Helping Clergy And

Their Families Feel Safe And Comfortable

In Their Homes

Policies & Procedures

2016

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This book belongs to the parish of: _____________________________

Your two points of contact in the Clergy Housing Department are:

Claire Evans 0151 705 2129 (Properties Support Officer)

claire.evans@liverpool.anglican.org

Alan Gayner 0151 705 2128 (Diocesan Properties Manager) alan.gayner@liverpool.anglican.org

If you have a question about or a problem with your home, please e-mail

(preferred) or telephone before taking any action.

The Clergy Housing Department is busy. If you cannot get through please

leave a clear message and any instructions will be actioned at the earliest

opportunity. Unless the message is unclear there is generally no need for us to

call you back. If your message is more complex please e-mail.

In case of a real emergency, these numbers may be helpful:

Plumber John Pugh 07711 006955

Electrician Tom Nuttall 07768 211376

Emergency Glazier Property Care 07932 122950

Services 0151 261 0051 / 428 5892

Alarms/CCTV Anthony Pheysey 07836 237018

BMW Treecare Barry Hughes 07909 520687

Drains: A1 All Clear 07860121442

General Contractors:

Property Care Services: 0151 284 4466

Carroll Property Services: 07946 641897

Local Contacts:

It might be helpful to record the relevant numbers for your parish:

Electricity Supplier: _____________________________ Gas Supplier: _____________________________ Water Supplier: _____________________________ Deanery Rep.: _____________________________

If during holiday periods the above are personnel are unable to be contacted then please deal with Clergy Housing Committee

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matters locally but only in an absolute emergency where remedial work is essential.

Please keep this booklet in a safe and accessible place and let your

Churchwardens have a copy.

Housing of Incumbents and Curates

Clergy houses are the property of the Diocesan Board of Finance and therefore

the responsibility of the Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee. Apart from in

specific areas, curates’ housing is the responsibility of the parish.

Your clergy house, you and us

Your clergy house has two functions. First and foremost it is a home for you

and your family. But it is also where you do much of your study and

preparation for worship and preaching as well as holding the occasional

meeting and maybe some parish administration.

It is the responsibility of the Clergy Housing Committee to make sure that your

clergy house is appropriately maintained and, when necessary, repaired as

required under the Repair of Benefice Building Measure 1972, while still giving

you a chance to make it your ‘own’.

It is your responsibility, helped by your PCC/DCC, to contribute to this

maintenance by taking proper care of your home.

The rest of this booklet aims to help you (or the Sequestrators during a

vacancy) and us in meeting these shared responsibilities by setting out their

range and nature.

We are always looking to improve the services that we provide and welcome

any suggestions for how we can do this. We also welcome feedback on the

clarity and helpfulness of this booklet.

Together we can make it work, and work well!

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CONTENTS Page

The Clergy Housing Committee 4 Before you Move in 6 During the Incumbency 7/8

Maintenance & Repair – who does what? 9 Improvements 10

Development 11

Replacement of Clergy Houses 12 Moving Out 13 Insurance 14 Security 14

Decorations 14

Notes for Churchwardens 15-17 Questions People Often Ask 18-19

The Clergy Housing Tree Policy 19 Curates Housing Scheme 22 Log Sheet 26

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The Clergy Housing Committee

The Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee shall be a sub-committee of the Finance Committee and it shall act as the Diocesan Glebe Committee and also the Diocesan Parsonages Committee. The task of the Committee shall be:

To set policies and give governance to the management of the diocesan glebe portfolio as prescribed by the Glebe and Endowments

Measure 1976.

To set policies and act in connection with the provision and maintenance of housing for clergy and others working in furtherance of the objects of the Board (in accordance with the Repair of Benefice Buildings Measure 1972 and the Parsonages Measure 1938 as

amended) in particular to ensure that clergy and their families feel safe and comfortable in their homes and that they provide a good base for ministry and home life.

Membership of the Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee

i. A Chairman, appointed on the invitation of the Diocesan Bishop by the

Finance Committee at its first meeting in each triennium

ii. The Archdeacons. iii. One clergy and one lay member from each Archdeaconry elected by Diocesan Synod at the first meeting in each triennium

iv. Up to three co-opted members appointed by the Committee In attendance: the Diocesan Secretary and the members of the Clergy Housing team.

No business shall be transacted unless a quorum is present. The quorum is one third of the total actual membership at the time.

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The Clergy Housing Committee meets at least six times a year, normally on

the second Thursday, of January, March, May, July, September and November

between 1.00pm- 3.00pm.

All questions to do with clergy houses should be referred first to the Properties

Support Officer - Tel. 0151 705 2129.

The Clergy Housing Committee operates within the constraints of the budget

set by the Diocesan Synod to enable clergy and their families feel safe and

comfortable in their homes.

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1. BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

Following vacant possession and prior to you moving in the Diocesan

Properties Manager will meet with you and inspect the property. You can

arrange for your new Churchwardens to be present if required.

It is important to note that, while necessary maintenance and repair will,

normally, be carried out before you take up an appointment, recommended

improvements will be scheduled according to their place in the Committee’s

prioritised list. This list is based wholly on the condition of the items proposed

for improvement and the process of prioritization sets out to ensure fairness to

all incumbents, whether they have been in post for a significant period or are

moving to a new post, as well as the most efficient use of the Committee’s

budget.

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2. DURING THE INCUMBENCY

Once you are in your house the Clergy Housing Committee has an on-going

responsibility to maintain the house to an appropriate standard. This

responsibility essentially falls under 3 broad headings:

Maintenance and Repair

Improvement

Development

(a) Maintenance and Repair

The Clergy Housing Committee has a statutory duty to carry out repairs, which

involve making good what already exists. In practice maintaining the clergy

house to a good standard is a partnership between the Clergy Housing

Committee and the Incumbent and involves schedules of inspection,

maintenance and repair.

Regular Inspections

Your clergy house will be scheduled for a regular inspection (generally every

5 years) by the Properties Manager, preferably accompanied by you.

It is helpful if you make the Properties Manager aware, at the inspection, of

any particular areas of concern.

You will be sent a copy of the Report. If you have any comments or queries

you should send them to the Properties Support Officer as soon as possible.

The Clergy Housing Committee will consider any comments you have

submitted and will authorise the Properties Manager to make the necessary

arrangements which have been agreed. He is responsible for drawing up the

schedule and instructing the work.

The authorised work of maintenance and repair identified as a result of the

inspection will start as soon as possible and at the latest within 24 months.

When an upgrade to the fabric and/or services is identified as necessary or

desirable, this will be built into the Committee’s overall schedule for such

works but may not take place alongside the more routine quinquennial works.

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Regular maintenance - Central Heating, Gas Safety & Electrical testing

The Clergy Housing Committee, through the Properties Manager, takes

responsibility for ensuring that boilers are serviced and gas appliances safety-

checked annually and electrical installation tested at the time of your

Quinquennial work.

Repairs Required Between Regular Inspections

If/when a repair is needed between inspections you must first contact the

Clergy Housing Support Officer. She can advise on the most appropriate action

and will, where necessary, arrange for the approval from the Clergy Housing

Committee to be sought. A message will suffice in most cases.

Emergency Repairs

In the case of an emergency (e.g. a burst pipe or storm damage) where you

judge that the fabric of the house would be further harmed by the delay of

following normal procedures, you should act immediately to have the repair

carried out by contacting the relevant contractor as listed on page 1. Wherever

possible you should try to contact the Clergy Housing department first. You

must also let the Properties Support Office know of the action you have taken

as soon as possible.

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Maintenance and Repair – who does what?

The Clergy Housing Committee will:

carry out regular inspections of clergy houses;

maintain and repair;

i) the external structure and fabric of the buildings of the clergy house, including external doors, windows, drains, gutters and external pipes;

ii) drives (normally minor repairs only), walls (subject to Committee approval), gates and fences.

iii) installations in the clergy house for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths, showers and sanitary conveniences (the Committee is not responsible for

maintaining or repairing any installations carried out by the incumbent);

iv) space and water heating installations with the clergy house – including the annual servicing of the boiler;

v) any fixtures and fittings in the clergy house, as long as they belong to the Diocese.

vi) burglar alarms, CCTV and PAA but not monitoring systems which are the responsibility of the parish.

The Incumbent should contribute to the good maintenance of the home by regularly:

looking from ground level at the roof to check that tiles/ slates are all in place and that gullies and gutters are not overflowing;

checking the boundary fences and ensuring that hedging is trimmed at

appropriate intervals and that wooden fencing is treated with a preservative every couple of years (a grant of £40 is available for buying the preservative);

keeping the house in good decorative order (a decorating grant is available – see page 14).

If/when repairs are required you should in all normal circumstances contact the Properties Support Officer first. She will be able to advise you

on your best option.

Where there is an emergency e.g. a burst pipe you should take the necessary action immediately by contacting the relevant contractor listed on page 1.

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(b) Improvements

The Committee will, informed by its regular inspections, establish and carry

out a planned and prioritised programme of improvement to its housing stock

in respect of e.g. windows, boilers, kitchens.

The approval of the Clergy Housing Committee is needed for any other

proposed improvements or upgrades to the clergy house or anything within its

boundaries. This can only be given after agreement has been reached between

the Committee, the incumbent and their PCC/DCC. It is important to

remember that if the clergy house or its surrounding walls, gates, outbuildings

etc are ‘listed’, or if the clergy house is located within a conservation area,

special attention is required and, in particular, any proposal must have Listed

Building Consent from the Local Authority.

Improvements/upgrades might include replacement of single glazing with

double glazing throughout the house, cavity wall and loft insulation,

thermostatic radiator valves, electric showers (over the bath, not a separate

cubicle), kitchen modernisation, additional electric sockets. They may result

from the inspection but, even when they do, they still require approval from

the Clergy Housing Committee.

It is important to remember that if work is begun before approval is given, the

Committee will not accept responsibility for the work and may require you to

re-instate the property at your own expense when you leave the house.

Always consult the Properties Support Officer before doing anything.

A word on contractors

The Properties Manager is the only person entitled to give instructions to the

Contractor. If you give a Contractor instructions to do additional work

while he is at the house, you will be personally liable for the costs

involved.

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(c) Development

The Clergy Housing Committee will, on behalf of the Diocese, consider and,

where appropriate, authorise consent for proposals to:

improve a clergy house;

alter a clergy house;

divide a clergy house;

lease a clergy house not currently required for an incumbent;

provide a new or replacement clergy house, by purchase or building,

dependent on the agreement of a suitable financial package;

sell a clergy house;

demolish a clergy house.

Development work will only take place after appropriate consultation and

subsequent approval.

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WHAT HAPPENS ABOUT REPLACEMENT OF CLERGY HOUSES?

Many unsuitable houses have been replaced over the past few years but a few

remain. If they are still needed and cannot be brought up to appropriate

standards, the Clergy Housing Committee will consider replacement.

There are five stages to this process during which the Clergy Housing

Committee will:

1. Discuss with the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee whether they

wish to make a recommendation as to whether the house is expected to

be needed in the foreseeable future.

2. If it is, consider how the replacement may be best achieved:

a) altering the present house;

b) buying an existing house;

c) building a new house.

3. Discuss the funding with the PCC and the Diocesan Board of Finance. All

such schemes must be approved as self-financing.

4. Appoint an agent, after discussion between the PCC, the Clergy Housing

Committee and the Properties Manager.

5. Approve the proposals, along with the Incumbent, the Local Authority

and on occasion with the Church Commissioners.

All proposals regarding the replacement of clergy housing should be copied to

the Deanery Mission & Pastoral Committee.

The replacement scheme may go ahead only after all consents have been

given and the sale of the house, and agreements about the use of the

proceeds of the sale, have been obtained. No alterations at all may be made to

the scheme once the final agreement has been reached without returning to

the Clergy Housing Committee and on occasion the Church Commissioners to

go through a further approval process.

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If you need fuller information about any replacement scheme issues, please in

the first instance contact the Properties Support Officer for clarification on

process.

MOVING OUT

Before you leave your clergy house:

a) you will receive a copy of the letter which will have been sent to your

Churchwardens explaining how the property should be left and inviting

them/you to report on the condition of the clergy house together with

any recommendations you feel are appropriate to make about its

possible improvement.

b) The Properties Manager will meet the Churchwardens after your

departure to inspect the property and discuss the comments.

c) It is essential that you clear the house thoroughly and remove all

unwanted articles and/or rubbish not only from the clergy house but

also from the garage and its grounds before you leave so that they are

left in a state in which you would expect to find them. The house

should be in an acceptable decorative and clean condition.

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INSURANCE

Buildings Insurance

The Clergy Housing Committee insures all clergy houses together with their

surrounding walls, fences, gates etc under a block policy with the Ecclesiastical

Insurance Group against, as is usual, accidental and other damage but not

‘normal’ wear and tear. If an insurable problem arises in relation to your

house, you must let the Properties Support Officer know right away, since all

claims have to be lodged with EIG from St James’ House, together with

photographs.

If you are not sure if an insurance claim is appropriate, ask the advice of the

Properties Support Officer.

If the damage is the result of criminal activity, you must tell the police, who

will issue you with a crime number. Without this number, the claim will not

be valid. These details must be given promptly to the Clergy Housing

Department.

Contents Insurance

You are responsible for your own Contents Insurance policy.

Ensure that your security system is always used and all window and door locks

are used and fully operative, because this may affect your insurance premium.

SECURITY

The Committee takes security very seriously and will do its best, within its

budget, to support improvements and repairs to items such as security alarm

and lighting systems.

DECORATIONS

In recognition of the fact that a vacancy is a good time to do internal

decorations, the Clergy Housing Committee makes a grant of £300 towards the

cost. The PCC is responsible for the work.

An annual grant of £50 is offered towards the costs of materials for decoration

work undertaken by the incumbent or parish volunteers (reimbursement made

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on receipt of evidence of purchase). Alternatively if a contractor is used then

1/3rd of the cost will be reimbursed up to a maximum grant of £150 (i.e. a bill

of £450). There is only one grant per parish per year. This may not be claimed

in retrospect.

The Committee will also approve a bi-annual grant of £40 for the purchase of

wood preservative for treating boundary fences. Payment will be made on

receipt of evidence of purchase.

NOTES FOR CHURCHWARDENS

What happens before and during a vacancy?

You and your Vicar will receive a letter prior to their leaving the Vicarage, this

letter will outline your responsibilities before and when the Vicarage becomes

empty. At this time you will be invited to comment on the property and then a

visit will be arranged for the Property Manager to inspect, after the Vicar has

left.

The Clergy House

Vandalism is a high risk in virtually all areas. Unfortunately keeping an

occasional eye on an empty clergy house is no longer sufficient to protect it.

Experience has shown that a more careful strategy is required. There are two

basic scenarios:

(i) Where the vacancy is expected to be under 6 months

Where the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee has approved the

appointment of a new incumbent and that appointment is expected to be taken

up in under six months, the parish is responsible for the Clergy house. This

means that:

a) The churchwardens(s) and/or their appointed representatives must

inspect the clergy house at least twice a week and a record of those

inspections must be kept, preferably in the log at the back of this

handbook.

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b) Where the house is likely to be empty for a period during the winter

and there is, therefore, danger of burst pipes, the water will be drained

since bursts and the damage they cause cost a great deal to put right.

Please contact us and we will arrange for this to be done.

c) It is probably most economic to ask BT to maintain the telephone since

re-connection is costly, though it might be advisable to ban outgoing

calls.

d) Utility bills received during the vacancy when the property is empty

must be paid by the PCC/DCC (do not transfer these into the name

of the Diocese). If Ad Hoc (who are security guardians) go into

occupation it is our responsibility or a tenant then the bills become the

tenant’s responsibility. Meters should be read when the Vicar moves

out and again once anyone takes up occupation and when they leave.

N.B. It is important that, when prospective incumbents and their families and

tenants and guardians are invited to look at the house, it is as well presented

as possible.

(ii) Where the vacancy is expected to be over 6 months

It is quite common for vacancies to last beyond six months. So where the

Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee has approved the appointment of a

new incumbent but that appointment is not expected to be taken up for six

months or more, the Clergy Housing Committee will seek to arrange for the

letting of the clergy house on a temporary basis. The Properties Support

Officer can advise about this. Where such a letting is achieved the Clergy

Housing Committee will:

a) take over responsibility for the clergy house from the point at which it

is let; until the churchwardens receive written confirmation of the

letting they should continue to take responsibility for the house as

defined under (i) above.

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(b) Where appropriate it may be decided for Ad Hoc to take up occupation

whereby the Diocese is responsible for all the utility bills which include council

tax, water, gas & electricity.

Other points to note

Where, because of pastoral re-organisation, the clergy house is no longer

required for an incumbent, the Clergy Housing Committee will take over

responsibility for the house on the date the incumbent leaves. No rent payable

to the PCC/DCC.

Gardening is the parish’s responsibility when the property is empty unless

occupied by a tenant or Ad Hoc Guardians.

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Questions People Often Ask

Who provides the cooker?

You do and it should be of a free-standing type. Unless of course the property

already has a fitted cooker.

What is the policy on smoke alarms?

It is the responsibility of the Clergy Housing Committee to install two mains

linked smoke alarms. Usually one in the hall and one on the landing.

Who is responsible for television aerials/telephones?

The Clergy Housing Committee is not. You might wish to discuss this with your

PCC/DCC on both of these items.

What is the policy on showers?

We have been following a gradual policy of installing showers at clergy houses

expense as part of environmental commitment. Please bear in mind that

normally approval will be given only for a shower incorporated over the bath,

not for a separate cubicle and fitted with a rail for a curtain.

What happens if there is a problem with a fitted kitchen?

Any minor problem to the kitchen fitments would come under the normal

heading of ‘Repair’. The replacement of, for example, the worktops would be

regarded as an upgrade. The replacement of a full kitchen would come under

the heading of ‘Improvements’. Both would require the permission of the

Clergy Housing Committee.

Who is responsible for plumbing in my washing machine/appliances?

This is your responsibility and can be carried out by our heating and plumbing

engineer at your cost.

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What happens if there is a problem with a tree?

The Committee should be alerted to any matter concerning a tree because of

possible problems like preservation orders. The first step would be to ring the

Properties Support Officer.

Hedging should always be kept to a manageable size. The Committee will not

look favourably on monitoring hedging which has been left to grow out of

control.

The Clergy Housing Tree Policy:

Introduction

These policies are intended as guidelines for determining whether or not

requests for the pruning of managed trees by the Clergy Housing Department

within the curtilage of vicarages should lead to action. It is not possible to anticipate every situation and it is therefore important that whilst these policies guide decisions they will not be considered absolutely prescriptive. Furthermore, no one policy will be considered in isolation, but all relevant policies will be taken into account when reaching a decision. These

policies will further be considered in the context of wider strategic aims relating to individual areas.

Safety

Where there is a clear and foreseeable threat to the personal safety of

residents or visitors, or to property, that is directly related to the condition of a

tree, action will be taken to minimise that risk.

Risk that is an indirect consequence of a tree (e.g. slippery leaves on the

pavement in autumn) will be dealt with through pruning only in unusual

circumstances where other options are not available.

Unfounded fear of a tree will not result in action to prune the tree.

Obstruction of the Highway

The Clergy Housing Department will seek to ensure that adequate clearance of

the highway for the type of traffic using that highway is maintained at all

times. Complaints about low branches over the highway will be considered and

acted upon promptly.

Obstruction of street lights and road signs

The Clergy Housing Department will endeavour to ensure that trees under

their management do not obscure road signs or prevent street lamps from

illuminating the highway.

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The purpose of street lamps is to illuminate the public highway and where

adequate illumination of the highway is present the Diocese will not normally

take action to improve the levels of illumination of private property.

Daylight Loss

Action will normally only be considered where the separation between the tree

and the window of the nearest habitable room is less than 6m for trees with a

height of over 12m, or less than half the height of the tree for smaller trees, or

where the separation between the edge of the canopy and a vertical line

through that window is less than 2m.

A ‘habitable room’ means a dining room, lounge, kitchen, study or bedroom

but specifically excludes WCs, bathrooms, utility rooms, landings and hallways.

Where a situation falls within these guidelines cases will be prioritised

according to proximity and account will also be taken of the orientation of the

affected window.

Television and other radio equipment

There is no right to good reception and in many cases it is possible to resolve

issues of poor reception involving trees by finding an engineering solution. The Clergy Housing Department will only consider requests to prune trees to improve reception where all the following conditions are true:

Efforts have been made to find an engineering solution to the problem and have not been successful. The work required is consistent with good arboricultural practice and will not

unduly affect the amenity or health of the tree

The work required can be executed within current financial constraints

Leaves, Seeds and Fruit

Leaves and seeds are carried freely on the wind and are largely outside the

control of The Clergy Housing Department. Clearing of leaves from gutters and

pathways and weeding of set seeds are considered to be normal routine

seasonal maintenance which property owners are expected to carry out.

Pruning will not normally be undertaken to attempt to reduce the fall of leaves,

seeds or fruit.

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Honeydew

As with leaves, honeydew is not readily controllable by pruning and cleaning of

affected surfaces can be considered to be routine maintenance. Pruning will

not normally be considered solely as a way of alleviating problems with

honeydew.

Subsidence

Tree related subsidence damage is a complex issue and each case will need to

be considered on an individual basis.

Where damage has occurred The Clergy Housing Department will require that

adequate assessment and monitoring is undertaken to demonstrate that the

tree is involved and that such evidence be submitted in support of any request

for action.

Requests for action based on an unquantified possibility of damage occurring

at an unspecified point in the future will not be considered unless there other

overriding reasons to take action.

Direct Root Damage

As with subsidence, cases of direct root damage will be considered on an

individual basis. A balance will be struck between the nuisance experienced by

individuals and the benefits offered by the tree to the wider community.

Drain Blockage

Trees do not have the capacity to break into a sound drain, but they will

ruthlessly exploit any existing fault. The removal of one tree will not prevent

other vegetation from exploiting the same opportunity.

The presumption is that the appropriate way to deal with tree root blockage of

drains is to ensure that the drains are watertight. Accordingly The Clergy

Housing Department will not normally take action in response to complaints

from neighbours that Clergy Housing managed trees are blocking drains.

Planting of new trees

If you are contemplating planting any new trees within your Vicarage garden

please DO NOT plant them without consulting with the Clergy Housing

Department beforehand.

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CURATES HOUSING SCHEME

Introduction

The deployment of title posts in this diocese is dependent, in addition to the Bishop’s discretion, on the capacity for a parish to provide a positive, varied training context with a training incumbent committed to training and supervision with supporting skill and experience. Until recently the additional financial cost in terms of housing and administrative expenses has usually been a secondary consideration which established training parishes have been content to bear. In many cases, housing costs have often been covered by

parishes purchasing their own curate’s accommodation as a flexible parish asset. However with our commitment to training contexts being diverse and inclusive,

and offering experience of urban and collaborative environments and given other financial pressures currently facing us, housing provision and general

financial concerns have become more significant. This policy provides a structure to help to meet our aspirational training needs for curacies in a way that provides relative parity and opportunity for parishes. Our overall aim must be to offer a thorough and effective training for future leaders in the church. This requires that we have the freedom to place curates in the most suitable contexts. Sometimes that will be where there is no current

housing provision, and sometimes that will be in low income parishes or teams. Unless a parish can make housing provision independently, the burden of overall training costs for this will need to be a partnership between the local

church, or churches, and the DBF. There needs to be a transparent consistency in how that partnership works.

Policy All housing arrangements must be made in principle with the relevant Archdeacon before applying for a curate. The particular needs of a curate will not be known until a suitable candidate is identified by the Bishop’s Curacy Panel and so alternative housing may need to be renegotiated and confirmed

with the Archdeacon before a formal offer of a curacy is made by the Bishop of Warrington.

Training posts are generally not appropriate where there are Parish Share arrears in the curacy context. Even in the lowest income parishes, the decision to offer a curacy must involve

some financial commitment. All parishes should at least make provision for

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covering the costs of Council Tax, Water rates and full expenses of office (c. £3k pa).

The DBF can assist with costs up to an agreed level graded according to the

parish’s potential (as in their Parish Share assessment) as follows:

Parish Share payable

Maximum DBF Contribution to housing costs

Up to £15k £7000

£15k - £30k £4750

Over £30k £3500

This will not normally apply where parishes have their own existing housing provision. However as they may forgo rental income on their house when they

are providing a training post, there is a facility for some minimal contribution from the DBF, again according to need, which must be negotiated with the relevant archdeacon before the post is agreed. Where curates are appointed to work across a team or multiple parishes, the

level will be determined on the basis of the average Parish Share across the parishes. Parishes are also able to access TAP or ACS for additional support with the overall cost of the training post, and are encouraged to apply where their costs are still challenging.

Housing options when considering applying for a curate

NB. In all cases Buildings Insurance, Council Tax, Water Rates and full expenses of office should be met by the parish. Curates should expect to meet their own utility bills, contents insurance and private internet and telephone costs.

1. Parish Owned The parish provides accommodation in a house ‘owned’ by the PCC (but vested in the DBF as PCC’s cannot own property). Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are the responsibility of the parish. The DBF contribution would be

considered to ensure that the parish has some capacity to maintain the

building to an appropriate standard. 2. VLL House A Value Linked Loan house, which is owned by the Church Commissioners, is used for accommodation. This is similar to a parish owned house. The costs of servicing the loan should be taken into account when calculating the cost of

housing for that post, and agreement reached on the level of any DBF

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contribution. Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are usually the responsibility of the parish.

3. Rented

Rented accommodation is arranged either by the parish or by the DBF. In this case there must be early agreement on the level of the DBF contribution. 4. Vicarage / DBF House A vicarage or DBF house is made available for accommodation. The potential rental income is calculated and reckoned as a cost to the parish towards which

the appropriate level of DBF contribution is agreed. Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are the responsibility of the DBF. 5. House owned by a neighbouring parish

Where a parish ‘owns’ a house (vested in the DBF) but will not be expecting to have a curate in the next 5 years, their house might be made available for

accommodation. That parish would retain responsibility for repairs maintenance and building insurance, but would charge a rental where it would be agreed early on how much the parish paid, and the level of DBF contribution (as 2c). 6. Own Home There are, and will be, rare occasions when it is agreed that the curate

remains in their own home for part of, or the duration of, their title post. In these circumstances, they would receive the full Commissioners housing allowance. Their training parish would be asked to reimburse to the DBF that

amount less the appropriate DBF contribution. Guidelines for suitable curacy housing

A curate’s house does not fall under the Green guidelines for clergy housing, however a suitable standard should be provided. There can be some negotiation about the needs of a particular curate. In the case of a curate with a disability arrangements must be agreed on an

individual basis with advice from St James’ House representatives.

In families with more than 2 children it may be appropriate to ask children to share bedrooms, but not in the case of a child with a diagnosed disability or a looked after child.

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The housing should provide:

A clean, neatly decorated and carpeted property at the point of arrival.

Normally a 2-4 bedroomed house depending on the needs of a curate and their family. A suitable room for a study which allows for study, administration and private meetings. (By negotiation this may be in the home, though not counted in the bedroom allocation, or in the church if appropriately convenient, secure and private with telephone/internet access.)

Suitable room to store robes and essential equipment if not provided in the church.

A separate living room and kitchen.

If a curate is expected to use their home for church meetings there must be an additional living room for spouse or family. Suitable parking and/or garage. A NACOSS approved intruder alarm (in some cases it may be appropriate to provide further security measures).

Standard door and window locks.

A working cooker should be provided and space to plumb a washing machine. An outdoor secure area, particularly for curates with children.

The Landlord either private or the PCC must comply with all current safety regulations and issue appropriate certificates.

Reviewed November 2015

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LOG SHEET

Please use this sheet to:

a) Make a brief note of the date and nature of any maintenance/repair

work done to the parsonage house. You will find it helpful in your

discussions with the Diocesan Properties Manager when a Quinquennial

Inspection comes round. Many thanks.

b) Record checks of the empty property in the event of a vacancy.

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Clergy Housing Department

St James’ House 20 St James Road Liverpool L1 7BY

0151 705 2129