Resident’s view

By Carmen Simpson, Chair, Phoenix Community Housing

When you think about building safety, you probably think about high-level strategies, surveyors and (I’d hope!) involved residents in a board room, analysing plans and figures. But we have to think beyond that.

What does it truly mean to involve and engage with residents on safety? Well, that differs for everyone and as we’ve just reached the five-year anniversary of the tragic events at Grenfell, we must continue to do more.

If you’re not familiar with Phoenix, we’re a resident-led housing association, which means our chair and vice chair are tenants. We have over 3,440 resident shareholders who play a central role in our decision-making and the services we offer. Resident involvement is, then, at the heart of what we do, but in my role as chair of Phoenix, I’m passionate that we must improve – especially when it comes to the topic of safety.

Last year, we launched our Building Safety Programme Board (BSPB). I chair the BSPB and am joined by other resident members. Our role is to work with Phoenix to ensure that residents are safe and feel safe at home.

Our involvement doesn’t stop there, though. While resident leadership and understanding of policy is crucial to the BSPB, we mustn’t overlook the value of simple safety communications. We know that we must find ways to engage with everyone in a way that’s accessible and meaningful.

At a basic level, we include key safety themes from the BSPB, such as compliance and safety checks, in every issue of our resident newsletter and on Phoenix social media. It’s simple, but if one resident takes notice then repeated messaging can save a life.

Our ‘Chat & Chips’ events also play a key role. We hold consultation activities throughout the year to engage with residents on topics including safety. Residents who attend get a free fish and chip dinner for the family and, more importantly, a refresher on how to stay safe at home.

For our new developments, we produce building-specific resident fire safety guides, which outline the safety features for the building and key contacts, as well as advice to keep safe. Our Resident Communications Group are involved in the creation of the safety guides, ensuring that the information is clear and concise.

In May, we held our first Fire Safety Day. Residents had an introduction to the history of fire safety, met with the London Fire Brigade and took part in a hazard spotting exercise. After an afternoon of learning, residents made pledges to stay fire safe as they left the event. This included basic changes, such as “I pledge to keep my kitchen door closed at night”.

So, in summary, as a board member, I expect to be updated on risk and detailed safety measures, but as a tenant I expect to feel empowered with essential safety information. Engagement takes many forms and whether that’s through reading a tenant handbook or having a go with a fire hose, it doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the message, so long as landlords get the message out there!