Terms & Conditions

Our Terms & Conditions

1. General

Associated Retirement Community Operators Ltd (ARCO) is a company registered in England and Wales with registration number 08209801 and registered at 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, W1W 5PF.

ARCO has a variety of membership types and programme subscriptions, which have differing conditions and requirements:

  • Full Members (ARCO Approved Operators)
  • Provisional Members (Operators with existing IRC schemes)
  • Prospective Members (Operators building/actively marketing their first IRC scheme)
  • Subscribers to the ARCO Accelerator Programme (Future operators)
  • Affiliates (subscribers to the ARCO Affiliate Network)
  • Partners
  • Strategic Partners

All organisations wishing to be associated with ARCO in any of the above forms must confirm compliance with an organisational Declaration of Shared Values, which includes adherence to these terms and conditions.

Upon joining ARCO as any of the above, you acknowledge and accept that we have the right to publicly announce our business relationship with you which shall include but not be limited to announcements on social media. Such announcements shall not be disparaging or otherwise adverse to your business.

As part of ARCO’s vetting process we will conduct company background checks for all organisations applying to join ARCO as a Member, Accelerator, Commercial Partner or Affiliate. Such checks will not appear on any organisation’s credit record.

 

2. Membership (open only to operators of Integrated Retirement Communities)

2.1 All Members

Membership of ARCO is open to Integrated Retirement Community (IRC) Operators who maintain an onsite presence at their registered communities.  Membership is not open to developers, freeholders or landlords of IRCs who do not also manage the operations and service provision in their communities directly or through another entity in their corporate group, unless the operating entity is itself a member of ARCO. 

All ARCO Members must operate (or be building to operate/actively marketing, for Prospective Members) at least one Integrated Retirement Community that complies with all ARCO’s eligibility criteria. All of a Member’s eligible communities must be registered with ARCO and bound by the Standards and Compliance Framework. The eligibility criteria for membership states that registered Integrated Retirement Communities must:

  • Be primarily for older people.
  • Offer self-contained accommodation that can be occupied with security of tenure.
  • Enable residents to take advantage of personal care that is delivered flexibly, usually by staff based on the premises.
  • Have staff available at the community 24 hours a day.
  • Make domestic services available for residents.
  • Make meals available in restaurants or dining areas.
  • Offer communal facilities and encourage an active social programme in the community.
  • Aim to offer people a home for life and to enable them to ‘age in place’.

All ARCO Members agree to be bound by ARCO’s Standards and Compliance Framework for their registered communities. This includes:

  • The ARCO Consumer Code.
  • The annual registration and compliance declaration.
  • The ongoing system of external assessments.
  • Oversight by the ARCO Standards Committee.
  • Additional compliance features for issues occurring and needing remedial action, outside of this outlined process.

 

All ARCO Members certify that their organisation aims to operate all the communities they register with ARCO according to the principles set out in The ARCO Consumer Code. (This does not apply to schemes that are not eligible, and therefore not registered with ARCO.)

Membership of ARCO can be revoked by the Board if the Standards Committee recommends it due to persistent and repeated or gross issues of non-compliance with the Standards and Compliance Framework or for non-payment of membership or assessment fees.

The annual membership fee is non-refundable should an organisation decide to leave ARCO before the membership year has ended, the organisation becomes insolvent, or, if membership is revoked by the Board, in the event of repeated or gross issues of non-compliance with the Standards and Compliance Framework or reputational issues being raised.

There is a limit of one colleague per organisation per free event unless otherwise specified (and then subject to availability). There is no set limit on the number of colleagues who can purchase tickets for paid events (e.g. the ARCO Annual Conference) at the discounted rate.

Timely payment of the yearly membership fee and any assessment fee is a condition of membership. All outstanding debts to ARCO must be settled at the point of registration and all fees must be paid before attending any events.

All Members will be listed on the ARCO website and may be represented in other ARCO materials. It is up to the Member to keep ARCO informed of any changes of logo, website, or other information on their page. This also can be managed through your nominated key contact (the Code Compliance Officer)’s online ARCO website portal.

All Members agree to display the appropriate ARCO logos and branding as set out in ARCO’s brand guidelines.

Applications for ARCO membership are subject to the approval of the ARCO Board. New applications for full membership must also be approved by the ARCO Board following the recommendation from the Standards Committee.  

 

2.2 Full Members (ARCO Approved Operators)

All Full Members have achieved compliance against the ARCO Consumer Code and have been certified as Approved Operators by the ARCO Standards Committee. New applications for full membership must be approved by the ARCO Board.

Each Full Member that does not take up the small member discount has the right to stand for election to ARCO's Board of Directors*.

ARCO’s relationship with all Full Members is governed by ARCO’s Articles of Association.

*In October 2023 we moved to a new governance arrangement with a Leadership Forum representing all members of ARCO and a smaller administrative Board made up of individuals, including senior officers of ARCO members. The Board are elected annually at the ARCO AGM. 

 

2.3 Provisional and Prospective Members 

Provisional Members are organisations that have applied to join ARCO that currently operate at least one Integrated Retirement Community eligible for ARCO registration. Until an organisation has successfully achieved compliance on assessment against the ARCO Consumer Code, they will remain a Provisional Member.

Prospective Members are organisations that have applied to join ARCO that are building (to operate)/actively marketing at least one Integrated Retirement Community eligible for ARCO registration. Until the organisation has successfully achieved compliance on assessment of an operational community against the ARCO Consumer Code, they will remain a Prospective Member.

Once a Provisional or Prospective Member has become an Approved Operator by achieving compliance on an external assessment of one or more operational communities, the Board will vote on making that organisation a Full Member (i.e. a legal Member of the Associated Retirement Community Operators Ltd).

Provisional and Prospective Members cannot sit on ARCO´s Board of Directors, as they have not been confirmed as legal Members of ARCO.  Applications for Provisional or Prospective membership are subject to approval by the ARCO Steering Group. Prospective or Provisional Membership of ARCO can be revoked by ARCO, in the event of repeated or gross concerns or reputational issues being raised. 

Provisional and Prospective Members have specific branding rights available to them, please see ARCO’s brand guidelines.

 

3. The ARCO Accelerator Programme 

The ARCO Accelerator Programme is for organisations planning their entry into the UK Integrated Retirement Community market but that do not currently operate and are not yet building to operate an Integrated Retirement Community (see 2.3 Provisional and Prospective Members).

Taking part in the ARCO Accelerator Programme does not mean that organisations become Members of Associated Retirement Community Operators Ltd. Only current operators of Integrated Retirement Communities can become Members of ARCO.

Once an Accelerator begins marketing their first community, they must become Prospective members and are subject to the Consumer Code. Accelerators must inform ARCO at least 6 months before they begin marketing their first community.

There is a limit of one colleague per organisation per free event unless otherwise specified (and then subject to availability).

There is no set limit on the number of colleagues who can purchase tickets for paid events (e.g., the ARCO Annual Conference) at the discounted rate.

The subscription to the ARCO Accelerator Programme must be paid before attending any events.

Organisations in the ARCO Accelerator Programme have specific branding rights available to them, please see ARCO’s brand guidelines.

Inclusion in the ARCO Accelerator Programme can be revoked by ARCO, in the event of repeated or gross concerns or reputational issues being raised.

Organisations in the ARCO Accelerator Programme may be represented on the ARCO website and in other materials. It is up to the organisation to keep ARCO informed of any changes of logo, website, or other information. This also can be managed through your nominated Key Contact’s online ARCO website portal.

 

4. The ARCO Commercial Partnership Network

Application to join the ARCO Commercial Partnership Network is open to any organisation working within the Integrated Retirement Community sector that does not operate and is not building to operate an Integrated Retirement Community themselves and applications will be determined by ARCO. Applications for Strategic Partnership are subject additionally to the approval of the ARCO Steering Group.

Organisations belonging to the ARCO Commercial Partnership Network are known as:

  • Affiliates
  • Partners
  • Strategic Partners

Organisations belonging to the Commercial Partnership Network are not legally Members of the Associated Retirement Community Operators Ltd – membership of ARCO is limited to operators of Integrated Retirement Communities.

Similarly, organisations that operate or are building to operate Integrated Retirement Communities that are eligible for ARCO membership cannot apply to be ARCO Affiliates, Partners, or Strategic Partners. They can only apply for membership and must agree to be bound by the Standards and Compliance Framework.

 

For all commercial partnership tiers:

There is a limit of one colleague per organisation per free event unless otherwise specified (and then subject to availability).

There is no set limit on the number of colleagues who can purchase tickets for paid events (e.g., the ARCO Annual Conference) at the discounted rate.

Timely payment of the annual subscription fee is a condition of partnership and any outstanding debts to ARCO must be settled at the point of registration. All fees must be paid before attending any ARCO events.

The annual subscription fee is non-refundable should an organisation decide to leave the Commercial Partnership Network before the subscription year has ended, the organisation becomes insolvent, or, if inclusion in the Partnership Network is revoked by ARCO/or the Board, in the event of repeated or gross concerns or reputational issues being raised.

Only Approved Operators (Full Members) may use ARCO’s Approved Operator logo set. Subscribers to the Commercial Partnership Network are permitted to use the ARCO logo on their website and in publications providing they meet the set branding guidelines. Affiliates, Partners and Strategic Partners can each have an entry on the Suppliers Directory and may be represented in other ARCO materials. It is up to the Affiliate, Partner or Strategic Partner to keep ARCO informed of any changes of logo, website, or other information on the Directory. This also can be managed through your nominated Key Contact’s online ARCO website portal.

 

ARCO Strategic Partners Only

Organisations applying to become a Strategic Partner are subject to approval by the ARCO Steering Group.

For any queries about these terms and conditions please contact members@arcouk.org

 

Last updated on 10th August 2023.