Keats House is undertaking a comprehensive review of its policies to bolster its bid for Museum Accreditation from Arts Council England. The Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee of the City of London Corporation met on Friday, 25 September 2026, to consider these crucial policy updates, which are essential for the historic house to maintain its standing as a trusted cultural institution.
Museum Accreditation is the industry standard for UK museums and galleries, signifying that accredited institutions are sustainable, focused, and trusted. Arts Council England uses this standard to ensure museums are well-managed and capable of safeguarding their collections and engaging the public. The policies under review – the Collections Care and Conservation Policy, Documentation Policy, and Access Policy – are directly designed to meet these accreditation criteria. They establish the museum's strategic direction and provide a framework for the responsible development, documentation, care, and public accessibility of its collections.
These policies, which are reviewed every five years, outline the commitment to preserving and making accessible the collections and the Grade I listed building. The Collections Care and Conservation Policy details a commitment to both preventive and remedial conservation, including collection condition monitoring, environmental controls, building management, and emergency preparedness. For non-displayed collections, care is provided by The London Archives under their own policies. The Grade I listed building's maintenance is overseen by the CoL's City Surveyor's Department.
The Access Policy, in particular, details measures to mitigate physical barriers within the historic building and promote sensory, cultural, intellectual, attitudinal, and financial accessibility for all visitors. However, the policy acknowledges that as Keats House is a Grade I listed building, some structural adaptations are not possible.
Nevertheless, the museum will actively work to mitigate these limitations by providing alternative forms of access
and continue to identify and implement opportunities to improve physical access wherever possible.
Achieving Museum Accreditation status offers significant benefits, including enhanced access to funding, support, training, and advice. It demonstrates Keats House's sustainability and trustworthiness, inspiring confidence in the public, funding bodies, and governing bodies. Retaining this status is crucial for developing a sustainable operating and business model for the next three to five years.
The suite of policy documents was last approved by the Committee on 24 October 2016 and was instrumental in the museum's most recent and successful Museum Accreditation application, awarded in September 2017. While the Collections Development Policy was revised and re-approved in November 2022, the current focus is on updating the three core documents to align with current templates, priorities, and practices in preparation for the next Accreditation application. The Keats House Forward Plan is also under development and is expected to be presented for approval in autumn/winter 2026/27.
Arts Council England has not yet formally invited Keats House to re-apply for Museum Accreditation. However, the review and revision of the underpinning policies and procedures are a priority in the Keats House Activities Plan 2026/27. Each of these policies is expected to be reviewed and submitted for approval every five years, with the next review cycle anticipated in 2030/31. The committee's discussions and decisions on these policy updates can be found in the Public reports pack for the meeting on 25 September 2026.