send

waste

from

landfill

to

be

recycled

incinerated

or

reused

Aggregates

Levy

This

is

a

tax

on

sand

gravel

and

rock

that

’s

either

been

dug

from

the

ground

dredged

from

the

sea

in

UK

waters

imported

What

you

need

to

do

You

must

register

with

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

your

business

exploits

aggregate

in

the

UK

for

example

if

you

’re

a

quarry

operator

Every

quarter

you

must

tell

HMRC

how

much

aggregate

you

’ve

produced

or

sold

How

much

you

pay

You

pay

tax

of

per

tonne

of

sand

gravel

or

rock

You

pay

less

on

smaller

amounts

for

example

on

half

a

tonne

You

still

pay

tax

if

you

import

the

materials

Reliefs

You

can

get

tax

relief

if

you

export

aggregates

or

use

them

in

some

industrial

or

agricultural

processes

If

you

do

not

use

the

material

as

aggregate

it

may

be

eligible

for

relief

Exemptions

Certain

materials

are

excluded

from

the

tax

for

example

soil

vegetable

or

other

organic

matter

If

you

need

more

help

There

’s

more

detailed

guidance

on

Aggregates

Levy

or

you

can

contact

the

helpline


Overview

All

ships

must

carry

certain

emergency

and

life

saving

equipment

This

equipment

must

meet

minimum

standards

and

must

be

properly

tested

and

serviced

There

are

different

requirements

depending

on

the

size

and

type

of

ship

and

where

it

operates

Emergency

and

life

saving

equipment

include

things

like

lifeboats

and

liferafts

lifebuoys

lifejackets

and

attachments

buoyancy

apparatus

emergency

alarm

systems

and

public

address

systems

marine

evacuation

systems

two

way

VHF

radiotelephone

sets

fire

fighting

equipment

Life

saving

equipment

Merchant

ships

You

can

find

information

on

the

life

saving

appliances

that

ships

must

carry

in

the

Merchant

Shipping

Life

Saving

Appliances

Regulations

for

Ships

Other

Than

Ships

of

Classes

III

to

VI(A

Regulations

Passenger

ships

There

are

different

requirements

for

different

types

of

passenger

ships

Download

information

about

requirements

for

life

saving

appliances

on

passenger

ships

on

domestic

voyages

You

must

also

read

the

amendments

to

these

regulations

Download

information

about

which

lifejackets

must

be

carried

on

passenger

ships

Roll

on

Roll

off

Ro

Ro

passenger

ships

Ro

Ro

passenger

ships

must

be

fitted

with

emergency

equipment

lockers

for

emergency

situations

Large

commercial

yachts

The

Large

Commercial

Yacht

Code

includes

rules

on

life

saving

equipment

for

certain

types

of

ship

of

less

than

gross

tonnage

Small

commercial

vessel

and

pilot

boats

The

Small

Commercial

Vessels

Code

sets

out

rules

on

life

saving

equipment

for

certain

vessels

of

less

than

metres

Small

passenger

boats

on

inland

waters

The

Inland

Waters

Small

Passenger

Boat

Code

includes

rules

on

life

saving

equipment

for

inland

vessels

that

carry

no

more

than

passengers

Pleasure

craft

Some

pleasure

craft

do

n’t

have

to

carry

certain

life

saving

equipment

Download

the

regulations

for

pleasure

craft

Fire

fighting

equipment

Ships

must

carry

certain

fire

fighting

equipment

on

board

Exemptions

Some

ships

are

exempt

from

these

regulations

Fixed

fire

alarms

and

extinguishers

Download

the

rules

on

fixed

fire

detection

alarms

and

extinguishing

systems

Fixed

gas

fire

extinguishing

systems

Download

guidance

on

operating

fixed

gas

fire

extinguishing

systems

Your

crew

must

know

how

to

use

fixed

gas

fire

extinguishing

systems

safely

Halon

fire

fighting

systems

It

’s

now

illegal

to

use

fire

fighting

equipment

that

contains

halons

Download

information

on

the

phasing

out

of

halon

fire

fighting

systems

Safe

use

of

emergency

equipment

All

emergency

life

saving

equipment

must

be

safe

to

use

and

you

must

make

sure

that

your

crew

know

how

to

use

it

properly

Lifejackets

All

lifejackets

must

be

regularly

inspected

You

’ll

need

to

check

the

individual

manufacturer

’s

instructions

on

how

to

do

this

Download

general

guidance

on

how

to

use

and

inspect

inflatable

lifejackets

Immersion

suits

Read

information

on

the

safe

use

of

immersion

suits

and

lifejackets

Marine

evacuation

systems

MESs

A

marine

evacuation

system

is

an

inflatable

slide

or

escape

chute

which

passengers

can

use

to

get

into

liferafts

from

the

ship

If

your

vessel

has

an

MES

you

must

make

sure

that

crew

are

properly

trained

in

how

to

use

it

and

that

all

onboard

lifejackets

can

be

used

safely

with

it

Liferafts

and

Hydrostatic

Release

Units

HRUs

Download

guidance

on

the

safe

use

of

HRUs

and

liferafts

Fuels

and

lubricating

oils

in

lifeboat

engines

In

lifeboat

engines

you

must

make

sure

that

all

fuels

and

lubricating

oils

are

safe

to

use

in

low

temperatures

Download

information

on

which

fuels

and

oils

are

safe

to

use

Retro

reflective

material

You

must

check

all

retro

reflective

material

at

regular

intervals

to

make

sure

it

’s

effective

Download

guidance

on

using

and

fitting

retro

reflective

material

on

life

saving

appliances

Servicing

and

testing

emergency

equipment

Life

saving

appliance

testing

Some

life

saving

equipment

must

be

serviced

regularly

at

an

approved

service

station

like

inflatable

liferafts

inflatable

boats

rescue

boats

fast

rescue

boats

inflatable

lifejackets

Hydrostatic

Release

Units

HRUs

You

can

find

details

of

independent

lifeboat

servicing

and

testing

organisations

on

the

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

website

Download

further

information

on

servicing

this

kind

of

emergency

equipment

Manufacturers

of

life

saving

appliances

You

can

find

details

of

manufacturers

of

life

saving

appliances

and

their

UK

representatives

on

the

MCA

website

Emergency

electrical

systems

Download

information

on

testing

emergency

electrical

systems

Fire

equipment

testing

All

fire

protection

systems

and

equipment

should

be

regularly

tested

and

maintained

so

that

they

’re

ready

for

immediate

use

when

needed

You

must

carry

out

monthly

fire

equipment

testing

and

inspection

to

make

sure

that

all

fireman

’s

outfits

fire

extinguishers

fire

hydrants

hoses

and

nozzles

are

in

place

and

in

good

condition

all

escape

routes

are

free

of

obstructions

and

properly

maintained

the

public

address

system

and

ship

’s

alarms

are

working

properly

all

fixed

fire

fighting

installation

valves

are

set

in

the

correct

operating

position

dry

pipe

sprinkler

systems

are

pressurised

where

needed

and

their

gauges

are

working

properly

the

sprinkler

system

pressure

tank

water

levels

are

correct

all

sprinkler

system

pumps

operate

automatically

on

pressure

loss

in

the

systems

all

fire

pumps

are

working

properly

all

fixed

gas

fire

extinguishing

installations

are

free

from

leaks

Fixed

bulk

dry

powder

fire

extinguishing

systems

Download

information

on

maintaining

and

testing

fixed

dry

bulk

power

systems

Read

MGN

M

Periodic

Inspection

Testing

and

Maintenance

of

Fixed

Bulk

Dry

Powder

Fire

Extinguishing

Systems

Seamless

steel

pressurised

gas

cylinders

Download

information

on

testing

seamless

steel

pressurised

gas

cylinders

used

for

fire

fighting

Portable

fire

extinguishers

Download

information

on

how

to

carry

out

testing

and

maintenance

of

portable

fire

extinguishers

Help

and

advice

You

can

contact

the

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

for

further

information

on

life

saving

appliances

The

MCA

lists

current

safety

alerts

for

technical

matters

including

information

on

known

design

faults

and

fake

safety

equipment

It

also

lists

safety

alerts

for

health

and

safety

matters


Overview

Small

commercial

vessels

must

follow

certain

codes

of

practice

This

applies

to

any

vessel

that

is

less

than

metres

long

is

less

than

gross

tonnes

and

was

built

before

July

carries

cargo

and

no

more

than

passengers

provides

a

service

where

neither

cargo

or

passengers

are

carried

is

a

pilot

boat

of

any

size

eg

a

vessel

that

take

pilots

to

and

from

larger

ships

is

n’t

considered

a

pleasure

vessel

Pleasure

vessels

These

are

craft

used

solely

for

either

sport

or

recreation

by

their

owners

family

friends

or

employees

non

profit

journeys

Pleasure

vessels

are

exempt

from

the

small

commercial

vessel

codes

of

practice

Safety

codes

of

practice

There

are

codes

of

practice

for

small

commercial

vessels

The

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

has

produced

a

guidance

note

for

small

commercial

vessels

that

covers

these

codes

of

practice

Certification

Any

small

commercial

vessels

not

used

as

pleasure

vessels

must

have

the

right

small

commercial

vessel

certificate

To

get

the

right

certificate

you

must

arrange

a

survey

of

your

boat

by

a

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

MCA

approved

authority

If

your

boat

passes

this

it

’ll

be

issued

with

either

a

small

commercial

vessel

certificate

workboat

certificate

pilot

boat

certificate

This

must

be

kept

on

board

your

boat

and

is

valid

for

years

Boats

being

surveyed

for

the

first

time

must

also

meet

stability

requirements

outlined

in

section

of

Marine

Guidance

Note

If

you

’re

in

charge

of

a

business

boat

You

must

have

the

correct

certificate

to

be

in

charge

of

a

small

business

boat

Check

the

appropriate

code

of

practice

for

your

boat

to

see

which

certificate

you

need

Operating

overseas

There

’s

no

international

code

of

practice

for

the

safety

of

small

commercial

vessels

outside

the

UK

Many

countries

accept

commercial

vessels

with

UK

certificates

but

you

may

need

to

follow

local

safety

laws

as

well


Types

of

complaints

There

are

different

ways

to

complain

in

England

depending

on

whether

your

child

attends

a

state

school

attends

a

private

school

has

special

educational

needs

SEN

Schools

may

not

consider

complaints

about

behaviour

that

happens

outside

the

school

’s

hours

or

premises

check

the

school

’s

behaviour

policy

There

are

different

ways

to

complain

about

schools

in

Scotland

Wales

Northern

Ireland

Other

types

of

complaint

For

some

types

of

complaint

you

need

to

contact

a

different

agency

Complaint

Who

to

contact

Child

protection

Local

council

Criminal

behaviour

Police

Data

protection

Information

Commissioner

’s

Office

Discrimination

Equality

Advisory

and

Support

Service

Employment

An

employment

tribunal

Exam

malpractice

or

maladministration

SATs

Standards

and

testing

agency

Exam

malpractice

or

maladministration

secondary

school

Ofqual

and

the

awarding

body

Legal

advice

You

can

get

free

legal

advice

about

schooling

and

education

from

Child

Law

Advice

State

schools

State

schools

include

maintained

schools

academies

and

free

schools

Contact

your

local

council

or

call

your

local

police

on

if

you

think

a

child

is

at

risk

Call

if

a

child

is

in

immediate

danger

How

to

complain

Contact

the

school

to

discuss

the

problem

first

most

problems

can

be

solved

this

way

Follow

all

the

steps

in

the

school

’s

complaints

procedure

to

make

a

formal

complaint

Every

school

in

England

must

have

one

It

’s

often

on

the

school

’s

website

and

should

tell

you

the

kind

of

complaints

the

school

deals

with

You

may

not

be

able

to

complain

to

academies

or

free

schools

if

you

do

not

have

a

child

at

the

school

You

can

complain

to

the

Department

for

Education

DfE

directly

if

a

child

is

at

risk

a

child

is

missing

school

the

school

is

stopping

you

from

following

its

complaints

procedure

If

you

think

your

complaint

was

not

dealt

with

correctly

You

can

ask

DfE

to

consider

your

complaint

if

you

’ve

followed

all

the

steps

in

the

school

’s

complaints

procedure

Tell

Ofsted

about

a

problem

Ofsted

can

not

respond

to

or

resolve

individual

complaints

but

you

can

still

tell

Ofsted

about

a

problem

with

a

school

They

can

use

the

information

you

provide

to

decide

when

to

inspect

and

what

areas

to

focus

the

inspection

on

Private

schools

Contact

your

local

council

or

call

your

local

police

on

if

you

think

a

child

is

at

risk

Call

if

a

child

is

in

immediate

danger

Make

a

complaint

Follow

the

school

’s

complaints

procedure

every

school

in

England

must

have

one

It

should

be

published

on

the

school

’s

website

It

should

tell

you

what

kind

of

complaints

the

school

will

deal

with

such

as

bullying

or

bad

behaviour

You

can

not

complain

directly

to

a

private

school

if

you

do

not

have

a

child

at

the

school

Further

complaints

The

Department

for

Education

DfE

can

not

investigate

individual

complaints

about

private

schools

But

it

has

certain

powers

as

a

regulator

if

the

school

is

not

meeting

standards

set

by

DfE

for

education

pupil

welfare

and

health

and

safety

school

premises

staff

suitability

making

information

available

to

parents

spiritual

moral

social

or

cultural

development

of

students

DfE

will

consider

any

reports

of

a

major

failure

to

meet

the

standards

It

can

arrange

an

emergency

inspection

to

look

at

pupil

welfare

and

health

and

safety

and

make

sure

serious

failings

are

dealt

with

DfE

can

ask

the

school

inspectorates

to

take

minor

complaints

into

account

when

the

school

is

next

inspected

You

can

complain

to

the

DfE

by

filling

in

the

school

complaints

form

Special

educational

needs

SEN

If

you

want

to

complain

about

a

school

’s

SEN

support

you

should

do

it

while

your

child

is

still

registered

at

the

school

This

includes

complaints

that

the

school

has

not

provided

the

support

required

by

your

child

’s

SEN

statement

or

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

Make

a

complaint

Follow

these

steps

in

order

Move

on

to

the

next

step

if

your

complaint

is

not

resolved

Talk

to

the

school

’s

special

educational

needs

co

ordinator

SENCO

Follow

the

school

’s

complaints

procedure

Complain

to

your

local

authority

Complain

to

the

Education

and

Skills

Funding

Agency

ESFA

instead

of

the

local

authority

if

both

the

following

apply

the

school

is

an

academy

or

free

school

your

complaint

is

not

about

an

SEN

statement

or

an

EHC

plan

There

’s

a

different

process

if

you

disagree

with

a

decision

your

local

authority

has

made

about

an

SEN

statement

or

an

EHC

plan

Disability

discrimination

Follow

the

school

’s

complaints

process

if

you

believe

a

school

has

discriminated

against

someone

because

of

their

disability

If

this

does

not

solve

the

problem

or

you

do

not

want

to

complain

to

the

school

first

you

may

be

able

to

complain

to

the

Special

Educational

Needs

and

Disability

SEND

tribunal

Who

can

complain

to

the

SEND

tribunal

You

can

complain

to

the

tribunal

if

you

’re

someone

with

parental

responsibility

for

a

young

person

or

their

foster

parent

or

carer

a

young

person

over

school

leaving

age

but

under

You

can

complain

to

the

tribunal

about

a

school

nursery

or

pupil

referral

unit

maintained

by

a

local

authority

an

independent

school

a

free

school

including

an

academy

You

can

not

complain

to

the

tribunal

about

a

private

nursery

unless

it

’s

part

of

a

school

a

further

education

college

an

organisation

using

a

school

’s

premises

Complain

to

the

SEND

tribunal

You

must

send

your

complaint

to

the

tribunal

within

months

of

the

discrimination

taking

place

If

you

send

your

complaint

more

than

months

later

you

’ll

be

asked

to

explain

why

Your

complaint

can

include

events

which

happened

more

than

months

ago

as

long

as

these

directly

relate

to

events

that

have

taken

place

in

the

last

months

The

tribunal

must

be

able

to

treat

events

as

a

single

complaint

about

one

ongoing

issue

For

example

if

your

child

was

permanently

excluded

from

school

after

a

series

of

fixed

term

exclusions

which

you

believe

were

all

because

of

the

child

’s

disability

the

tribunal

could

treat

them

as

a

single

complaint

It

’s

free

to

make

a

complaint

to

the

SEND

tribunal

Download

and

fill

in

form

if

you

’re

a

parent

making

a

complaint

on

behalf

of

a

child

form

if

you

’re

a

young

person

above

school

leaving

age

making

a

complaint

for

yourself

The

address

to

send

it

to

is

on

the

form

You

can

include

details

of

up

to

witnesses

who

you

’d

like

to

bring

to

the

hearing

on

your

form

Contact

the

tribunal

if

you

have

any

questions

about

completing

the

form

They

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

Special

Educational

Needs

and

Disability

Tribunal

Help

you

can

get

Check

if

you

can

get

legal

aid

You

can

also

get

free

help

and

advice

from

the

Independent

Parental

Special

Education

Advice

IPSEA

your

local

Parent

Partnership

Service

through

the

Information

Advice

and

Support

Services

IASS

Network

After

you

make

your

complaint

Once

the

tribunal

has

registered

your

complaint

it

will

ask

you

and

the

school

you

’re

complaining

about

if

you

agree

to

the

complaint

being

decided

without

a

hearing

If

you

both

agree

the

tribunal

will

make

a

decision

about

your

complaint

If

you

do

not

agree

the

tribunal

will

send

you

a

letter

telling

you

if

they

’ll

hold

a

hearing

and

when

and

where

it

’ll

take

place

You

can

complain

to

the

Department

for

Education

DfE

about

a

school

if

the

SEND

tribunal

will

not

handle

your

case

Attending

the

hearing

You

may

be

able

to

attend

the

hearing

by

video

link

If

you

do

need

to

attend

in

person

the

hearing

will

be

close

to

your

home

Change

or

withdraw

your

complaint

before

the

hearing

Download

and

fill

in

form

to

change

your

complaint

for

example

to

ask

for

a

different

hearing

date

or

add

more

witnesses

form

to

withdraw

your

complaint

What

happens

at

the

hearing

The

hearing

will

usually

be

attended

by

up

to

tribunal

members

a

clerk

someone

representing

the

school

or

local

authority

you

’re

complaining

about

witnesses

You

do

not

have

to

go

to

the

hearing

but

if

you

do

you

can

ask

questions

and

present

the

case

yourself

If

you

’re

complaining

as

a

young

person

your

parents

can

come

to

the

hearing

Fill

in

the

attendance

form

if

you

want

to

bring

someone

to

represent

you

someone

to

support

you

witnesses

You

can

ask

to

have

an

interpreter

at

the

hearing

They

’ll

translate

what

happens

but

they

can

not

represent

you

or

give

you

legal

advice

You

might

be

asked

questions

by

your

legal

representative

if

you

have

one

the

local

authority

’s

representative

the

tribunal

You

’ll

usually

get

a

letter

with

the

tribunal

’s

decision

within

working

days

of

the

hearing

Claiming

expenses

You

might

be

able

to

claim

travel

expenses

for

going

to

the

hearing

Your

witnesses

might

also

be

able

to

claim

expenses

for

travel

and

loss

of

earnings

If

you

bring

a

friend

or

relative

to

the

hearing

you

might

also

be

able

to

claim

for

their

travel

costs

If

your

complaint

is

successful

The

school

or

local

authority

must

act

on

the

tribunal

’s

decision

within

a

set

amount

of

time

You

can

complain

to

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman

if

a

local

authority

does

not

keep

to

the

decision

Local

Government

Ombudsman

If

your

complaint

is

not

successful

The

letter

giving

the

tribunal

’s

decision

will

tell

you

how

to

apply

to

get

the

decision

set

aside

cancelled

if

you

think

there

’s

been

a

mistake

in

the

process

ask

the

tribunal

to

review

the

decision

for

example

if

your

circumstances

have

changed

since

you

got

the

decision

or

the

decision

contains

a

mistake

You

can

also

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Administrative

Appeals

Chamber

if

you

think

the

SEND

tribunal

has

made

a

mistake

and

acted

against

the

law

You

must

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

within

days

of

the

date

on

the

tribunal

’s

decision

letter


Choosing

schools

If

you

live

in

England

contact

your

local

council

to

find

state

funded

schools

in

your

area

admission

criteria

for

the

schools

you

’re

interested

in

The

process

is

different

if

you

live

in

Scotland

Wales

or

Northern

Ireland

You

can

also

contact

your

local

council

to

apply

for

places

at

state

schools

in

other

areas

You

can

search

online

to

find

schools

in

England

Private

schools

or

home

schooling

If

you

’re

looking

for

a

place

at

a

private

school

also

called

independent

schools

contact

the

school

directly

You

can

also

choose

to

teach

your

child

at

home

known

as

home

schooling

Children

with

special

educational

needs

SEN

If

your

child

has

SEN

their

Education

Health

and

Care

EHC

plan

will

name

a

school

for

them

The

school

must

give

your

child

a

place

You

can

ask

your

local

council

to

carry

out

an

assessment

if

you

think

your

child

needs

additional

support

with

their

educational

health

and

social

needs

Find

out

about

a

primary

or

secondary

school

You

can

find

out

more

by

visiting

the

school

most

schools

have

open

days

reading

the

school

’s

most

recent

Ofsted

reports

checking

school

performance

tables

talking

to

other

parents

about

what

they

think

of

the

school

What

schools

must

publish

on

their

website

Schools

websites

must

include

admission

arrangements

including

how

to

apply

details

of

the

curriculum

behaviour

policy

links

to

Ofsted

reports

links

to

performance

data

the

school

’s

latest

key

stage

and

attainment

and

progress

measures

their

policies

for

children

with

special

educational

needs

and

disabilities

the

amount

of

money

they

get

for

taking

underprivileged

children

the

pupil

premium

what

they

do

with

it

and

the

effect

it

’s

had

You

can

also

get

advice

about

choosing

state

funded

schools

from

your

local

council

Admission

criteria

All

schools

have

admission

criteria

to

decide

which

children

get

places

The

school

or

local

council

usually

set

these

Admission

criteria

are

different

for

each

school

They

may

give

priority

to

children

who

live

close

to

the

school

who

have

a

brother

or

sister

at

the

school

already

from

a

particular

religion

for

faith

schools

who

pass

an

entrance

exam

for

selective

schools

for

example

grammar

schools

who

went

to

a

particular

primary

school

a

feeder

school

who

are

eligible

for

the

pupil

premium

or

the

service

pupil

premium

whose

parent

has

worked

at

the

school

for

years

or

more

Your

local

council

can

give

you

information

about

schools

criteria

and

how

to

apply

Children

in

care

All

state

funded

schools

must

give

top

priority

to

admitting

children

who

are

in

care

or

being

looked

after

have

been

in

care

Complain

about

unfair

admission

arrangements

Contact

the

Schools

Adjudicator

if

you

think

a

school

has

unlawful

or

unfair

admission

arrangements

You

need

to

complain

by

May

of

the

year

before

you

’re

applying

for

a

place

For

example

to

complain

about

admission

arrangements

for

September

the

deadline

is

May

School

starting

age

Most

children

start

school

full

time

in

the

September

after

their

fourth

birthday

This

means

they

’ll

turn

during

their

first

school

year

For

example

if

your

child

’s

fourth

birthday

is

between

September

and

August

they

will

usually

start

school

in

September

If

you

want

your

child

to

start

later

If

you

do

not

think

your

child

is

ready

to

start

school

at

the

usual

time

they

can

start

later

as

long

as

they

’re

in

full

time

education

by

the

time

they

reach

compulsory

school

age

They

can

start

part

time

part

way

through

the

year

in

the

next

school

year

in

the

September

after

they

turn

You

’ll

still

need

to

apply

for

a

school

place

at

the

same

time

as

everyone

else

You

request

your

child

’s

later

start

when

you

apply

If

your

child

starts

in

the

September

after

they

turn

Your

child

will

go

into

year

Contact

the

local

council

or

school

if

you

want

your

child

to

start

in

reception

instead

They

do

not

have

to

agree

Compulsory

school

age

Your

child

must

start

full

time

education

once

they

reach

compulsory

school

age

This

is

on

December

March

or

August

following

their

fifth

birthday

whichever

comes

first

If

your

child

’s

fifth

birthday

is

on

one

of

those

dates

then

they

reach

compulsory

school

age

on

that

date

For

example

if

your

child

reaches

compulsory

school

age

on

March

they

must

start

full

time

education

at

the

beginning

of

the

next

term

summer

term

that

year

Children

must

stay

in

full

time

education

until

they

reach

school

leaving

age

All

to

year

olds

in

England

are

entitled

to

free

early

education

before

they

start

school

full

time

How

to

apply

Follow

your

local

council

’s

application

process

to

apply

for

a

primary

school

place

apply

for

a

secondary

school

place

You

must

still

apply

for

a

place

even

if

the

school

is

linked

to

your

child

’s

current

nursery

infant

or

primary

school

Apply

directly

for

a

form

place

at

a

school

or

college

a

place

at

a

private

school

Moving

to

another

area

You

apply

through

your

local

council

even

if

you

’re

applying

for

schools

in

another

council

area

or

you

’ve

just

moved

to

England

If

you

’re

applying

from

another

country

contact

the

local

council

in

the

area

where

you

’re

going

to

live

You

may

need

to

supply

proof

of

your

new

address

for

example

a

mortgage

or

rental

agreement

or

deeds

for

the

property

prove

that

you

’ll

live

in

the

area

before

the

start

of

the

next

school

term

Completing

the

application

When

you

fill

in

the

form

online

or

on

paper

you

’ll

be

asked

to

list

the

schools

you

’re

applying

for

in

order

of

preference

Listing

only

one

school

will

not

increase

your

chances

of

getting

a

place

there

To

get

a

copy

of

the

application

form

on

paper

contact

your

local

council

When

to

apply

Applications

open

on

different

days

in

each

local

council

area

Find

out

from

your

local

council

when

applications

open

for

primary

or

secondary

schools

Applying

for

a

primary

school

place

You

must

apply

for

a

primary

school

place

a

year

before

your

child

can

start

school

Applications

open

in

September

and

close

on

January

Your

child

will

be

or

have

just

turned

when

you

apply

You

’ll

need

to

apply

then

even

if

you

want

your

child

to

start

part

way

through

the

year

Applying

for

a

secondary

school

place

The

deadline

for

applying

is

October

Your

child

is

less

likely

to

be

offered

a

place

at

their

chosen

schools

if

you

miss

the

deadline

for

applications

When

you

’ll

find

out

Councils

will

send

offers

of

school

places

for

primary

schools

on

April

secondary

schools

on

March

If

either

date

falls

on

a

weekend

or

a

bank

holiday

offers

are

sent

the

next

working

day

You

must

accept

the

offer

by

the

deadline

given

in

the

offer

letter

Otherwise

it

may

be

withdrawn

and

the

place

given

to

someone

else

The

local

council

must

provide

a

place

at

another

school

if

your

child

is

not

offered

a

place

at

any

of

the

schools

you

’ve

applied

for

This

is

usually

your

nearest

school

with

places

still

available

Applying

after

the

start

of

the

school

year

Contact

your

local

council

to

find

out

about

applying

for

a

school

place

once

the

school

year

has

started

known

as

in

year

applications

They

can

tell

you

which

schools

still

have

places

and

how

to

apply

Once

your

child

has

been

offered

a

place

they

will

usually

start

school

at

the

beginning

of

the

following

term

School

waiting

lists

If

your

child

does

not

have

a

place

contact

your

local

council

for

schools

with

places

You

can

also

put

your

child

’s

name

down

on

a

waiting

list

The

admission

authority

for

the

school

usually

the

school

itself

or

the

council

must

keep

a

waiting

list

open

for

at

least

the

first

term

of

each

school

year

Contact

the

school

or

your

local

council

if

you

want

your

child

’s

name

added

to

a

waiting

list

You

can

add

your

child

’s

name

to

a

waiting

list

even

if

they

have

been

offered

a

place

at

another

school

If

your

child

is

on

a

waiting

list

and

the

school

offers

you

a

place

the

admission

authority

will

send

you

a

formal

offer

You

can

still

accept

the

offer

even

if

your

child

has

already

started

at

another

school

Appealing

a

school

's

decision

You

’ll

be

sent

a

letter

with

the

decision

about

your

child

’s

school

If

your

child

is

refused

a

place

you

can

appeal

against

the

decision

The

letter

will

tell

you

how

You

must

appeal

against

each

rejection

separately

You

can

only

appeal

once

against

each

rejection

Preparing

your

appeal

The

admission

authority

for

the

school

must

allow

you

at

least

school

days

to

appeal

from

when

they

send

the

decision

letter

The

admission

authority

will

set

a

deadline

for

submitting

information

and

evidence

to

support

your

appeal

If

you

submit

anything

after

the

deadline

it

might

not

be

considered

and

may

result

in

delays

to

your

hearing

Coram

Children

’s

Legal

Centre

may

be

able

to

give

you

advice

about

appeals

When

the

hearing

will

be

The

admission

authority

must

give

you

at

least

school

days

notice

of

the

hearing

Appeals

must

be

heard

within

school

days

of

the

deadline

for

making

an

appeal

What

happens

at

the

appeal

hearing

There

’s

a

panel

of

or

more

people

at

the

appeal

hearing

The

panel

must

be

independent

and

must

follow

the

school

admission

appeals

code

The

admission

authority

will

explain

why

they

turned

down

your

application

You

’ll

be

able

to

give

your

own

reasons

why

your

child

should

be

admitted

The

appeals

panel

must

decide

if

the

school

’s

admission

criteria

were

properly

followed

and

comply

with

the

school

admissions

code

If

the

criteria

were

not

properly

followed

or

do

not

comply

with

the

school

admissions

code

your

appeal

must

be

upheld

If

your

reasons

for

your

child

to

be

admitted

outweigh

the

school

’s

reasons

for

not

admitting

any

more

children

at

all

your

appeal

will

be

upheld

You

will

usually

be

sent

the

decision

within

school

days

You

can

read

more

about

school

admission

appeals

Appeals

for

infant

classes

You

need

to

go

through

the

same

process

if

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

about

an

infant

class

In

reception

year

and

year

the

class

size

is

limited

to

Your

application

can

be

turned

down

if

all

the

classes

already

have

children

Your

appeal

could

be

successful

if

giving

your

child

a

place

will

not

increase

the

class

size

above

the

limit

the

admission

arrangements

have

not

been

properly

followed

the

admission

criteria

do

not

comply

with

the

school

admissions

code

Complain

about

the

appeals

process

You

can

complain

about

the

way

the

appeal

was

carried

out

but

you

can

not

complain

about

the

decision

itself

Maintained

schools

Complain

to

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman

Fill

in

the

online

complaint

form

If

a

maintained

school

becomes

an

academy

If

you

complain

about

an

appeal

concerning

a

maintained

school

that

then

converts

to

academy

status

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman

will

investigate

it

and

pass

any

actions

to

the

Education

and

Skills

Funding

Agency

ESFA

Other

schools

Complain

to

ESFA

about

an

appeal

made

to

free

schools

academies

including

university

technical

colleges

and

studio

schools

Fill

in

the

online

complaint

form

Using

the

online

form

is

the

quickest

way

to

make

a

complaint

If

you

need

a

paper

form

instead

contact

You

should

get

a

decision

on

your

complaint

within

weeks

working

days

You

’ll

be

told

if

it

’ll

take

longer

You

’ll

get

a

letter

explaining

the

reasons

for

the

decision

If

ESFA

decides

something

went

wrong

with

the

appeals

panel

it

may

ask

the

school

to

hold

a

new

appeal

hearing

with

a

different

panel

recommend

the

school

reviews

its

appeals

process

Complain

about

another

school

matter

If

you

have

a

complaint

about

a

school

that

is

not

related

to

the

appeals

process

contact

the

Department

for

Education


Overview

You

can

apply

to

give

up

renounce

your

British

citizenship

or

status

If

accepted

you

’ll

get

a

declaration

of

renunciation

that

you

can

use

to

show

that

you

’re

no

longer

British

You

might

do

this

for

example

if

you

want

to

become

a

citizen

of

another

country

that

does

not

allow

dual

citizenship

You

can

renounce

your

British

citizenship

British

overseas

territories

citizenship

British

overseas

citizenship

British

subject

status

British

national

overseas

status

You

can

give

up

more

than

one

at

a

time

Giving

up

your

citizenship

or

status

only

affects

you

and

not

any

other

members

of

your

family

although

it

could

affect

the

status

of

any

children

you

have

in

future

Your

right

to

live

in

the

UK

will

be

affected

if

you

give

up

citizenship

When

you

can

give

up

your

citizenship

You

can

only

give

up

your

British

citizenship

or

status

if

either

of

the

following

apply

you

already

have

another

citizenship

or

nationality

you

’re

going

to

get

another

citizenship

or

nationality

after

giving

up

your

British

citizenship

or

status

You

must

also

be

aged

or

over

unless

you

’re

under

and

married

of

sound

mind

unless

it

’s

decided

that

it

’s

in

your

best

interest

Apply

Fill

in

the

form

online

You

’ll

usually

be

able

to

keep

your

documents

while

your

application

is

being

processed

If

you

live

in

the

Channel

Islands

the

Isle

of

Man

or

a

British

overseas

territory

you

have

to

apply

in

person

or

by

post

instead

Check

which

you

can

do

with

your

governor

’s

office

If

you

live

elsewhere

you

can

apply

by

post

This

will

take

much

longer

than

applying

online

because

of

coronavirus

Avoid

applying

by

post

especially

if

you

need

your

documents

back

by

a

specific

date

It

is

taking

longer

than

usual

to

process

applications

because

of

coronavirus

This

will

not

affect

the

decision

Get

help

to

apply

online

You

can

get

help

with

completing

the

online

form

if

you

do

not

feel

confident

using

a

computer

or

mobile

device

do

not

have

internet

access

You

can

only

use

this

service

if

you

’re

applying

in

the

UK

You

can

not

get

immigration

advice

through

this

service

After

you

've

applied

You

’ll

get

a

declaration

of

renunciation

if

your

application

is

successful

This

will

be

your

application

form

officially

signed

and

stamped

The

date

your

citizenship

or

status

stops

will

be

shown

on

the

form

Your

supporting

documents

will

be

returned

to

you

whether

you

’re

successful

or

not

It

is

taking

longer

than

usual

to

process

applications

because

of

coronavirus

This

will

not

affect

the

decision

Time

limits

if

you

’re

getting

another

citizenship

You

’ll

have

months

from

when

you

received

your

declaration

to

get

another

citizenship

otherwise

the

declaration

will

no

longer

be

valid

and

you

’ll

keep

your

British

citizenship

or

status

Resume

your

British

nationality

In

some

cases

it

’s

possible

to

resume

your

British

nationality

after

renouncing

it

Read

the

guidance

to

check

if

you

can

apply

It

is

taking

longer

than

usual

to

process

applications

because

of

coronavirus

This

will

not

affect

the

decision

You

’ll

get

extra

time

to

provide

your

fingerprints

photo

and

additional

information

and

to

book

a

citizenship

ceremony

How

to

apply

Fill

in

the

form

online

You

’ll

usually

be

able

to

keep

your

documents

while

your

application

is

being

processed

If

you

live

in

the

Channel

Islands

the

Isle

of

Man

or

a

British

overseas

territory

you

have

to

apply

in

person

or

by

post

instead

Check

which

you

can

do

with

your

governor

’s

office

If

you

live

elsewhere

you

can

apply

by

post

This

will

take

much

longer

than

applying

online

because

of

coronavirus

Avoid

applying

by

post

especially

if

you

need

your

documents

back

by

a

specific

date

Get

help

to

apply

online

You

can

get

help

with

completing

the

online

form

if

you

do

not

feel

confident

using

a

computer

or

mobile

device

do

not

have

internet

access

You

can

only

use

this

service

if

you

’re

applying

in

the

UK

You

can

not

get

immigration

advice

through

this

service

Fee

Pay

the

current

fee

for

registration

Your

fee

will

not

be

refunded

if

your

application

is

refused

You

’ll

also

need

to

pay

to

have

your

biometric

information

fingerprints

and

a

photo

taken

If

you

’re

applying

from

the

Channel

Islands

the

Isle

of

Man

or

a

British

overseas

territory

You

’ll

be

told

the

fee

for

providing

your

biometric

information

when

you

apply

Supporting

documents

You

’ll

need

to

provide

your

copy

of

your

declaration

of

renunciation

either

form

or

your

passport

or

certificate

of

naturalisation

or

registration

for

your

current

citizenship

or

nationality

an

official

letter

or

statement

from

the

country

you

’re

currently

a

citizen

or

national

of

saying

that

if

you

had

not

given

up

your

British

citizenship

you

’d

have

lost

or

failed

to

get

your

current

citizenship

or

nationality

If

you

gave

up

United

Kingdom

and

Colonies

citizenship

you

’ll

also

need

to

provide

the

birth

naturalisation

or

registration

certificate

of

the

person

you

have

the

connection

to

the

UK

with

and

evidence

of

your

relationship

to

that

person

for

example

a

birth

marriage

or

civil

partnership

certificate

evidence

that

you

gave

up

citizenship

because

you

believed

you

’d

be

deprived

of

your

citizenship

of

a

Commonwealth

country

unless

you

did

so

this

should

be

a

separate

letter

explaining

this

plus

any

supporting

documents

You

may

have

to

provide

different

documents

if

you

originally

gave

up

citizenship

for

a

reason

other

than

you

’d

have

lost

or

failed

to

get

citizenship

of

another

country

read

the

guidance

for

details

Providing

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

When

you

apply

you

’ll

be

asked

to

make

an

appointment

at

a

UK

Visa

and

Citizenship

Application

Services

UKVCAS

service

point

to

provide

your

biometric

information

your

fingerprints

and

a

photo

You

’ll

also

need

to

submit

your

supporting

documents

You

can

upload

them

into

the

online

service

have

them

scanned

at

your

UKVCAS

appointment

You

must

not

travel

outside

of

the

UK

Ireland

the

Channel

Islands

or

the

Isle

of

Man

until

you

get

a

decision

Your

application

will

be

withdrawn

if

you

do

If

you

’re

applying

from

the

Channel

Islands

the

Isle

of

Man

or

a

British

overseas

territory

You

’ll

be

told

how

to

provide

your

biometric

information

and

supporting

documents

when

you

apply


Overview

You

can

claim

back

every

time

an

individual

donates

to

your

charity

or

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

This

is

called

Gift

Aid

You

must

be

recognised

as

a

charity

or

CASC

for

tax

purposes

There

are

rules

on

which

donations

you

can

claim

Gift

Aid

on

You

can

claim

Gift

Aid

online

you

should

get

your

payment

within

weeks

What

the

donor

needs

to

do

The

donor

must

have

paid

at

least

as

much

in

Income

Tax

or

Capital

Gains

Tax

in

that

tax

year

as

you

want

to

claim

in

Gift

Aid

make

a

Gift

Aid

declaration

that

gives

you

permission

to

claim

it

If

the

donor

has

not

made

a

declaration

you

may

still

be

able

to

claim

on

cash

donations

of

or

less

for

example

from

a

collection

What

you

can

claim

it

on

You

can

claim

Gift

Aid

on

donations

from

individuals

The

donor

must

have

paid

the

same

amount

or

more

in

Income

Tax

or

Capital

Gains

Tax

in

that

tax

year

make

a

Gift

Aid

declaration

that

gives

you

permission

to

claim

it

You

must

be

recognised

as

a

charity

or

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

to

claim

Gift

Aid

Special

rules

for

claiming

Gift

Aid

There

are

special

rules

for

funds

from

sponsored

challenges

for

example

overseas

treks

or

marathons

charity

membership

fees

church

collections

selling

goods

on

behalf

of

individuals

for

example

through

a

charity

shop

charity

events

or

to

view

charity

property

charity

auctions

volunteer

expenses

donated

back

to

your

charity

or

CASC

funds

raised

through

charities

involved

in

running

schools

What

you

can

not

claim

it

on

You

can

not

claim

on

donations

from

limited

companies

made

through

Payroll

Giving

that

are

a

payment

for

goods

or

services

or

made

because

your

charity

or

CASC

bought

goods

and

services

where

the

donor

gets

a

benefit

over

a

certain

limit

of

shares

from

charity

cards

or

of

vouchers

for

example

Charities

Aid

Foundation

CAF

vouchers

of

membership

fees

to

CASCs

you

got

before

you

were

a

recognised

charity

or

CASC

Gift

Aid

declarations

To

claim

Gift

Aid

you

need

to

get

a

Gift

Aid

declaration

from

the

donor

It

should

state

that

the

donor

has

paid

the

same

amount

or

more

in

Income

Tax

or

Capital

Gains

Tax

in

that

tax

year

agrees

to

Gift

Aid

being

claimed

You

must

keep

a

record

of

declarations

for

years

after

the

most

recent

donation

you

claimed

Gift

Aid

on

Gift

Aid

declaration

forms

The

declaration

must

include

a

description

of

the

gift

and

the

name

of

your

charity

or

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

donor

’s

full

name

donor

’s

home

address

at

least

their

house

number

or

name

and

postcode

Example

declarations

Download

example

Gift

Aid

declaration

forms

for

one

off

donations

all

donations

sponsored

events

Cash

donations

You

can

put

a

Gift

Aid

declaration

on

your

charity

’s

collection

envelopes

You

may

still

be

able

to

claim

on

cash

donations

of

or

less

if

you

do

not

have

a

declaration

Small

donations

scheme

You

may

be

able

to

claim

on

cash

donations

of

or

less

contactless

card

donations

of

or

less

collected

on

or

after

April

This

is

called

the

Gift

Aid

small

donations

scheme

GASDS

You

do

not

need

a

Gift

Aid

declaration

to

claim

From

April

you

can

claim

up

to

in

a

tax

year

or

for

earlier

years

Who

can

claim

Your

charity

or

CASC

must

have

claimed

Gift

Aid

in

the

same

tax

year

as

you

want

to

claim

GASDS

without

getting

a

penalty

in

the

last

tax

years

in

at

least

of

the

last

tax

years

without

a

year

gap

between

claims

if

you

’re

claiming

on

donations

made

before

April

What

you

can

claim

Your

GASDS

claim

can

not

be

more

than

times

your

Gift

Aid

claim

For

example

you

can

claim

on

worth

of

donations

through

GASDS

if

you

’ve

received

of

Gift

Aid

donations

in

the

same

tax

year

You

can

claim

on

donations

that

are

eligible

for

Gift

Aid

but

not

membership

fees

Collections

in

community

buildings

If

your

charity

has

a

community

building

for

example

a

village

hall

or

religious

building

you

might

be

able

to

claim

more

on

donations

collected

either

in

your

community

building

in

the

same

council

area

as

your

community

building

if

you

collected

the

donations

on

or

after

April

For

somewhere

to

count

as

your

community

building

you

need

to

have

hosted

at

least

charity

events

there

The

events

must

have

all

been

attended

by

at

least

people

If

your

organisation

is

connected

to

another

charity

or

CASC

If

one

of

the

charities

has

a

community

building

all

of

the

connected

charities

can

either

claim

as

if

they

had

a

community

building

share

a

single

limit

all

the

charities

will

need

to

write

to

HMRC

to

do

this

If

of

the

charities

have

a

community

building

or

you

’re

claiming

for

donations

made

before

April

the

connected

charities

must

share

a

single

limit

If

your

charity

has

merged

with

another

charity

or

CASC

you

may

be

able

to

take

on

the

other

charity

’s

record

of

good

claims

Keeping

records

You

need

to

record

the

total

cash

donations

collected

date

of

the

collection

date

it

was

paid

into

a

bank

account

You

’ll

need

to

keep

records

of

any

contactless

card

donations

that

you

’ve

taken

for

example

receipts

from

your

card

machine

For

collections

in

community

buildings

you

’ll

also

need

to

record

the

address

of

the

place

you

collected

the

donations

including

postcode

the

type

of

event

the

number

of

events

you

held

an

estimate

of

how

many

people

were

at

the

event

when

you

collected

the

donations

How

to

claim

Claim

under

GASDS

in

the

same

way

as

Gift

Aid

How

to

claim

You

can

claim

Gift

Aid

using

Charities

Online

with

eligible

software

like

a

database

a

spreadsheet

of

your

donations

For

claims

of

over

donations

you

must

use

software

To

apply

by

post

use

form

which

you

can

get

from

the

charities

helpline

When

you

must

claim

Your

deadline

to

claim

Gift

Aid

depends

on

how

your

charity

is

set

up

You

need

to

claim

for

a

donation

within

years

of

the

end

of

the

financial

period

you

received

it

in

This

is

the

tax

year

April

to

April

if

you

’re

a

trust

your

accounting

period

if

your

charity

is

a

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

a

Charity

Incorporated

Organisation

CIO

or

a

limited

company

You

must

claim

on

cash

donations

under

the

Gift

Aid

Small

Donations

Scheme

within

years

of

the

end

of

the

tax

year

that

the

donations

were

collected

in

Keeping

records

You

need

to

keep

records

of

these

donations

for

a

further

two

years

When

you

’ll

get

paid

You

’ll

get

a

Gift

Aid

payment

by

BACS

within

weeks

if

you

claimed

online

weeks

if

you

claimed

by

post

using

form

Contact

the

charities

helpline

if

your

repayment

is

wrong

or

if

you

submitted

an

incorrect

claim


Set

up

a

charity

There

are

steps

to

setting

up

a

charity

Find

trustees

for

your

charity

you

usually

need

at

least

Make

sure

the

charity

has

charitable

purposes

for

the

public

benefit

Choose

a

name

for

your

charity

Choose

a

structure

for

your

charity

Create

a

governing

document

Register

as

a

charity

if

your

annual

income

is

over

or

if

you

set

up

a

charitable

incorporated

organisation

CIO

There

are

different

rules

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Tax

relief

To

get

tax

relief

your

charity

needs

to

be

recognised

by

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

Charitable

purposes

Your

charity

must

have

charitable

purposes

that

help

the

public

known

as

being

for

public

benefit

Charitable

purposes

include

things

that

contribute

to

relieving

poverty

education

religion

health

saving

lives

citizenship

or

community

development

the

arts

amateur

sport

human

rights

religious

or

racial

harmony

the

protection

of

the

environment

animal

welfare

the

efficiency

of

the

armed

forces

police

fire

or

ambulance

services

Read

guidance

on

writing

your

charitable

purposes

You

should

also

read

about

public

benefit

to

decide

if

your

charity

’s

aims

are

suitable

You

ca

n’t

set

up

a

charity

to

help

one

specific

person

Name

your

charity

Your

charity

name

must

not

be

similar

to

the

name

of

an

existing

charity

unless

you

can

prove

you

need

to

use

it

use

words

you

do

n’t

have

permission

to

use

for

example

a

trade

mark

use

offensive

words

or

acronyms

be

misleading

for

example

suggest

your

charity

does

something

it

does

n’t

Search

the

charities

register

to

check

the

names

of

registered

charities

Unregistered

charities

wo

n’t

appear

in

the

register

Additional

names

You

can

use

abbreviations

for

example

National

Society

for

the

Prevention

of

Cruelty

to

Children

is

known

as

NSPCC

alternative

names

for

example

Comic

Relief

is

a

working

name

for

Charity

Projects

You

must

list

any

alternative

or

working

names

your

charity

uses

when

you

apply

to

register

Non

English

names

You

must

include

a

translation

of

any

non

English

words

in

your

charity

’s

name

when

you

register

Using

charity

in

a

name

You

can

use

the

words

charity

charities

or

charitable

in

your

charity

’s

name

but

you

need

approval

from

the

Charity

Commission

if

you

use

them

when

you

register

a

company

name

with

Companies

House

Structures

You

must

choose

a

structure

for

your

charity

which

will

affect

things

like

who

runs

the

charity

how

the

charity

is

run

what

the

charity

can

do

for

example

employ

people

or

own

property

There

are

common

charity

structures

Charitable

company

Your

charitable

companies

will

have

to

be

limited

by

guarantees

rather

than

shares

when

you

register

Select

private

company

limited

by

guarantee

on

the

form

Trustees

have

limited

or

no

liability

for

a

charitable

company

’s

debts

or

liabilities

Apply

online

You

can

apply

online

to

register

a

charitable

company

with

Companies

House

Apply

by

post

Fill

in

the

form

to

register

a

charitable

company

with

Companies

House

by

post

It

costs

You

may

also

need

continuation

sheets

if

you

need

extra

space

to

write

a

Welsh

version

of

the

form

Charitable

incorporated

organisation

CIO

A

CIO

is

an

incorporated

structure

designed

for

charities

You

create

a

CIO

by

registering

with

the

Charity

Commission

You

do

n’t

need

to

register

with

Companies

House

Trustees

have

limited

or

no

liability

for

CIO

debts

or

liabilities

Charitable

trust

A

charitable

trust

is

a

way

for

a

group

of

people

trustees

to

manage

assets

such

as

money

investments

land

or

buildings

Unincorporated

charitable

association

An

unincorporated

charitable

association

is

a

simple

way

for

a

group

of

volunteers

to

run

a

charity

for

a

common

purpose

Unincorporated

charitable

associations

ca

n’t

employ

staff

or

own

premises

Governing

document

You

must

create

a

governing

document

or

rulebook

for

your

charity

that

explains

how

your

charity

is

run

Your

governing

document

lets

trustees

and

other

interested

parties

find

out

your

charity

’s

purpose

who

runs

it

and

how

they

run

it

how

trustees

will

be

appointed

rules

about

trustees

expenses

rules

about

payments

to

trustees

how

to

close

the

charity

What

type

of

governing

document

you

need

depends

on

your

charity

structure

Read

guidance

on

writing

your

governing

document

including

example

templates

You

can

create

your

governing

document

using

your

own

templates

but

it

may

mean

registration

takes

longer

The

trustees

must

meet

to

sign

the

governing

document

You

’ll

need

an

independent

witness

if

you

’re

setting

up

a

charitable

trust

Register

your

charity

You

must

apply

to

register

your

charity

if

its

income

is

at

least

per

year

or

it

’s

a

charitable

incorporated

organisation

CIO

it

’s

based

in

England

or

Wales

the

rules

are

different

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Supporting

documents

When

you

apply

you

’ll

be

asked

about

your

charity

’s

charitable

purposes

how

you

run

your

charity

for

public

benefit

for

proof

that

your

charity

’s

annual

income

is

above

unless

you

’re

a

CIO

You

’ll

also

need

to

give

your

charity

’s

name

bank

or

building

society

details

most

recent

accounts

contact

details

including

a

postal

address

trustees

names

dates

of

birth

and

contact

details

a

copy

of

your

charity

’s

governing

document

in

PDF

format

Proof

of

income

Proof

of

income

if

needed

can

be

any

one

of

your

charity

’s

latest

published

annual

accounts

in

PDF

format

they

must

have

been

approved

as

proof

of

income

by

an

independent

examiner

or

auditor

a

recent

bank

statement

as

a

scanned

image

a

formal

offer

of

funding

from

a

recognised

funding

body

as

a

scanned

image


Find

volunteer

opportunities

You

can

find

volunteering

opportunities

on

the

Do

it

website

Volunteering

Matters

website

for

young

older

and

disabled

volunteers

National

Association

for

Voluntary

and

Community

Action

website

local

Volunteer

Centre

website

Reach

Volunteering

website

for

volunteers

with

specific

skills

like

accountancy

marketing

law

management

mentoring

or

IT

Volunteering

Wales

website

Volunteer

Scotland

website

Find

out

about

volunteering

during

coronavirus

Volunteers

rights

You

do

not

have

a

contract

of

employment

as

a

volunteer

so

you

do

not

have

the

same

rights

as

an

employee

or

worker

You

will

usually

be

given

a

volunteer

agreement

that

explains

the

level

of

supervision

and

support

you

’ll

get

what

training

you

’ll

get

whether

you

’re

covered

under

the

organisation

’s

employer

or

public

liability

insurance

health

and

safety

issues

any

expenses

the

organisation

will

cover

The

volunteer

agreement

is

not

compulsory

but

sets

out

what

you

can

expect

from

the

organisation

you

’re

volunteering

for

It

does

not

form

a

contract

between

you

and

the

organisation

The

National

Council

for

Voluntary

Organisations

NCVO

has

information

on

volunteers

legal

status

When

you

can

volunteer

Age

limits

There

’s

no

upper

age

limit

on

volunteering

but

anyone

over

will

need

to

follow

public

health

advice

on

volunteering

during

coronavirus

Some

organisations

insurance

policies

do

not

cover

you

if

you

’re

under

or

over

a

certain

age

You

can

not

work

for

a

profit

making

organisation

if

you

’re

under

even

if

you

’re

not

paid

Your

local

council

might

have

extra

rules

about

the

work

you

can

do

as

a

young

person

Volunteering

and

benefits

You

can

volunteer

and

claim

benefits

if

the

only

money

you

get

from

volunteering

is

to

cover

expenses

like

travel

costs

you

continue

to

meet

the

conditions

of

the

benefit

you

get

Criminal

records

If

you

have

a

criminal

record

you

can

still

volunteer

in

most

roles

depending

on

your

offences

You

might

need

a

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

check

if

you

want

to

volunteer

with

children

or

vulnerable

adults

Pay

and

expenses

You

are

not

paid

for

your

time

as

a

volunteer

but

you

may

get

money

to

cover

expenses

This

is

usually

limited

to

food

drink

travel

or

any

equipment

you

need

to

buy

You

may

need

to

pay

tax

on

your

driving

expenses

if

you

get

back

more

than

you

spent

You

might

be

classed

as

an

employee

or

worker

rather

than

a

volunteer

if

you

get

any

other

payment

reward

or

benefit

in

kind

This

includes

any

promise

of

a

contract

or

paid

work

in

the

future

You

get

certain

employment

rights

if

you

’re

classed

as

an

employee

or

worker

like

getting

the

minimum

wage