Building Safety Booklet

Building Safety

A guide to where you live

Beaver & Voewood House 1st Edition

Keeping safe at home What to expect from Stockport Homes (your landlord) Your safety is our priority. This booklet has been created using feedback from you, our customers, to make sure you feel safe at home. We want to know what you think, so please use the opportunities in this booklet to make sure your voice is heard around block safety.

Jenny Osbourne Chair of Stockport Homes Board

Helen McHale Chief Executive of Stockport Homes

We are using that feedback to work with you to keep you and your block safe.

Please keep this booklet safe so you know who to contact when you need advice, support or to report an issue.

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Contents 4

About where you live

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Who is responsible for safety in your block

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The teams below are responsible for keeping you safe in your block

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How do you know the Building Safety Team are making a difference

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What to do if you have a complaint

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Communication with Customers

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Get involved in Building Safety

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Training and Support

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What happens to my feedback

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Useful Contacts

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Translation

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Notes

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About where you live • You live in either Beaver or Voewood House that have 12 floors in total that are connected by two staircases, one at either end. Like your flat, the staircases are protected from the spread of fire from other parts of the block so it is important they are not obstructed or blocked that could prevent someone evacuating or the fire brigade entering.

• There is a ‘stay safe’ approach in your block, agreed with the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service. This means if there is a fire in another part of the block, you should stay within your home for as long as you feel safe.

• Your block is designed to contain a fire within the flat or area where it starts. There are good quality fire doors, flats are separated into individual ‘compartments’, and there are fire detection and sprinklers fitted. There is a yearly assessment carried out by an independent fire risk assessor.

• We have spoken to every household in your block to find out about their personal circumstances, such as mobility or health needs or language support. If there is a fire anywhere in the block, this will identify who needs help to get out.

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Who is responsible for safety in your block?

To keep you safe, Stockport Homes will ensure: • Your home and block are safe for you to live in and meet correct regulations, including a smoke alarm in every property; • Fire doors are properly maintained to meet legal standards; • You have well lit escape routes at all times; • Systems and processes are in place to ensure anyone working in your block is competent to do so, and • We communicate with other organisations such as the Fire Service to keep you safe.

It is your responsibility to: • Be careful in your own flat around safety, keeping any escape routes clear • Ensure you check your smoke detectors are working once a month • Be respectful to your neighbours and keep the space outside your flat clear of rubbish or items • Use the bin chutes to safely dispose of rubbish - speak to your caretaking team if you have problems disposing of large items • Report any issues to Stockport Homes – particularly around fire safety

We need everyone to play their part when it comes to block safety.

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The teams below are responsible f

Building Sa

The Building Safety Team are here to ensure activities that ta not compromise it and your safety. They are also here to ens

0161 21 Customer Safety

Investment

Repairs

The Customer Safety Team, deliver servicing and maintenance regimes of key areas within the building such as Lifts, Electrics, fire safety equipment, hot water and other systems. They incorporate regular and statutory required servicing.

The Investment Team deliver major improvement schemes to the building such kitchen and bathroom replacements, lift upgrades, rewires, sprinkler installs, fire door installs etc. They work closely with other teams during these works to ensure minimum disruption.

The Repairs Team are committed to maintaining your home to a good condition.

When repairs are reported they will arrange for them to be completed by the correct trade operative.

0161 218 1944

0161 217 6016

0161 217 6016 Option 1

Customer Fee

If you are not happy with the service from o Customer Feedback team who w

0161 47

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for keeping you safe in your block

afety Team

ake place in your building are carried out in such a way as to sure your voice is heard for anything related to your building.

17 6016 Caretaking

Neighbourhoods

The Caretaking Team ensure the building is maintained to a good standard keeping communal areas clear and clean.

The Neighbourhoods Team manage all aspect of tenancy and estate management issues, anti-social behaviour, allocations and mutual exchanges.

0161 217 6016

0161 217 6016 Option 4

edback Team

one of the above teams you can contact the will look into what has happened.

74 2600

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Concierge The Concierge Service monitors CCTV, door entry, fire, sprinkler and lift alarms so that there is always 24 hour support in the event of an emergency situation across our high rise buildings.

0161 217 6016

How do you know the Building Safety Team are making a difference to where you live?

We will routinely visit you to discuss fire safety in your home and assist you with questions you may have about your block.

We will check you feel safe in your home by asking how you feel about living in your blocks during our Building Safety home visits.

We are actively working with Greater Manchester Fire Service to reduce incidents in your block we will share information about this on the electronic notice boards.

We will tell you how many customers attended building safety activities in your area and what difference this made.

We will keep you updated throughout the year on any changes to information about your block. We will respond to your communications within five working days.

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How to contact your Building Safety Team

As the owners of your building Stockport Council are the Accountable Person in relation to Building Safety however Stockport Homes have created a dedicated Building Safety Team who will assist in the management of your building, ensure residents are safe and that all work is undertaken by people with the correct level of competency.

Building Safety is a new area of compliance that Stockport Homes is responsible for with electrical, lifts, legionella and fire being examples of some other areas that have been successfully managed for many years.

We want to be open, honest and make it easy for you to access any information about your building, much of this is available on the Stockport Homes website or you can contact the team if there is something specifically you would like to know, this can include fire risk assessments, details of planned works, servicing and maintenance regimes and the repairs history.

If you have any questions or concerns about fire safety or want to be sent further, more detailed information about where you live, you can visit the Stockport Homes website or contact Building Safety Team using the details below.

buildingsafety@stockporthomes.org or contact

0161 217 6016

and ask for the Building Safety Team.

www.stockporthomes.org

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Over the summer we hosted a number of ‘Connecting Communities’ events across Stockport to get your input on Building Safety in high rise buildings. We will be hosting more events in the future, keep an eye on our social media and website for dates and information. @StockportHomes 10

Communication with Customers We will communicate and share information in the ways you prefer.

This is what you told us:You Said

We Did

Use clear language and images to ensure information is easy to understand

Information developed using pictures and just a few words where possible

You prefer information by letter and leaflet

Information will be available in different formats to ensure you receive information in a way that suits you

You look at screens and notice boards in your block

We will make sure that information is regularly updated on the screens

You trust the Fire Service for information

We will work in partnership with the Fire Service to communicate Safety Information

If English isn’t your first language, you prefer documents by letter so you can translate them at home

We will provide information in a letter format

You need documents on a specific colour paper to make it easier to read

We will make sure any documents are available on the right paper

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Get involved in Building Safety Based on what you told us, you can have your say in the following ways:

Complete surveys online Customer drop ins where you live Block Safety Walkabout Online Q&A Sessions

Questions will be submitted to the Building Safety Team beforehand for them to answer.

Building Safety Customer Panel

A small number of customers who will be trained to understand building safety so they can represent your views at a higher level.

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We will send information about all these activities to any customer who has said they want to be involved.

If you told us before that you didn’t want to give your views on Block Safety but have changed your mind, please contact

buildingsafety@stockporthomes.org or contact

0161 217 6016 Training and support

If you need more confidence and skills to get involved in block safety activities, we can support you!

Panel members will get specialist training from our Head of Building Safety and our Training Manager.

Can’t get online? Many of our high-rise blocks have wi-fi provided at low cost. We can give you support to get online, borrow a device or improve your digital skills with local digital support provider, Starting Point.

If you want to join our panel, we can provide you with a tablet to read documents and to attend meetings online.

Contact the Building Safety Team for more information by calling

0161 217 6016

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What happens to my feedback?

Technical Safe

Customer Drop Ins

Building Safety C

Online Surveys

• Small group of customers living in • Monitor safety information and cu • Identify any themes and issues fo

Block Safety Walkabouts

Report all inf a sub group

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ety Information

Virtual High Rise Living Forum

Customer Panel

n high rise blocks across Stockport ustomer feedback or action

• Open to all • Questions submitted in advance for staff to answer at the forum

Sharing Information and Requesting Action

formation to of the board

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Useful contacts

Remember, if your Block Safety query is urgent, get in touch straight away by calling

0161 217 6016 or in an emergency call 999.

The Building Safety Team can help keep you safe in your home and work with Stockport Homes around fire safety.

Call 0161 217 6016 and ask for the team or go to www.stockporthomes.org Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue service Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is one of the largest Fire and Rescue Services outside London with more than 1,637 members of staff and 41 fire stations. www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/your-safety/fire-safety

TPAS Tpas are England’s leading tenant engagement experts. They promote, support and champion tenant involvement and empowerment in social housing across England. www.tpas.org.uk

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Translation A translated version of this document is available. Please contact 0161 477 9000 or email siu.bookings@stockport.gov.uk ‫ یا ایمیل‬9000 477 0161 ‫ لطفاً با شامره‬.‫ نسخه ترجمه شده این سند موجود است‬siu.bookings@stockport.gov.uk ‫متاس بگیرید‬ ‫ أو الربيد اإللكرتوين‬9000161477 ‫ يرجى االتصال‬.‫نسخة مرتجمة من هذه الوثيقة متاحة‬ siu.bookings@stockport.gov.uk Versiyonek wergerandina vê belgeyê heye. Ji kerema xwe bi 0161 477 9000 re têkilî daynin an jî e-nameyê bişînin siu.bookings@stockport.gov.uk Uma versão traduzida deste documento está disponível. Entre em contato com 0161 477 9000 ou e-mail siu.bookings@stockport.gov.uk

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Notes

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Notes

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