Lambourn Almshouses: Children and Visitors Staying Policy
1. Purpose
This policy sets out the Trustees’ approach to visits and overnight stays by children and other visitors in almshouse homes. It supports residents in maintaining family and social contact, while safeguarding the residential and communal nature of the almshouses and ensuring fairness, safety, and comfort for all residents.
2. General principles
Almshouses are provided as permanent homes for older people or others in need. They are not designed for occupation by families or for long term stays by visitors. For the purposes of this policy, a child is defined as any person under the age of 18.
Visitors, including children, are welcome to visit residents. Overnight stays are permitted only on a short term and genuinely temporary basis and must not amount to a visitor living at the almshouses.
All overnight stays require prior written permission from the Clerk or the Trustees.
3. Daytime visits
Children and other visitors may visit residents during the day without restriction provided that:
• visits do not cause nuisance, noise, or disturbance to other residents
• children are supervised at all times
• shared and communal areas are respected
• the safety and wellbeing of other residents is not compromised
Residents remain responsible for the behaviour, supervision, and safety of their visitors at all times.
4. Overnight stays
Short term overnight stays by visitors, including children, may be permitted only where prior written permission has been given by the Clerk or the Trustees, and where:
• the stay is genuinely temporary
• the visitor is visiting a resident and is not residing at the almshouses
• the stay does not inconvenience or disturb other residents
• the accommodation is suitable for the number of occupants
The Trustees reserve the right to refuse, limit, or place conditions on overnight stays where they consider this necessary to protect the interests of the almshouse community.
5. Parental Responsibility
Where overnight stays involve a child, the resident must:
• be the child’s legal parent or have formal parental responsibility or legal guardianship for the child, or
• have the written consent of the child’s legal parent or guardian for the stay, and
• confirm in writing to the Clerk that they hold parental responsibility or guardianship, or that appropriate consent has been obtained
Residents remain fully responsible for the child at all times during any visit or overnight stay, and no responsibility is transferred to the Trustees or the almshouse.
6. Prohibited use
Visitors, including children, must not:
• treat the almshouse as their main or only home
• be registered at the address for school, medical, or other official purposes
• stay for repeated or extended periods that amount to residence
Where a pattern of visits suggests that a visitor is effectively living at the almshouse, Trustees may require the arrangement to end.
7. Safety and safeguarding
Residents hosting visitors must ensure that:
• the accommodation is suitable and safe for visitors, including children
• children are supervised at all times
• other residents are not placed at risk, discomfort, or distress
The Trustees and Clerk do not accept responsibility for supervising visiting children or other visitors.
8. Equality, discretion, and record keeping
This policy will be applied fairly, consistently, and with discretion. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis, taking account of:
• the length and frequency of visits
• the layout and nature of the almshouses
• the needs, safety, and wellbeing of other residents
All decisions granting or refusing permission for overnight stays will be recorded in writing.
9. Breach of policy
If this policy is not followed, Trustees may require a stay to end or may withdraw permission for future overnight stays. Any action taken will be proportionate, reasonable, and clearly communicated to the resident.
10. Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically by the Trustees to ensure it remains appropriate, lawful, and consistent with best practice and Almshouse Association guidance.
11. Approval
This policy has been approved by the Board of Trustees of The Lambourn Almshouses:
Signature:
Name: Christian Noll
Position: Chair of Trustees
Date: 3 February 2026