A housing association in the North-East has launched a new initiative to help keep residents of high-rise blocks safe from fire and other major incidents.

The campaign by the ALMO Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) sees Newcastle’s largest housing provider team up with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). The partnership aims to deliver a range of resident engagement and communication initiatives to inform residents about the safety features and systems in place in their buildings. There will also be a focus on raising awareness of the role residents must play in keeping themselves and their neighbours safe.

The campaign is part of a long-term strategy devised by YHN to respond to the requirements of the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. The legislation places greater responsibilities on housing providers to ensure higher risk buildings, which includes those of either seven storeys or over 18 metres high, have the right measures in place to reduce and manage risks associated with a fire or structural incident.

YHN manages 42 blocks of flats in the ‘higher risk building’ category covered by the new regulations. They are now rolling out a two-year plan of building safety case reviews and resident engagement activities that will see every block involved in a tailored event that will give residents an opportunity to air concerns with staff from YHN and TWFRS. They will also be able to learn more about the safety features installed in their buildings and what they should do in the event of an emergency.

Building safety initiatives are not new to YHN and its local authority Newcastle City Council. In the direct aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy, around £30 million was invested in a fire door repair and replacement programme, as well as a pilot project utilising thermal imaging cameras and a resident education project to raise awareness of fire safety protocols and evacuation processes.

David Langhorne, Group Director of Assets and Development at YHN, said: “We are one of the largest providers of high-rise social housing in the North so we are very familiar with the specific needs of managing these types of buildings and over the years we have developed a strong working relationship with TWFRS that has helped us develop our expertise around building safety.

“It’s not enough just to have the right measures in place though – residents are the experts in living in their building and we know they can give us valuable insights into what the risks and priorities are for each block.  By delivering our programme of engagement events and developing accessible new safety information, we are providing residents with channels where they can raise concerns and ask questions about what we’re doing to keep their buildings safe, as well as allowing us and our colleagues at TWFRS to educate our residents about common safety risks in a tailored and approachable way.”

Louise Coulthard, TWFRS Team Leader for Prevention and Education (North), said: “Partnership working for the fire service is really important. There’s lots of vulnerable people out there and by sharing knowledge with each other we can target those who need fire safety advice.

“Working alongside Your Homes Newcastle means that we can take part in crucial initiatives and deliver joint visits to vulnerable occupiers and provide them with essential advice and fire safety equipment if needed.  We want residents to have general fire safety awareness that can keep themselves, their neighbours and the surrounding community safe from harm.”