The health and safety landscape in social housing is changing at a rapid pace.

The Regulator of Social Housing’s new consumer standards make residents’ health and safety a top priority and requires accurate information to be held on every property.

The new Safety and Quality Standard emphasises the responsibilities of landlords and sets clear expectations for them on the safety of the homes and communal areas they manage.

The regulator says in many cases the changes will require a culture change within organisations to prioritise building safety and put residents at the heart of their approach. It points to the fact that, too often, landlords have failed to carry out remedial works identified by earlier health and safety assessments. The new standard will require remedial actions to be completed within ‘appropriate timescales’.

Under the new Social Housing Regulation Act, registered providers must have a named health and safety lead to take overall responsibility for health and safety compliance in their organisation. This increased focus on individual accountability goes hand-in-hand with the Building Safety Regulator’s requirement for an accountable person to be appointed to manage fire and structural safety risks in high-rise residential buildings.

Other sessions will look at the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace, how we can address diversity and inclusion disparities in health and safety, and a legal update on the latest case law.

Key sessions:

• The Safety and Quality Standard – what the new era of consumer regulation means for health and safety professionals
• Individual accountability for health and safety
• Putting residents at the heart of the health and safety agenda
• Addressing diversity and inclusion disparities in health and safety
• Supporting mental health in the workplace
• Health and safety case law update.

10.30 Welcome, introductions and setting the scene

• • Debbie Larner, Associate, HQN

10.40 RAAC and the implications to social housing

• • Richard Crow, Partner – Building Consultancy, Rapleys

11.10 Putting the residents at the heart of the health and safety agenda

• • Debbie Larner, Associate, HQN

11.40 Break 

11.55 Fire evacuation in high rise blocks

• • Mario Ambrose, Executive Director, South Essex Homes

12.25 Supporting mental health in the workplace

• • Liz Skelton, Director of Health & Safety, The Guinness Partnership

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Health and safety case law update

• • Matthew Breakell, Partner – safety health and environment team, DAC Beachcroft

14.30 Addressing diversity and inclusion disparities in health and safety

• • Mushtaq Khan, Chief Executive, Housing Diversity Network

15.00 Discussions and Close 

Debbie Larner, Associate, HQN

Debbie has been working in social housing for over 30 years – most of which was spent at CIH as Head of Practice. Debbie has led the sector’s work on professional standards and has also been focusing on building/fire safety since the Grenfell Tower disaster. She was a key member of the Industry Steering Group focusing on the role and the competency of the Building Safety Manager. For HQN, Debbie has been focusing on building safety and disrepair as part of her lead associate role – hosting workshops on a range of topical issues, including health and safety compliance.

Liz Skelton, Director of Health & Safety, The Guinness Partnership

Liz is Director of Health and Safety at the Guinness Partnership, chair of the G15 Health and Wellbeing Group and teaches at University of London Birkbeck.  A business psychologist and health and safety practitioner, she has a passion for wellbeing and has developed award winning strategies for organisations in the public and private sector including Ernst and Young and Dixons Carphone.  Liz provides evidence based, practical and people centered solutions that complement business objectives.

Matthew Breakell, Partner – safety health and environment team, DAC Beachcroft

Matthew specialises in providing advice and assistance to organisations and individuals where there has been a workplace accident and the Police, Health Safety and Environment and other Regulators are investigating and/or prosecuting. He provides advice and representation at Inquests and delivers an extensive range of training sessions from Board Room to Boots on the Ground.

Matthew is also frequently called upon by Clients to advise in relation to more day to day regulatory enquiries including advice around enforcement action, roles in bids and tenders and other advisory issues such as policies and procedures.

He has over 10 years experience advising clients across a range of sectors including construction, manufacturing, health and care, retail and property.

Matthew specialises in advising organisations about their potential criminal liability arising from serious workplace incidents, especially those relating to construction incidents, deaths and injuries in care/health, manufacturing/retail accidents and rail collisions. He regularly provides initial advice and support in the immediate aftermath of a major adverse incident, including incident investigation, legal representation at interviews under caution and advocacy work at Magistrates’ Court.

Mushtaq Khan, Chief Executive, Housing Diversity Network

Mushtaq works for Housing Diversity Network, an organisation helping the housing sector become more inclusive in terms of its leadership, service provision and workforce development. He has worked for several housing and regeneration organisations throughout his career, as well as running his own consultancy business. He was previously Director of Commercial Partnerships at the Jigsaw Group as well as Director of Aksa Homes. He has also worked at a senior level in local authorities for the over fifteen years, including working for large metropolitan councils such as Oldham, Trafford and Lambeth.

Richard Crow, Partner – Building Consultancy, Rapleys

Richard joined Rapleys in 2021 to support the Birmingham Office expansion. He has over 20 years’ experience within the construction industry, providing property consultancy advice and formerly topographical and setting-out engineering services. Richard has extensive experience of contract administration, technical due diligence on a variety of properties across England and Wales. He has worked for both public and private sector clients, including institutional investors, Landlords, occupiers, Housing Associations and various private clients through the UK.

Richard has been a Member of the RICS since 2011 and a Fellow of the RICS since February 2020. He is also an RICS Registered Expert Witness, Technician member of the Institute of Fire Safety, Associate Member of the IFE, Incorporate Member of the Association of Project Safety Managers, an APC Assessor, an External Examiner BSc (Hons) and MSc Building Surveying Degree courses and a member of the Pyramus & Thisbe Society.

Mario Ambrose, Executive Director, South Essex Homes

Mario had been with South Essex Homes since its inception and has been the Executive Director since 2009.

Before joining the Council in 1992 he worked in the private sector as a Building Services Engineer. His background is in engineering and construction management although he is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

As the Executive Director he is responsible for the housing and property services provided by South Essex Homes on behalf of the Council. In particular he is keen to ensure that residents homes are safe and secure and that the properties South Essex Homes manage for Southend Council comply with all the regulatory requirements and residents have a say in how their homes are managed.