8 April

Dear Colleague

MODEL RULES FOR HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS IN WALES

Please find attached the bespoke set of Model Rules for Housing Associations in Wales that were recently accepted by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

There was strong support from the sector, the Welsh Government, the CHC Group, and other key stakeholders for the development of this bespoke set of rules for Wales, designed to reflect:

•the specific regulatory framework in Wales and associated legislation & guidance;

•the accompanying greater emphasis being placed on Boards’ duties to uphold the best standards of governance and to effectively monitor the financial health of their Association;

•the move to a less prescribed framework and greater flexibility for HAs to develop governance arrangements that support their individual cultures and circumstance; and

•more modern accepted business practices for the sector and beyond.

They have been written with the intention of being sufficiently generic to allow for use by all Housing Associations and include sets of options to support the core model rules to meet a range of different needs, split deliberately into five distinct sections to reflect:

  • Generic options to the base model for all Housing Associations;
  • Group, parent and subsidiary options;
  • Options specifically relating to LSVTs & Community Mutuals (where they are similar);
  • Any additional options specifically relating only to Community Mutuals; and
  • Co-optee options.

The Model Rules are not mandatory of course. They have been designed simply to be a model set to help support consideration locally if and when Associations review their own rules and arrangements, and hopefully to reduce the internal resource and legal cost burden on individual Associations if/when they come to review their own rules.

Attached also is a short guidance note for Associations on rule amendments and approval routes that includes an aide memoire, and a checklist for submission to the Financial Conduct Authority, the successor body to the FSA(wef 1st April 2013).This guidance note has been agreed with both the FSA and the Housing Regulator.

Thank you again to all those who contributed to the development of the Model Rules, and I hope they will be an important contribution as Associations continue to enhance their own governance arrangements.

Yours sincerely


Nick Bennett
Group Chief Executive

8 Ebrill

Annwyl Gyfaill

RHEOLAU ENGHREIFFTIOL CYMDEITHASAU TAI YNG NGHYMRU

Amgaeaf y set bwrpasol o Reolau Enghreifftiol ar gyfer Cymdeithasau Tai yng Nghymru a dderbyniwyd gan yr Awdurdod Gwasanaethau Ariannol (FSA) yn ddiweddar.

Roedd cefnogaeth gref gan y sector, Llywodraeth Cymru, Grŵp CHC a rhanddeiliaid allweddol eraill ar gyfer datblygu’r set bwrpasol hon o reolau yng Nghymru, a gynlluniwyd i adlewyrchu:

•y fframwaith rheoleiddiol penodol yng Nghymru a deddfwriaeth a chanllawiau cysylltiedig;

•y pwyslais ychwanegol a roddir ar ddyletswyddau Byrddau i gydymffurfio â safonau gorau llywodraethiant a monitro iechyd ariannol eu Cymdeithas yn effeithlon;

•symud i fframwaith llai rhagnodol gyda mwy o hyblygrwydd i gymdeithasau tai ddatblygu trefniadau llywodraethiant sy'n cefnogi eu diwylliannau ac amgylchiadau unigol; ac

•arferion busnes mwy modern a dderbyniwyd ar gyfer y sector a thu hwnt.

Cawsant eu hysgrifennu gyda'r bwriad o fod yn ddigon cyffredinol i alluogi pob Cymdeithas Tai i'w defnyddio ac maent yn cynnwys setiau o opsiynau i gefnogi'r rheolau enghreifftiol craidd i ddiwallu amrywiaeth o anghenion gwahanol, wedi'u rhannu'n benodol yn bum adran ar wahân i adlewyrchu:

  • Opsiynau generig i fodel sylfaen pob Cymdeithas Tai;
  • Opsiynau grŵp, rhiant ac is-gwmni;
  • Opsiynau’n cyfeirio'n benodol at Sefydliadau Trosglwyddo Gwirfoddol ar Raddfa Fawr a Chwmnïau Cymunedol Cydfuddiannol (lle maent yn debyg);
  • Unrhyw opsiynau ychwanegol yn cyfeirio'n benodol yn unig at Gwmnïau Cydfuddiannol Cymunedol; ac
  • Opsiynau cyfethol.

Wrth gwrs, nid yw'r Rheolau Enghreifftiol yn orfodol. Cawsant eu cynllunio i fod yn set enghreifftiol i helpu ystyriaeth yn lleol os a phryd mae Cymdeithasau'n adolygu eu rheolau a'u trefniadau eu hunain, a gobeithio ostwng baich adnoddau mewnol a chostau cyfreithiol ar Gymdeithasau unigol os/pan y daethant i adolygu eu rheolau eu hunain.

Amgaeir hefyd nodyn canllaw byr i Gymdeithasau ar newidiadau i reolau a llwybrau cymeradwyo sy'n cynnwys aide memoire, a rhestr wirio i'w chyflwyno i'r Awdurdod Ymddygiad Ariannol, y corff sy'n olynu'r FSA (yn weithredol o 1 Ebrill 2013). Mae'r FSA a'r Rheolydd Tai wedi cytuno ar y nodyn canllaw yma.

Diolch eto i bawb a gyfrannodd at ddatblygu'r Rheolau Enghreifftiol, a gobeithiaf y bydd yn gyfraniad pwysig wrth i Gymdeithasau barhau i wella eu trefniadau llywodraethiant eu hunain.

Yn gywir iawn

Nick Bennett
Prif Weithredydd Grŵp

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