EHRC Code of Practice coming into force on Wednesday 5 August

The new EHRC Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations comes into force on Wednesday 5 August. This updated Services Code will provide guidance on the application of the Equality Act 2010 in light of the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment For Women Scotland, which courts and tribunals must take into account when deciding claims …
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AI Impact: How should purpose-driven businesses consider the impact of their AI usage?

We regularly bring together people from across the impact space, including investors, B Corps, social enterprises, foundations and ecosystem support organisations, to discuss key themes of purpose-beyond-profit. At a recent roundtable, we explored how purpose-driven businesses can understand the risks and impacts of AI, and how in-house legal teams can develop strategies to support responsible …
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Corporate foundations and their connected businesses: Key insights from our roundtable

We were delighted to welcome representatives from a variety of corporate foundations to our roundtable on 30 June. The event brought together a wealth of different experiences and provided an opportunity for peer learning and the sharing of practical insights. Legal principles Bates Wells partners, Philip Kirkpatrick and Lucy Rhodes, opened the roundtable with an …
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EPC reform: raising the bar – big changes ahead for landlords and tenants

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are a familiar part of the UK property landscape, rating buildings from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). They are required when properties are built, sold or let, and form the basis of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). For landlords, a property must have a minimum EPC rating of …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 14 July

Our weekly roundup of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission Annual report and accounts The Charity Commission has published its annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026. In his foreword, Chief Executive Officer …
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Innovate for Impact: Managing IT supplier relationships: Risks, red flags and reducing the impact of disputes

What makes an IT supplier relationship succeed – or fail? At our recent event, Innovate for Impact: Empowering Charities through Technology, panellists explored the challenges organisations face when delivering technology projects and managing relationships with IT suppliers. While the projects discussed varied widely, a number of recurring themes emerged: misaligned expectations, underestimated complexity, supplier dependency …
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Innovate for Impact: How technology can empower charities to drive positive change

At our recent Innovate for Impact: Empowering Charities Through Technology event, panellists discussed how charities are using technology in practice to improve services, better understand the needs of their communities and support their wider objectives. The discussion explored both the opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies, with speakers drawing on their own experiences of …
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Innovate for Impact: Building cyber resilience: Lessons from the front line of a ransomware attack

At our recent Innovate for Impact: Empowering charities through technology event, one message stood out above all others: cyber resilience is not just a technology issue — it is an organisational one. As charities increasingly rely on digital tools to deliver services, engage supporters and manage sensitive information, the impact of a cyber incident can …
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Charity Commission investigations health check

Charity Commission investigations can be prompted in many ways; for example, complaints to the Commission, publicity in the press and elsewhere and the submission of serious incident reports by the charity. However they arise, and however successful the outcome, they can be stressful and resource intensive for all involved. We can work with you to …
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People and Workplace round-up | 9 July

Welcome to our 5-minute round-up of people and workplace updates, hand-picked to help HR teams. Catch up on: Unlawful deductions from wages: bonus entitlement was fixed before an undisclosed cap was imposed by the employer The Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) confirmed that an employer cannot retrospectively limit a bonus by introducing a cap after the …
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The Employment Rights Act 2025 comes into force – what’s next for employers?

This article was first published on 15 January 2026. It has been updated following the Government’s announcement on 3 February 2026 regarding its revised implementation timeline, and again in July 2026 to reflect the annual increase in the statutory cap for compensation payments and provide updates on a number of consultations. On 18 December 2025, …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 7 July

Our weekly round up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Charity Commission framework DCMS and the Charity Commission have published a framework document which sets …
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