Members only

With the final consumer standards now published, the Social Housing (Regulation) Act coming into effect from April and the Building Safety Act now in full swing, this year’s health and safety summit will focus on the practical implications of the new legislation and how they are likely to impact health and safety professionals.

The virtual event will look at how to make the best use of data to stay on top of compliance, how to develop your building safety cases, best practice in resident engagement in health and safety issues, occupational health and safety in housing as well as the latest case law.

Key sessions include:

• Complying with the RSH Safety and Quality Standard, inspections and TSMs
• The latest on the Building Safety Act and the role of the Building Safety Regulator
• A practical look at developing the safety case for high-rise buildings and the role of resident engagement
• Understanding individual responsibilities in the new regulatory regime
• The latest case law.

Essential for:

• Health & safety managers
• Named person for health and safety compliance for RSH
• Building safety managers.

11.00 Chair’s welcome and introduction

• • Debbie Larner, Associate, HQN

11.10 Keynote speech on the health and safety expectations of the new consumer standards and regulatory regime

• • Kate Dodsworth, Regulator of Social Housing

11.40 Self referral lessons learned

• • Deborah Fenton, Director of Housing, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils

12.10 Lunch

12.50 An update on the building safety regulations

• • Laurence Hodgson, Building Safety Regulator

13.10 Building the safety case

• • Mark Moore, Guinness

13.30 A resident engagement strategy

• • Helen Alderson, Stockport Homes

13.50 Panel discussion and Q&A

14.20 Break

14.30 Update on the latest case law

• • Matthew Breakell, Partner, DAC Beachcroft

15.00 Fire safety update

• • James Aulton, Fire Safety Unit, Home Office and Shaun Bennett, Derby Homes

15.35 Chair’s summary and discussion

15.45 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.

Kate Dodsworth, Regulator of Social Housing

Kate started her career in homelessness in 1992, working firstly with rough sleepers in Birmingham through to managing a large hostel for single homeless in Brighton for five years. She gained a Masters degree in Housing in 2003 and moved to the National Housing Federation where she performed a variety of roles; latterly Assistant Director. Kate moved to AmicusHorizon in 2013 (Optivo from 2017) becoming Executive Director of People and Communications. She was Chief Executive of Gateway Housing for three years before taking up her current role with the Regulator of Social Housing. Kate was an external examiner for Westminster University until 2020 and a founder member of Leadership2025.

Matthew Breakell, Partner, DAC Beachcroft

Matthew specialises in advising in relation to corporate criminal investigations and defending prosecutions brought by regulatory agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authority, Environment Agency, Police and CQC.

He has extensive experience in caution interviews including representing company directors at the police station in relation to corporate manslaughter investigations; and assisting companies through HSE/Local Authority investigations, caution interviews and prosecutions.

Matthew also represents companies and organisations facing coroners’ inquests as a result of fatal accidents at work or being associated with the accident, guiding them through the process and providing representation at the inquest.

Matthew has advised clients with regard to high profile fatal accident investigations, falls from height, legionella, trappings and crushing in machinery, and other work-related accidents.

Matthew also assists organisations, in particular home care providers and care homes with investigations following deaths and provides representation at inquests as well as guidance through the investigatory process.

Matthew is a member of IOSH and a committee member for the Humber Branch.

Laurence Hodgson, Building Safety Regulator

Laurence is a civil servant with experience working across government in various roles including in Department for Transport, Department for Work and Pensions, and Department of Health. He has been a policy advisor working in HSE since 2018, previously on the EU Exit process for chemicals regulation, and since 2021 on the Building Safety regime. He is the policy lead in HSE for the ‘in occupation’ phase of the Act (Part 4).

Helen Alderson, Stockport Homes

Helen’s skills and experience is wide-ranging. As Senior Customer Engagement Officer, Helen’s work is dedicated to developing Stockport Homes’ strategic engagement approaches, focusing on customer engagement in building safety, repairs and investment and customer experience. Previously Helen has worked in roles project managing community development initiatives and Stockport Homes’ Furniture Recycling Service.

In 2017 the tragic fire happened at Grenfell Towers. This shook the housing world and at the same time amplified the importance of ensuring tenants voices and concerns are heard and acted upon. Helen represented Stockport Homes as part of the Best Practice (Social Sector) Building Safety  group set up by the then Ministry for Housing, Community and Local Government . Housing providers and tenants worked together to look at how important building safety information could be best communicated to tenants. The findings were published and used as best practice.

Stockport Homes has worked hard to be at the forefront of changes in building safety, working alongside our customers to better understand their experience of living in a high rise building, ensure they are informed in a way that meets their needs, know how to report any issues to their landlord and are kept informed of the outcomes. The Building Safety Resident Panel (BSRP) comprises residents living in one of the 22 high-rise blocks managed by Stockport Homes. The role of the panel is to provide confidence to other high-rise residents and the Board that Stockport Homes Group are meeting the regulatory requirements as set out in the Building Safety Act 2022.

Deborah Fenton, Director of Housing, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils

Deborah has worked in Housing for 30 years; her current role is Director of Housing for Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council. Her work at BMSDC is centred around the transformation of both the housing and repairs service, and this follows a referral to the Regulator of Social Housing before Deborah’s appointment.

In previous roles, Deborah has led an increased council house building programme and regeneration of a large estate. She is passionate about providing quality services and believes that a holistic approach is one of the most efficient ways of creating great places where people want to live.

Out of work, Deborah can be found supporting her daughter who is a keen ice skater.

Mark Moore, Head of Asset Compliance, Guinness 

James Aulton, Fire Safety Unit, Homes Office 

Shaun Bennett, Derby Homes

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.