Keeping you Safe

What can you expect from us?

Your safety is our top priority, and we want to do all we can to ensure you remain safe in your home. This guide sets out how we do this and provides details on things we do to reduce any risks. It also sets out some of the things you can do to protect yourself and your family. Click here to find out more about the things we do to ensure you remain safe in your home.

Our responsibilities

We will:

• Ensure all of the gas appliances in your home that we are responsible for are checked every year by a qualified Gas Technician. A copy of the certificate is made available once the test is done.
• Check your smoke and Caron Monoxide (CO) detector every year when we complete the gas serving. We will also provide working smoke alarms when we undertake repairs to our empty homes.
• Carry out fire risk assessments (FRAs) in the shared parts of blocks of flats once every two years and in sheltered housing and Extra Care schemes annually to reduce the chances of a fire starting or spreading if one starts. If we come across any damage or a fault, we will fix it to ensure you remain safe. A copy of the fire risk assessment is made available on request or via our website. We will also check communal areas regularly to ensure they remain clean and free of obstructions.
• Carry out checks on the electrical supply in your home on change of occupancy and / or every 10 years and in communal areas every year, including checking the emergency lighting and fire alarms. We will provide you with a copy of the electrical report if you ask us. We also check electrical appliances we own in our furnished tenancy properties every year. If we spot damaged or faulty systems, we will carry out the necessary work.
• Carry out asbestos risk assessments within the communal areas in all of our blocks of flats at least every two years.
• Check the water systems in our sheltered housing schemes and communal water tanks every year to prevent and control the risks of bacteria like legionella. If you have a shared cold-water tank in your property, we will check this every two years. 
• Make sure all of the fire safety related equipment and fire safety notices are maintained in the shared areas we own.
• Carry out asbestos risk assessments and surveys before commencing major refurbishment works or works that could disturb asbestos before we start work.
• Make sure passenger lifts are maintained, serviced and inspected at regular intervals.
• Only employ suitably qualified workers and contractors to carry out repairs and maintenance within your home.
• Provide information on our website to help you stay safe within your home.
• Provide you with information on how to maintain any fire doors fitted to your home.
• Provide information on what to do in the event of a fire if you live in a block of flats.
• Help to ensure tenants with disabilities are able to self-evacuate from their homes (blocks of flats/Sheltered Housing/Extra Care)

What we expect in return

Your responsibilities:

• Remove any unnecessary rubbish from your home as this will reduce the likelihood of accidents, slips and fires.
• Always allow us access to carry out maintenance and health and safety checks in your home.
• Report any faults promptly and tell us if you come across anything that appears broken or looks out of place as soon as you can.
• Keep all communal areas clear and free of obstructions such as plant pots, prams, mobility scooters and bikes.
• Do not obstruct or interfere with anything that we provide or prop open communal doors. 
• Ensure the electrical and gas appliances you own are serviced and maintained in line with the manufacture’s guidelines.
• Report any concerns you may have regarding fire safety in and around your home.
• Do not alter or remove any fire safety equipment we provide such as flat entrance doors within blocks of flats as these are fire doors provided to protect you and your neighbours in the event of a fire.
• Allow us access to your home to carry out inspections, maintenance and safety checks.
• Do not make any alteration to fire doors such as removing self-closing devices, seals or cutting the doors down for carpets.
• Do not use barbecues or chiminea in communal areas or any enclosed spaces
• Let us know if you have disabilities or mobility issues that would prevent you evacuating from your home in the event of a fire homes (blocks of flats/ Sheltered Housing / Extra Care).

Measuring success

We will know if we are getting things right by:

• Monitoring and reporting our performance against our agreed performance measures; and
• Asking you how happy you are with the service we have provided.

We will report our performance against these standards in our annual report to tenants. Regular updates will also be provided to our Customer Review Group and any other groups who are responsible for reviewing how well we are doing and offering constructive challenge.