unannounced visit from council

Suggestions

Letter templates: If your landlord turns up without permission

Use our letter templates if your landlord or letting agent:

enters your home without permission

visits frequently without notice or appointment

If you rent the whole property

Use this template to set out your rights around unwanted visits.

Copy it into an email or message to your landlord or agent.

[Use the subject: Visits without permission, notice or appointment]

I'm writing about your unannounced visits to [your address] .

You must give me at least 24 hours' written notice if you wish to inspect the condition of the property. You can only visit at reasonable times of day.

You must tell me when and why you intend to visit so I can confirm it is convenient and arrange to be there if I want to.

You should only enter my home with my permission. I will allow access for gas safety checks or for repairs that are needed.

Visiting without an appointment or entering without my permission breaches my right to quiet enjoyment of my home.

It could also count as harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This is a criminal offence.

I will consider reporting you to the council for enforcement action if your behaviour continues.

Please only communicate with me by email in future.

You can also send the letter as an email attachment or through the post:

Word template: Visiting without permission or appointment (docx 23kb)

OpenDocument template: Visiting without permission or appointment (odt 9kb)

If you rent a room in a house in multiple occupation (HMO)

Use this template to set out your rights around landlord access to your bedroom and shared areas in your home.

[Use the subject: Visits and entering rooms without permission]

I'm concerned that you're visiting my home without a good reason and entering my room without permission.

I have a tenancy for my room and a lock on my door. You should only enter my room with my permission.

You have no reason to come into my room unless I have reported a repair or you have arranged an inspection.

You must give me at least 24 hours' written notice if you wish to inspect the condition of the room. You can only visit at reasonable times of day.

I accept you may need to visit the property to show vacant rooms to other tenants and that you retain access to the shared areas.

However, you must not use this as an excuse to linger at the property, enter bedrooms uninvited or harass myself or other tenants.

Your actions may be harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This is a criminal offence.

Word template: HMO landlord entering rooms without permission (docx 25kb)

OpenDocument template: HMO landlord entering rooms without permission (odt 9kb)

Need more advice?

Read our advice guide: How to deal with harassment from landlords or agents

Need more templates?

What do you want to tell your landlord or letting agent.

Last updated: 3 July 2023

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Compliance checks: unannounced visits for inspections — CC/FS4

This factsheet explains the checks on tax affairs when HMRC visits a business premises unannounced.

Unannounced visits for inspections — CC/FS4

Factsheets are for guidance only and reflect HMRC’s position at the time of writing.

Updates to this page

The bullet point 'names of the inspecting officers' has been removed from the 'About the notice of inspection' section. This is because the names of inspecting officers are no longer included in the notice of inspection.

The ‘If you need help’ section has been updated to include how to get help from HMRC if you need extra support. The sections about 'More information' detailing what to do if you're not happy with our service and 'Our privacy notice' to find information on what you can expect from us when we ask for information or hold information about you have also been added.

This factsheet has been updated to to include details of what may happen if documents are concealed, destroyed or otherwise disposed.

Compliance checks series factsheet updated under heading 'What if you have a reasonable excuse for not allowing the inspection to take place' to show criteria for reasonable excuse.

First published.

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Unannounced Visits (“Dawn Raids”): Key practical steps for firms

United Kingdom |  Publication |  March 2023

The FCA and PRA are empowered under the Competition Act 1998 and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to carry out unannounced visits, commonly referred to as “dawn raids”, provided that certain legal criteria are met. These powers enable the regulators to enter and search a firm’s premises, conduct interviews with staff and to require production and take copies of documents onsite.  Regulators may also visit staff working at home and seek documents and devices used for work purposes.  

Given that fighting financial crime underpins the FCA’s key priorities, firms and their staff may be subject to dawn raids if the regulator has serious concerns in relation to financial crime activity. As noted in our Regulation Tomorrow blog , in January 2023 the FCA announced that it had commenced criminal proceedings against five individuals for conspiracy to commit insider dealing and money laundering following a multi-site search and arrest operation conducted by the FCA in March 2021 with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police. 

Firms should have in place, and keep up to date and easily accessible, a documented policy and procedure which employees must follow in the event of an unannounced visit. To assist firms in this area we set out below a reminder of some of the key steps to take to prepare for and manage an unannounced visit from the FCA or PRA.   

1. Preparing for a visit

2. managing a visit, 3. immediately after the visit.

• Nominate members of senior management and the in-house legal team to form a “response team” which would manage the FCA/ PRA investigators in the event of an unannounced or short notice visit (including being available remotely when on site presence is not possible).
• Retain or ensure a “hot line” is put in place to external counsel, who will be contacted to oversee and advise the firm on its management of any unannounced visit and attend the premises where needed either in person or remotely.
• Prepare a template log book and appoint a team of “shadows” to form part of the response team and be charged with observing any investigators and keeping a log of, amongst other things, documents requested, people interviewed and queries asked.
• Conduct annual training to all employees on the firm’s policy and procedure for responding to an unannounced or short notice regulatory visit.   

On arrival of the investigating regulator

• Reception/ front desk or other relevant member of staff take copies of the investigators’ identities and authorisation documents and alert the response team and external counsel of the visit.
• In-house legal or other senior member of the response team meet and introduce themselves to the investigators, ascertain scope of investigation and willingness to wait for external counsel’s arrival before commencing the search.
• Prepare the facilities for use during the search: show the investigators to a room that can be exclusively used by them with access to photocopying facilities. The response team should convene in a separate room.
• If permitted by the investigators, circulate an email to relevant employees to notify them of the visit and to emphasise the importance of cooperation with the investigators but to refer all questions to in-house legal/ external counsel and to not discuss the visit with anyone outside of the firm. Place senior members of the IT team on standby so that they are on hand to assist with requests relating to documents/ data by investigators. 

Throughout the visit

• Assign shadows to accompany investigators and record the activities of each investigator to whom they are assigned, in particular which material is seized or copied. Notes should be taken of interviews conducted. 
• As far as reasonably possible, avoid handing over documents that are not within scope of the authorisation documents setting out the scope of the investigation or documents which may be protected or legally privileged (such as communications with lawyers) – where in dispute or unclear, refer to in-house legal and/ or external counsel immediately.
• Ensure a member of in-house legal or external counsel is present in conversations or interviews between any firm employee and the investigators. 
• Where investigators propose to remove electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops or other original forms of data or documents, legal or external counsel should advise on whether such removal is within the scope of the powers being exercised by the regulators and on any relevant data protection considerations (particularly where personal data may be involved) and ascertain when the material is likely to be returned.

At the end of the visit

• Seek clarification from the investigators as to the next steps in their investigation, and confirm that where any members of staff have been required to stop working they may return to work with business as usual.   
• Debrief with all members of the response team, including shadows, legal and external counsel. 
• Review all documents seized and any notes of any interviews conducted and consider next steps, including an internal investigation, and any issues brought to light by the visit or subsequent review of the documents.

Where an unannounced or short notice visit is being carried out at domestic premises, the same principles apply and legal/ external counsel should be contacted immediately to request their presence at the premises.  

Practice areas:

• Financial services and regulation
• Regulation and investigations
• Financial institutions

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Everything you need to know about unannounced GPhC inspections

The General Pharmaceutical Council has introduced a new regime for the inspection of pharmacies, including three different types of inspections and inspections generally being unannounced.

General Pharmaceutical Council

From 1 April 2019, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) began to introduce a new regime for the inspection of registered pharmacies. No date has yet been set for the first inspection but the system is due to be phased in during the 2019/2020 financial year, with the first inspection results published in the first quarter of that year.

Some things will not change. Since the current system of inspections was introduced in November 2013, pharmacies expect to be inspected once every four or five years. For the vast majority of pharmacies, this is likely to continue.

During the consultation period on the changes, which began in May 2018, some pharmacy bodies expressed concerns about aspects of the proposals. But the GPhC commissioned polling firm YouGov to survey 2,000 people  who were broadly supportive of the new inspection system and it was approved by the GPhC council in December 2018.

What are the biggest changes?

There will be three types of inspection from now on. Inspections will generally be unannounced and the way the findings are recorded will change. The findings will be published on a new website to be created by the regulator.

What are the new types of inspection?

Pharmacy inspections will be categorised as routine, intelligence-led or themed.

What is the difference?

Routine inspections will be very similar to the current process. The main difference will be that there will be no notification in advance that they are to happen. They should still last up to three hours and it is expected that the responsible pharmacist, including a locum, would be able to answer all of the inspector’s questions.

One other difference, which will not be immediately apparent to the pharmacy being inspected, is that the GPhC will decide which pharmacies to inspect on a risk-based system. Pharmacies that have previously been classed as poor will be inspected first, followed by those rated as satisfactory which have an improvement plan in place, then those that are satisfactory but have no action plan, then pharmacies rated as good, and lastly those categorised as excellent.

Intelligence-led inspections will also be unannounced but will be prompted by concerns raised by people working in pharmacies, media stories, other organisations and intelligence from inspectors. Exactly how this will work has yet to be decided by the regulator, but it says ‘robust’ measures will be put in place to ensure any information that is acted upon is genuine.

A pharmacy will be told if it is to receive a themed  inspection. Up to 20 or 30 pharmacies are likely to be visited as part of each themed programme of inspections. An overall report will be published after the inspections have been carried out, and it is possible that a pharmacy could be inspected routinely and as part of a themed inspection in quick succession. The GPhC says it has not agreed a programme of themes yet, but examples could include risk management in supplying medicines online or services provided to care homes. The regulator expects to carry out two or three of these each year.

What will happen after the inspection is complete?

The outcome of a pharmacy inspection will switch to a binary system of either ‘standards met’ or ‘standards not met’. To achieve the ‘standards met’ category, a pharmacy must achieve an acceptable grade across five areas known as  ‘principle levels’. If the pharmacy misses just one of the standards expected at this level they will be issued with a ‘standards not met’ rating. Within each of these principle levels the pharmacy will be categorised as: standards not all met, standards met, good practice and excellent practice.

The five principles have not changed as part of the new inspection regime and cover areas including governance, staff empowerment, the pharmacy environment, safeguards for the wellbeing of patients, and quality of equipment.

Once the draft report on each inspection is written it will be sent to the relevant responsible pharmacist for their comments before being published. An improvement action plan will be required from pharmacies where standards are not met.

Where will the reports be published?

Publishing improvement reports and action plans is a significant change in how inspections will be carried out. The GPhC is creating a new website that will carry this information and which, it says, will be easily searchable. The regulator says it will not publish any commercially sensitive information, or anything that could create a risk around the security of medicines. Summary reports, rather than the full inspector’s report will be available on the website.

The GPhC will also share examples of good practice on this new website.

Pharmacy owners will be expected to display inspection outcomes in their pharmacies.

The GPhC has said it will review the effectiveness of the changes in 2021.

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What to Know About Unannounced Nursing Home Verification Visits

Home » What to Know About Unannounced Nursing Home Verification Visits

LeadingAge has heard from several members about unannounced verification site visits. Read on to find out what we know about these visits and what you can do.

LeadingAge has recently heard from several members regarding unannounced visits by contractors for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) being made to nursing homes. These visits are related to Medicare provider enrollment and revalidation, and though they feel suspicious, they are legitimate. We are working with CMS to improve processes. In the meantime, we have compiled the information below to help you identify these visits and know how to respond.

What We Are Hearing From Members

These visits are unannounced. A CMS contractor arrives at the nursing home without any prior notification to the nursing home and requests to take photographs. The contractor has a badge, but it is for the contracting company, not CMS. The contractor also has a letter from CMS explaining the purpose of the visit, but we are hearing that some contractors do not show this letter unless asked. Neither the contractor’s badge nor the CMS letter can be photographed. However, the letter contains a QR code that can be scanned for more information.

While some contractors are able to clearly state why they are there, we are hearing that some contractors are not. They may say things like, “I am here to verify operations,” or “I am here for compliance.” When challenged, we are told that some contractors remind the nursing homes that failure to admit entry could result in termination of the provider agreement. Some of our members tell us that when they have reached out to the State Survey Agency or the CMS regional office to verify the contractor’s visit, neither the state agency nor the CMS office are aware of the visit or able to provide additional information.

Once permitted entry, we are told the visits are rather quick, with contractors verifying licensing information and taking photographs of the nursing home, in which they take care not to include residents. This may include, however, the need to temporarily relocate residents from common areas including therapy gyms and hallways.

What We Know from CMS

Site visits are conducted to verify operational status as part of provider enrollment and revalidation. Site visits are contracted out by CMS to two Site Verification Services Contractors and their subcontractors:

In the east, site visits are conducted by Palmetto GBA and its subcontractors:

• Overland Solutions, Inc., an affiliate of EXL
• Information Discovery Services
• Compliance Review, Inc.
• National Creditors Connection, Inc.

In the west, site visits are conducted by Deloitte Consulting, LLP and its subcontractors:

• Nationwide Management Services, Inc.
• CSI Companies, Inc.
• Arthur Lawrence Management, LLC
• Computer Evidence Specialists, LLC

There are two types of site visit. One is an observational site visit, during which the contractor will take photos but will have minimal contact with the provider. The second type of visit is a detailed review. During the detailed review, the contractor will speak with staff and collect information to confirm compliance with Medicare standards. In both circumstances, the presenting contractor will have a badge/ID and a letter from CMS. The badge and letter can be reviewed but neither can be retained or photocopied.

What We Are Doing and What You Can Do

LeadingAge is working to improve the experience of these visits by raising awareness among members. We are also working with CMS to improve processes. We have discussed with CMS why these visits feel so suspicious to nursing homes and asked them to educate contractors on why nursing homes may be reluctant to provide entry. We have asked that contractors be better educated on how to explain the purpose of the visit, including using language that is familiar to the nursing home provider.

Nursing homes should make sure that staff, including any Front Desk or Concierge staff, are aware of these visits and the nursing home’s internal protocols for how to handle them. When a contractor arrives, ask to see their badge and the CMS letter. Remember: you may review the badge and letter but you may not retain them or photocopy them. To verify that these visits are legitimate, contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor .

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How to Use unannounced in a Sentence

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Parent item expand the sub menu, y/project cancels paris fashion week show after glenn martens’ exit, best street style photos from nyfw, first lady jill biden speaks at ‘fashion for our future’ march, nyc council members make unannounced visit to h&m offices on union contract negotiations.

Addressed to Karl-Johann Persson, chief executive officer of the H&M Group, the letter was signed by 28 New York City Council members, including Speaker Corey Johnson.

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SPECIAL DELIVERY: Three New York City Council members hand-delivered a letter to H&M ’s New York office, demanding the company return to the negotiating table for the betterment of 1,500 unionized H&M employees.

While about 30 members and supporters of the Retail , Wholesale and Department Store Union waited outside of the Fifth Avenue headquarters, the elected officials — Brad Lander, Keith Powers and Ritchie Torres — visited the 11th floor. Addressed to Karl-Johann Persson, chief executive officer of the H&M Group, the letter was signed by 28 New York City Council members, including Speaker Corey Johnson. Guaranteeing minimum part-time hours, longevity increases, fair scheduling and ending clopenings — the practice of having an employee close a store at night and open the same location the following morning — are among the requests workers are seeking in a new contract.

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After briefing supporters about how the delivery played out, Lander said, “It seemed like they weren’t expecting us so it took a little while to get permission. We had hoped to see Laura Hammond, who is the head of U.S. h.r. They said she was not there. We wondered if she might have been one of the mannequins, standing very still on the side. There was a representative from the company who very politely took the letter and committed that it would get to the global ceo.”

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Reached later Thursday afternoon, an H&M spokeswoman said the letter is being reviewed. “We continue to approach this issue openly and have been bargaining in good faith with the union and our hope is to secure an agreement with them soon that reflects our jointly shared values and fulfills our commitment to our workforce,” she said.

The bargaining for the workers’ contract, which expired three months ago, is ongoing. Power said, “We hope the letter and the action today brings them to the table to talk about all the issues that are being raised…we’re hoping that some time in the near future, they’ll reach out to the union or the elected officials to say we’ve heard you and we want to talk about the issues you’ve raised.”

Lander said, “What the workers are demanding that the company is not giving are just utterly reasonable things. If you were going to have to hold your weekends open so that you might be assigned at any time, you at least might be able to count on some minimum number of hours that you could make enough money so that you could do anything in New York City.”

He also suggested that workers shouldn’t have to deal with closing late at night and opening early in the morning. Power added, “The Swedish workers have rights that far exceed what these workers are asking for. We hope he’ll [referring to Persson] listen to us and get involved.”

Torres said, “One concern I have is that historically, H&M has had a productive working relationship with labor. But I wonder if H&M and other companies feel emboldened by the antilabor atmosphere in Washington, D.C. And that’s what might explain the change in tone.”

Informed of that speculation, the H&M spokeswoman said, “No, that is not the case. H&M’s fundamental principles are the same throughout the world. We believe in good relations and open and constructive dialogues with organizations that represent our employees. Our approach to labor relations is the same today as it has been as long as we have been in the U.S and we hope to reach an agreement soon.”

This marks the second time that union organizers and activists have targeted H&M regarding the contract negotiations. About three weeks ago, union activists, sales associates and elected officials rallied outside of H&M’s Herald Square flagship, calling for a fair new contract.

Angelmar DeJesus, an H&M employee, said he averages eight to 15 hours of scheduled work hours at the Harlem store. “It depends on the business in the store. I would like to see guaranteed hours and benefits. I’ve been in this company for four years. I’ve never gotten health insurance or anything from them. Dental and vision would be a great thing for any [part-time] employee at H&M to have,” he said.

Highlighting “eye contact and smiling” as two of H&M’s “five basic demands” of employees, DeJesus said, “It shouldn’t hurt H&M to give us dental and vision [insurance] to provide for our customer service experience. I want to feel confident when I am working for the company that I am proud to be there.”

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

unannounced visit

Meanings of unannounced and visit.

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(Definition of unannounced and visit from the Cambridge English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

• Examples of unannounced visit

Word of the Day

kick something into the long grass

to delay dealing with something, especially because you want people to forget about it

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

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