duration

Duration
1 day

duration

Location
In-house

duration

Availability
Good

Suitable for:       RI What does this mean?

Incorporating health and safety issues, with a focus on fire safety

Safe, well-managed communal areas are essential for residents, contractors, visitors and the wider public. This practical one-day course gives non-technical housing and property staff the confidence to carry out effective block inspections, identify common risks and defects, and understand key health, safety and fire safety responsibilities.

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    What will delegates learn?

    Delegates will learn how to carry out structured and effective communal area and block inspections, including what to look for, how to record concerns, and when to escalate issues. The course will help staff understand their role in supporting compliance, maintaining safer neighbourhoods and improving the resident experience.

    By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

    • Understand the purpose, importance and benefits of regular estate and block inspections
    • Recognise key landlord responsibilities, including relevant health and safety and fire safety duties
    • Understand the role of housing officers, caretakers, property services teams and other non-technical staff in the inspection process
    • Prepare effectively before carrying out an inspection
    • Follow a clear inspection routine and know what checks should be included
    • Identify common defects, hazards and potential problems in communal areas
    • Recognise health and safety risks that could affect residents, contractors or visitors
    • Report, record, monitor and follow up issues effectively.

    This course will cover

    • Why communal area and block inspections matter
    • Landlord obligations, policies and procedures
    • The role of non-technical staff in identifying and reporting concerns
    • Preparing for an inspection, including information, equipment and documentation
    • What to check during an inspection, including entrances, stairwells, corridors, lifts, bin stores, lighting, doors, signage and external areas
    • Fire safety considerations, including escape routes, fire doors, combustible materials, storage in communal areas and reporting concerns
    • Common building defects and maintenance issues
    • Health and safety hazards, including slips, trips, falls, security concerns, waste, vandalism and access issues
    • Recording findings clearly and consistently
    • Escalation, feedback, monitoring and follow-up action.

    Who should attend?

    This course is ideal for non-technical staff who are responsible for, involved in, or expected to contribute to communal area, estate or block inspections.

    It is particularly suitable for:

    • Housing officers and neighbourhood officers
    • Housing management staff
    • Caretakers and estate-based teams
    • Property services and repairs staff
    • Scheme managers and supported housing staff
    • Resident safety, compliance or customer-facing teams
    • Anyone who needs to identify, record or report communal area risks and defects confidently.
  • Our trainer

    Nancy Witham has more than 30 years experience within the Social Housing Sector. She delivers innovative, engaging interactive training to operational staff in Repairs & Maintenance, Neighbourhood, Customer Service and Business IT systems. Nancy’s style of training makes learning enjoyable and relevant and her training programmes receive consistently excellent feedback.

  • Testimonials

    • “It was good to cover the importance of getting the basics right. It was also good to discuss shared issues among other organisations and to see what has worked well to resolve these.”

      Ashford Borough Council

    • “Although I have done my job role for nearly 10 years I found the style of teaching especially on internal checks to be most relevant. I am going to highly recommend this course.”

      Catalyst Housing Group Ltd

    • “Nancy was brilliant at explaining all content of the course and gave enough time for attendees to participate and share their own experiences”

      Industrial Dwellings Society (1885)

    • “Excellent Trainer! I hope to have a course run by Nancy again. Engages with employers so well. Best course I have ever been on.”

      Flintshire Council

    • “The training was really good I feel I’m more knowledgeable in what to look out for while inspecting.”

      London Borough Of Enfield

We can bring this course to you.
If you have five or more staff interested our in-house training offers great value for money.

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