Guidance

Responsible Persons toolkit

Published 4 July 2025

Applies to England

Improving fire safety for vulnerable residents: A toolkit for Responsible Persons (RPs)

First Edition, July 2025

About this Toolkit

This Toolkit is a resource to support Responsible Persons (RPs) with their thinking about potential interventions and strategies to support the fire safety of their vulnerable residents. It sits separately from the Residential PEEPs policy in that it is intended as a resource accessible to all RPs, even if their building falls outside the scope of the Residential PEEPs policy.

The Toolkit collates examples of real-life initiatives that some RPs have already successfully put in place in their buildings, which others may wish to consider for deployment in their own buildings. These examples include case studies with RPs who have differing numbers of staff, resources and finances, therefore providing a range of already-delivered options for RPs to consider.

We want to thank all contributors for their openness and willingness to share what they have already implemented. The intention going forward is to add to this document, so that RPs can benefit from a wider range of examples as these are developed and successfully put into practice. We will invite further contributions to the toolkit with a view to updating it in a subsequent edition once the Residential PEEPs regulations have come into force and new practices are developed and embedded at the local level.

Index

Examples have been grouped by theme:

1. Use of person-centred fire risk assessments (PCFRAs)

2. Identifying and engaging residents

3. Provision of ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures

4. Information sharing with Fire and Rescue Services

1. Use of person-centred fire risk assessments (PCFRAs)

A range of PCFRAs and PCFRA-equivalent risk assessments have been developed by different RPs. The new Regulations provided a high-level description of what a PCFRA is as they relate to the Residential PEEPs process. Existing, well-developed examples of PCFRAs are outlined below.

Example 1 - Orbit Housing

Background

Orbit Housing has 4,500 buildings spread across the Midlands, the East of England, and the South-East of England (including London). Out of these buildings, 28 are high-rise (over 18m or 7 storeys) and 79 are medium-rise (11-18m). They also have around 70 buildings that are classed as ‘supported housing’, mostly for people who need extra support with their mental or physical health needs.

What do they do?

When a tenant moves into a supported / specialised housing property, Orbit undertakes a general risk assessment, which includes, but is not solely dedicated to fire. Automatic safeguarding referrals are made to relevant organisations upon completion of this risk assessment, so anything related to fire safety can be referred to the local Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) if required, for example to undertake a Home Fire Safety Visit.

This approach often leads to the provision of ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures like specialised fire alarms, vibrating pillows (to alert deaf residents) and suppression systems. Any fire safety equipment is paid for via Orbit’s capital budget, which is funded via service charges to residents.

The focus is mainly on making the resident safer in their own home / alerting them to a fire, rather than evacuation, as this can be difficult to practically achieve ahead of FRS arrival where a resident has significant mobility issues. In these cases, moves to more appropriate accommodation e.g. ground floor, are considered more practical solutions but can be hard to facilitate.

Currently, none of Orbit’s building require the installation of a Waking Watch. However, they question the value added by Waking Watches given their expensive nature and their limited ability to provide practical assistance with evacuating disabled / vulnerable residents in the event of a fire.

Resources / considerations

Risk assessments are carried out by Orbit’s staff. Generally, they are done by their ‘scheme officers’, who look after a particular building and so are familiar with the building and the individual residents. However, they can also be carried out centrally, for example one person deals with all their high-rise residential buildings.

All scheme officers are given general risk assessment training from the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). This is supplemented by some additional internal training on general risk management and Health and Safety in the workplace, which is highly relevant.

Where they have had need to use fire specific risk assessments, Orbit has used the London Fire Brigade’s checklist.

The timing from completed risk assessment through to the provision of fire safety measures depends on the cost and nature of the intervention. If the cost is significant, as with the mister example noted in the next paragraph, then their internal policies mean that a procurement exercise is undertaken which typically takes 3 months. Additionally, where costs are significant and are to be recouped through the residents’ service charge, then a 90-day Section 20 consultation is undertaken.

This approach has led to the deployment of misting systems in several flats. These are expensive, costing around £6,000 each (2022 figures). For all ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures, the lifespan of the kit and the price of ongoing maintenance costs also need to be considered alongside the up-front capital costs.

Example 2 - Hammersmith and Fulham Council

Background

The Council has 68 buildings of 6-storeys and above, within which they have 22 buildings above 10 storeys. In all, their high-rise blocks incorporate circa 12,000 residents.

What do they do?

On the back of a fire door replacement scheme in their high-rise properties, which improved their understanding of their resident profile and the associated practicalities of information collection, the Council rolled out a PCFRA programme in all their high-rise buildings.

Starting with their highest buildings, and using their Housing Officers’ existing knowledge of residents, they began by offering PCFRAs to residents they already knew as vulnerable. Letters were then sent to all residents, which were followed up by phone calls, to capture any others who may struggle to evacuate.

Rather than a detailed or technical fire safety assessment, the PCFRA is more discursive and focused on getting the resident to think through what they can and can’t do and from that what action they should take in the event of a fire. For example, asking the resident when they last used the stairs and if they could manage them in case of an emergency. If not, could they at least get to the stairwell, as they have increased fire protection. The Council feel this approach has worked well as it’s not ‘done to’ residents but ‘done with’ them and allows them to make their own informed choice. On the back of the PCFRA, the Council may also provide some ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures e.g. fire-retardant bedding to residents who smoke in bed.

With the resident’s consent, information collected via the PCFRA is also shared with local Fire and Rescue Services (via on-site Secure Information Boxes) so if there is a fire, the incident commander will know where the most vulnerable residents are located in the building.

This PCFRA approach sits as one element within a broader ‘Fire Safety Plus’ programme of building improvements – replacing fire doors, checking electrics in white goods, installing sprinklers and smoke detectors etc., which the Council see as more fundamental to improve fire safety.  

Resources / considerations

The Council has employed a single ‘Safety-First Officer’ to engage with residents and undertake the PCFRA conversations. This person does not require any specific fire safety qualifications (good communication skills are more important) but London Fire Brigade ran some training sessions on PCFRAs for relevant Council staff, which was useful. London Fire Brigade also offer Home Fire Safety Visits, which can be useful where a resident refuses an internal PCFRA, as residents were found to be more likely to engage with a PCFRA after a visit from the Fire and Rescue Service.

Each PCFRA does not take long to undertake but altogether the visiting, undertaking the PCFRA and following up of actions can take about half a day. Ideally the Council would have two officers to cover the scale of the work as the PCFRA process is reviewed annually.

The Fire Safety Plus programme (which includes the PCFRA approach) is funded from within the Council’s Housing Revenue Account so costs are borne by all residents rather than the individual residents receiving the PCFRA. This funding approach works with the current scale of the programme (it delivers about 6 PCFRAs per block), but if numbers were much higher then the Council might have to think again.

Example 3 - South Holland District Council

Background

Their building portfolio comprises 9 general needs housing blocks, which are 3 storeys high and 3 blocks of sheltered housing which are 2 storeys high.

What do they do?

The Council routinely offer PCFRAs to all their residents when they move in, whether they are in general needs blocks or in sheltered housing.

The PCFRA is very simple, with only 3 questions. The Council will then implement ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures on the back of the PCFRA as required. Fire protection equipment and specialised alarms are most common, and for the most part the measures do not focus on facilitating evacuation.

Where the PCFRA identifies a resident who would need help to evacuate, they are referred to the local Fire and Rescue Service who will carry out a Home Fire Safety Visit with the Council’s Housing Officer also present. If there are really serious issues preventing the resident evacuating, then they will look to move the individual, most likely into a bungalow, however residents are often unwilling to move.

Currently, the Council pays for fire safety measures implemented as a result of the PCFRA. Including the more expensive things like installing Lifeline systems. They check in with residents annually to see if their circumstances have changed, or quarterly for residents who have the Lifeline system installed.                  

Resources / considerations

Housing Officers undertake the PCFRAs as part of their ordinary duties.

There is also a weekly inspection of communal areas in the general needs blocks, and a contractor visits the sheltered properties every quarter to assess general health and safety (including fire safety risk) and the residents’ general wellbeing.

Their funding approach works with the current scale of the programme, but if numbers were much higher then they might have to think again.

Example 4 - Newcastle City Council

Background

As part of the wider building and fire safety management approach Newcastle City Council have developed a customer centric engagement process. The purpose of this it to ensure all customers are aware of what to do, and can self-evacuate in an emergency situation. This process is applied across all 39 high-risk buildings.

Initiatives

The Council routinely engage with their customers via door knocking exercises working with their housing team to identify those that may have specific needs. When identified, a trained housing officer in the dedicated Housing Needs Assessment Team (HNAT) carries out a Person Centred Fire Risk Assessment (PCFRA), following a 9-step process based on guidance originally developed by NFCC, as well as collecting information on the tenancy details and who lives in the property.  

The PCFRA focuses on 3 categories of risk:

• Increased risk of fire? (History of fires in the flat, items that present higher risk e.g. oxygen systems)
• Ability to react to a fire alarm? (e.g. if the resident has any cognitive difficulties)
• Ability to escape from a fire? (if the resident has a physical and/or cognitive impairment, which could be for example a visual impairment)

At end of the 9-step process, the housing officer develops an action plan that is agreed with the resident. If, at the end of the process, a resident is identified as being unable to self-evacuate, the council recommend moving to a building more suited to the resident’s needs, which still requires the resident’s consent. The most common outcome of their PCFRA process is the enhancement of the in-flat fire detection measures and/or the provision of further safety advice. In-flat measures can include additional detection systems such as smoke and heat detectors, sensory devices etc that are linked and monitored to a central hub, call handler automatically calls back the property on receipt of the activation to confirm the presence, or not, of a fire. If there is no response from the occupant(s) within 30 seconds, the call handler calls the local Fire and Rescue Service, passing on all relevant information for their attending fire crews.

When the PCFRA process is completed, there is an agreement with the resident for when the PCFRA should be reviewed again (maximum of 12 months). Housing officers generally aim to engage with the resident every 6 months regardless so changing needs can be addressed and additional measures put in place for their safety. Further to this, contractors visit the sheltered properties every quarter to assess general health and safety (including fire safety risk) and the residents’ general wellbeing.

The council work in partnership with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to firstly share information on residents with high levels of vulnerability, but also for them to consider the completion of a Safe and Well visit from their Prevention and Education teams and also for Operational Response teams to have this information for dealing with partial or full evacuations of a high-rise building where necessary.

Approach to cognitive conditions:

If the resident has a cognitive condition and has carers or others in the dwelling there to support the resident, the PCFRA is conducted with them. Information on residents who have carers is held centrally as part of the main housing system. Housing officers take a common-sense approach to the engagement. For example, if they were holding the PCFRA discussion with a resident with drug or alcohol dependency, and see that the resident is unable to actively engage in the conversation, they would look to discuss with another person, depending on the relationship with the resident in question. The buildings are intended for general needs, so that where a resident cannot understand or engage, then the Council would need to consider whether the person needs to be housed in an facility that provides additional support and care, rather than continuing to live in the general needs building.

Resources / considerations

HNAT Housing Officers have undertaken in-house training (Delivered by the Building Safety / Compliance team) and carry out the PCFRAs as part of their ordinary duties.

Newcastle City Council share address and RAG rating of residents with Tyne and Wear FRS, and do not share the residents name or potential medical condition. Sharing of this information is done by an online spreadsheet which is updated daily, and which provides the FRS with an automated report from the system. The Council find that this system is less burdensome to updating a secure premises information box (SPIB) on a daily or weekly basis. However, a summary of the residents’ profile is provided in the SPIB and updated on a 6-monthly basis, together with plan drawings of the buildings layout. This approach allows for much more frequent updating than would otherwise be possible.

The system has been confirmed by the Council’s in house Information Governance team as GDPR / privacy compliant and appropriate for the purpose.

2. Identifying and engaging residents

For the Residential PEEPs process, the Regulations mandate that RPs take reasonable steps to identify relevant residents.

There are a wide range of well-established measures which RPs have developed to identify and engage with their vulnerable residents. Some of these are outlined below.

Example 1 - Havering Council

Background

The Council has 10 high-rise buildings but feel their highest risk buildings, in terms of fire safety, are their sheltered housing blocks, which tend to be low-rise buildings.

What do they do?

The initiative covers all tenants and seeks to engage leaseholders. Twelve buildings are currently in scope for the initiative, which has been running since 2020.The Council has adopted a multi-strand approach to identify vulnerable/ mobility impaired individuals:

• Seek to identify vulnerabilities at application stage when individual applies to become a tenant – aim to take into account at flat allocation stage so a more suitable flat can be offered, if possible.
• Settling in visit to each new tenant within first 6 weeks of arrival, which includes a discussion about vulnerabilities/mobility impairments and what support they may need.
• Annual call to everyone aged over 75 to check on concerns, including mobility and fire safety.
• Pick up on referrals of those who may need help from Adult Social Care team, caretakers, visitors, and their Hoarding Officer.
• Leaseholder face-to-face events.
• The Council is conscious that leaseholders may be hard to engage and may have rapid turnover of subletters. They aim to contact every resident – the people living in the flats regardless of whether resident, leaseholder or sub-letter. They publish a resident handbook to inform and help this engagement.

Following identification, the Council takes the following further steps where there are issues: Housing officers undertake a PCFRA together with the individual, which includes a focus on in-flat measures to enhance fire safety, self-evacuation if possible, and discussion on potential for relocating if the resident cannot self-evacuate [though generally residents do not seek to take this option up]. Information is provided to the FRS as a summary sheet giving flat numbers and outline vulnerabilities in an information box, and the Council are exploring giving FRS access to online system with full, up to date information: the local FRS is interested, but has difficulties receiving information at scale.         

Resources / considerations

For the identification of residents’ aspects of the initiative, housing officers undertake most of the activity. Adult Social Care and other Council teams are made aware of the need to inform the housing officer when vulnerabilities are noted, however this is not burdensome. Typically, about 5 people are involved, including the surveyor.

Example 2 - Camden Council

Background

The Council has 188 high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs) and about 800 residential buildings over 11 metres in height. With a few exceptions the HRRBs operate with ‘Stay Put’ evacuation strategies; Camden has 3 HRBs with simultaneous evacuation strategies in place as a result of their design and layout.

Camden had 1 non-freehold HRRB where a waking watch was temporarily in place whilst FRA mitigation works (the installation of an alarm system) were completed; it also has 11 residential buildings over 11 metres in height where alarm systems have been installed and simultaneous evacuation strategies are in place. These are a mixture of hostel accommodation and mansion blocks of flats.    

What do they do?

PCFRAs are routinely carried out for vulnerable residents who live in specialised housing, such as hostels, sheltered housing, extra care and supported housing were there are dedicated staff on site. Support packages are in place including remote monitoring systems such as Careline and other physical measures. And vulnerable residents also receive Safe and Well visits at home

The Council has included a question in the internal housing stock condition, asking whether any member of a household living in a Council home would need help to evacuate in an emergency. They also ask residents via the Council newsletter and a leaflet campaign to identify themselves to housing offices if they would need help to leave their homes in an emergency.

Housing officers carry out a home visiting program in which they conduct an occupation audit, using it as opportunity to identify vulnerable residents and potential fire safety issues such as hoarding, the visiting programme aims to cover all 33,000 council homes including 9.000 leasehold properties.

A follow up HRRB evacuation support campaign launched in April 2025 inviting residents to self-refer if they would need support to leave their homes in an emergency, 200 residents contacted the Council in the first two months of the campaign. The campaign included the provision of a fridge magnet to all HRRB residents providing them with a QR code and contact details for fire safety advisers if they have a fire safety concern.

PCFRAs are carried out by the in-house Fire Safety Adviser team following referral from a range of officers and services including health and adult social care teams. All requests for PCFRAs are recorded with follow up appointments and visits if PCFRAs are required. A dedicated app has been created for in-house Building Safety Managers and Fire Safety Advisers to visit residents and enable them to record all requests and actions from PCFRAs.

Remedial actions arising from the PCFRA include fire resistant bedding, extra smoke alarm coverage, connection to remote monitoring systems such as Careline, and can include the installation of personal misting systems for residents unable to evacuate from a fire in their flat.

Information on vulnerable residents is then shared with the local FRS either: physically through a building’s secure information box or digitally.

Resources / considerations

Training – Training needs are not covered.

Costs – In-flat misters are one of the more expensive measures that could be taken and cost £4,000-15,000 per flat. Camden note that £30,000 was previously provided by the local FRS to implement in-flat misters. Camden Council is currently paying for in-flat measures out of their existing Housing Revenue budgets as the number of vulnerable residents identified / cases where measures are needed so far has been limited.

Example 3 - Westminster Council 

Scope

Westminster Council have 160 high-rise buildings and 300-400 medium rise buildings. The Council place details of residents who have self-identified in a secure information box and are also shared with London Fire Brigade, who would prioritise them in the event of an emergency. So far the Council have 250 people on their adult social care register.

Initiatives

The Council have contacted all residents and requested to declare if they require assistance evacuating. Very few residents have come forward, so initial contact requests are followed up to see if anyone has not been included or if any circumstances have changed.

One PEEP* the Council implemented consisted of a carer for someone in a wheelchair on the second floor of a ‘stay put’ building. The carer was given an evacuation chair and then received further training on how to use this, with costs covered by Westminster Council.

The Council’s simultaneous evacuation buildings work on the basis of a one-year fire risk assessment cycle. All the buildings have fire alarms installed and do not use waking watches. At present, they do not have PEEPs* in place within simultaneous evacuation buildings.

The Council also hosts Community Thursdays every Thursday, rotating through all the estates and residents. These events are enjoyed by staff and residents, especially after Covid, and provided an opportunity to check in with residents to see if they are happy living where they are, picking up on concerns such as antisocial behaviour. Part of this is to confirm if they need a PEEP* and if they can evacuate in the event of a fire.

Resources

Staff employed by Westminster Council including 3 extra resident engagement officers as well as a new building safety team has been created, a total of 10 people.

The Council also uses software called Shine Compliance which ensures that the PEEP* is uploaded online. The resident engagement officer fills out a PEEP* and uploads it on to the system. This can be looked at by the fire safety team.

Training: Some training has been provided where necessary, for example providing for carers to be able to use equipment. This gives a basic skill set for working with residents, and the Council is looking to upskill further. Where staff have training needs which are building safety specific, they will be put on a course. £100,000 has been given to Westminster Council for training staff.

*The term ‘PEEPs’ has been used in different ways with different meanings and scope by different people and organisations, sometimes to refer to a plan intended to achieve evacuation ahead of FRS arrival, which is generally the intent in business premises, and in other cases to refer to the process of engagement and improving fire safety or providing information to the FRS. In this document, we have used the term PEEP if the organisation providing an example used it at that time.

Example 4 - Salix

Scope

Salix Homes, a non-profit social housing provider based in Salford and affiliated with Manchester City Council, have 19 blocks above 18m, housing 2,000 residents. Nine blocks had unsafe cladding, with 2 of them being clad in over 85% ACM. The remaining 7 had small decorative panels of ACM.

All blocks have a stay put policy with customers advised to leave if they see fire/smoke or hear the communal fire alarm.

Initiatives

Improve safety of buildings: Originally the blocks with cladding required a Waking Watch for a short period of time, which in all cases was removed as all blocks were fully remediated. When doing any major refurbishment work, sprinklers are added to the individual properties within the block undergoing work to further reduce risk.

Floor by floor evacuation alarms: All Salix blocks have an L4 communal alarm system with an addressable panel that can initiate a phased evacuation to any floor and a full evacuation to an entire block. The Fire Service would turn on the alarms as they deemed necessary.

Information is kept stored in secure information boxes and updated weekly. All Salix blocks have a secure information box (SIB) installed on the ground floor. The SIBs include a vulnerable customer list, fire safety logbook, building layout information, floorplans, elevation plans, fire alarm instructions and all keys required for the building.

Annual Home Safety Check: A home safety check is done to check the condition of the flat, e.g. looking at windows, doors, fire alarms etc. This also checks in with the resident to see how they are doing and if any changes need to be made. The home safety check is also to ensure that residents know what the evacuation strategy is for the building.

Engagement with residents: Customers are asked via various methods whether they can evacuate unaided from their home. If a customer responds to say that they cannot evacuate, they will receive a Home Safety Check with Salix to discuss the customer’s vulnerabilities (whether permanent or temporary) and what Salix can do to support them. They will also be referred for a Home Fire Safety Assessment with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. This information will go in the SIB. Residents can have resources sent to them electronically, which avoids anything being lost and means they can access them quickly.

Resources

Home Safety Checks are carried out by Property Safety Officers (PSO). PSOs are also responsible for ensuring that the information is up to date and refresh it as and when necessary.  

Costs have been built into maintenance cost budgets which is included in tenants’ service charge.

Example 5 - Waltham Forest

Scope

Waltham Forest manage 12,000 properties, split roughly between 10,000 tenancies, and 2,000 leaseholders. They have 14 sheltered housing schemes (for residents age 50+ who require support) and discussing with residents their safety in the case of a fire, has been part of the council’s approach for some years.

They have 22 higher-risk blocks, most of which are under a Stay Put evacuation strategy with some under temporary Simultaneous Evacuation strategy.

Initiatives

Sheltered housing:

The service provides a couple of hours every day on-site presence, and weekly welfare checks. Anyone new moving into sheltered housing is given an independent living plan. This follows on from any conversations that have already taken place and includes asking about fire safety and evacuation. The independent living plan is updated every 6 months, and they update the PEEPs** alongside them. Information is kept in secure information boxes, with the specific content agreed with the Fire and Rescue Service (provided by LFB). A copy is provided to LFB on arrival via a list of all addresses at the scheme with symbols indicating anyone requiring assistance or with an identified risk. A PEEP** is completed for every person in sheltered housing. Included in the PEEP** is whether a resident has a care package provided to them; however this detail would not be provided to the LFB. Included in the PEEP and provided to the LFB is information such as whether the resident:

• is in a wheelchair
• on oxygen
• has visual or hearing impairments
• has mobility impairments or is at high risk for evacuation

General needs:

A PEEP** is offered to residents living in higher-risk accommodation, through a communication campaign, letters, and inclusion in the residents’ newsletter. Tenancy Officers will complete a PEEP** with anyone who asks for one: they will be booked in to have a home visit with the Tenancy Officer or it can be completed over the phone if the tenant prefers. The original PEEPs form has been simplified, to focus on practical aspects which can be addressed and key information the LFB has asked for. 

Resources

Training: For front line staff this includes fire safety training, and periodic refresher training.

**The term ‘PEEPs’ has been used in different ways with different meanings and scope by different people and organisations, sometimes to refer to a plan intended to achieve evacuation ahead of FRS arrival, which is generally the intent in business premises, and in other cases to refer to the process of engagement and improving fire safety or providing information to the FRS. In this document, we have used the term PEEP if the organisation providing an example used it at that time.

Example 6 - Birmingham City Council

Scope

Compromises of about 60,000 properties, comprising 185 high-rise blocks, 21 medium and 4,500 low-rise blocks and the rest are standard houses/bungalows. Total number of flats in blocks (with two or more premises sharing common parts) is 26,780.

Based upon information declared through a recent targeted programme of visits in high-rise blocks indicates 9% of residents have a vulnerability that may affect full evacuation in the event of an emergency.

All their high-rise evacuation procedures are Stay Put. They had a few buildings that were close to becoming simultaneous evacuation for cladding reasons, but this has been avoided and buildings have been remediated.

The flats have a combination of council tenants, those on temporary accommodation licences and leaseholders.

Resilience Report is an up-to-date information source that can be made available to city council staff and the Fire and Rescue Service of those with ‘risk indicators’ indicating a vulnerability that may impact the evacuation of their property.

Initiatives

New residents are invited to attend a pre-tenancy workshop which includes general advice on various aspects of fire and general safety. During the actual letting stage into flat accommodation specific person/property advice is also provided which includes fire safety information including fire door and sprinkler information. 

The Council operate a targeted referral system for a ‘Safe & Well’ visit provided by the Fire and Rescue Service at the point of letting, for those residents identified with a vulnerability. Details of vulnerabilities are recorded in the Housing Case Management system as ‘risk indicators’.

Those not identified as vulnerable at lettings stage are provided with a link to SafeLincs (through partnership working with the FRS) which allows residents to work through a self-assessment to identify if support is required. This is operating within the lettings service currently and is under consideration to rolled out across the wider housing management service.

Council staff record relevant vulnerability information on their case management system gathered through their day-to-day interactions with residents and partnership working with Adult and Children’s support services, mental health teams, police and other supporting agencies. Relevant information is recorded within the case management system and ‘risk indicators’ flagged when required.

In addition, vulnerability information is also collated and recorded through targeted visiting programmes as well as planned review visits to residents in high rises and ‘risk indicators’ are recorded on the tenancy management system as required.

Each evening, a report is pulled off the tenancy management system and published in a protected file of all residents that have a ‘risk indicator’ flagged against their tenancy record. That report can be accessed by the 24/7 security services team and out of hours officers. This report is published daily to pick up any changes made within the case management system to reflect changes in circumstances, vulnerabilities or behaviours. The team then have this information available to share with the FRS in case of a fire.

In addition, all high-rise blocks have secure information boxes. These do not contain personal information but building profile information which is required under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

The city council also have a 24x7 security control and out of hours mobile patrol service which covers approximately 50% of the high-rise blocks. These blocks have door entry panel and property intercom hardwired into the building’s infrastructure, allowing direct access to the security control room team. This provision is service charged however so this is an additional cost for residents, currently at £11.09 per week. The service also undertakes physical patrols of all service charged blocks during evenings, night-time and over the weekends, also responding to incidents and emergencies across all high-rise blocks in the city. 

The Council have installed sprinklers in all high-rise flatted accommodation (including leaseholders) and whilst the installation rate is high, not all residents accepted the installation.

Resources

Various officers and managers within the service will input ‘risk indicators’ into the tenancy case management system during the lettings process and through general day to day business as usual contact and delivery of services. 

The risk indicator’ Resilience Report is generated automatically and electronically published daily so can be accessed by local Housing Teams during office hours and the out of hours and security teams where necessary. The reports can be filtered to draw out specific premise names/types.

Example 7 - Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Council – Homes First

Scope

Homes First is the housing team for two local authorities managing 6,700 units across East Sussex bordering the south coast between Brighton and Hastings.

Lots of low-rise blocks of flats up to 4 storeys of general needs housing, with a couple of blocks with lifts which are higher than this, singles, couples and families with children live in these flats

695 units of retirement housing in low rise blocks with lifts, people housed there are over 60 years who have mobility issues (sensory, physical or cognitive)

Initiatives

In retirement housing, an assessment is made by the Retirement Housing team on a prospective tenant’s needs prior to the viewing of a property and any signing of a tenancy. This includes an assessment of the resident’s capacity to evacuate and if this is found to be an area of concern the council would seek to house the resident in a ground floor flat. Regular fire drills are conducted, where Retirement housing officers can identify residents that are unsure of what they should do. This results in additional home visits with them to make sure the resident understands the process when they hear the fire alarm.

In general needs housing, an assessment is made by the allocations team on a prospective tenant’s needs prior to the viewing of a property and any signing of a tenancy and a tenancy audit home visit is conducted every 5 years to identify any concerns. However, if the council are made aware via a medical referral from a hospital or GP, they will conduct a home visit to discuss any concerns. A home visit would also occur if a transfer request was made by a resident due to mobility or health issues.

In the home visit, as part of the discussion with the resident, a housing officer confirms with the resident what impairments they have that may impact their fire safety as well as what mitigations can be put in place. This is recorded on a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) form which includes the confirmation of any alarm system, designated assistance information (where a resident has someone living with them who could assist in evacuation), what further equipment may be provided (such as specialised alarms or vibrating pillow), the building evacuation strategy and what the resident should do in the event of a fire. A copy of the PEEP form is held by the resident and the information also being stored on the resident’s Homes First tenancy record. 

In retirement housing the PEEP form is reviewed as a minimum every 12 months at a tenancy sustainment home visit but Homes First are also reactive to any changes (resident’s health deterioration, hospital stay etc). A Retirement housing officer inspects residents’ properties every 3 months to check on wider safety measures (including fire safety). Retirement housing officers conduct weekly fire check of alarms and smoke detectors and safe passages/stairwells and operation of lifts.

For residents who would not be able to evacuate unaided and do not live on the ground floor of their building, a move to a ground floor property is offered. This includes assistance with the application and allocation process. If the resident does not want to move to a ground floor property, Homes First work with the Fire Service to conduct home safety checks to identify if there are any other mitigations that could be put in place. In extreme cases this could include sprinkler systems or further work with care organisations with pendant/wristband alarms with staffing support for those in end-of-life care for example who are bedbound.

Approach to cognitive conditions:

If a resident is not capable to engage in discussions, Homes First would carry out the conversation with a designated person who has the authority to discuss on behalf of the resident. If the resident does not have a designated person the council will contact adult social care, flagging safeguarding concerns if the resident does not have the capacity to evacuate the building.

The council also have access to sustainment and prevention officers, via special care funding, to help engage harder to reach residents who restrict entry to their properties and may have issues such as hoarding or mental health issues, to assist compliance checks of fire safety measures such as smoke alarms and gas safety. A record is made on the Homes First wellbeing database.

Resources

GDPR concerns:

As part of the application form and sign up for a tenancy, the resident gives their consent for the council to share information with supportive services and other local agencies. This includes the local Fire Service, Police and health providers.  

PEEP forms (in both retirement and general housing) are stored on an online database which is reviewed monthly. This review includes whether the local Fire Service have been in contact about the property and any concerns raised from the compliance team.

The council hold meetings with East Sussex FRS and at the time of writing ESFRS do not currently hold particular PEEPS information on their systems; however Homes First have secure information boxes on their high-risk sites which contain specific information (flat number, number of people needing assistance and mitigations) the Fire Service use in the event of an emergency for evacuation purposes. The council ensure that no sensitive information is mentioned about the resident, only what is required to get them out safely, to comply with GDPR.

3. Provision of ‘in-flat’ fire safety measures

Within the consultations government undertook in 2021 and 2022, it was found that many RPs emphasised the use of in flat measures to improve their residents fire safety in their local initiatives. These examples indicate the wide range of in flat measures which RPs have considered.

Example 1 - Evolve Housing

Scope

Evolve Housing have 3 high-rise buildings which house 80 residential units each, and a dozen over 11m, with mostly short-term residents who are a challenge to evacuate either physically or have behavioural issues. They have no wheelchair bound residents or any with severe mobility issues.

Most of the buildings are new builds with full fire safety features and suppression systems. Two high rise buildings had unsafe cladding removed. All the buildings are operated under Simultaneous Evacuation as they mostly house vulnerable residents.

Initiatives

A range of in-flat measures are used as required, to provide residents with personal independence:

• vibrating pillows
• light alarms
• misters
• sprinkler systems
• map of building on back of every resident’s door
• pull cord system (where applicable)
• remote monitoring device in existing fire panel (both communal areas and bedrooms)

(The choice of measure is dependent not solely on the residents’ needs but also the nature of the buildings and their construction.)

These measures sit within a broader range of measures to support the specialist housing residents:

• For those with severe impairment, a discussion with the local authority on whether they should be housed above the ground floor;
• Day/night concierges, paid for through rental income – Night concierge provide vulnerability and welfare checks, health and safety patrols, and deal with incidents as they arise, and would check on residents and marshal the evacuation but would not physically evacuate individuals.
• Communication with all residents on how they should evacuate in an emergency, with frequent fire drills. Any evacuation issues are recorded and the evacuation plans and support for residents is reviewed after each fire drill.
• Engagement with residents who request assistance, mostly leading to instructions on how to get out on their own/get to the staircase/in flat measures.
• Retrofitted sprinklers to one building.
• Information in secure box for FRS updated on quarterly basis.
• Regular resident meetings to discuss fire and building safety

Resources

Because they specialise in vulnerable residents, all buildings have day/night concierges, and it is these people who undertake the duties noted above, paid for through rent. There is 24/7 staffing in all 3 of the blocks, and the additional duties have not required additional staff. There is remote monitoring, for blocks that are not staffed 24 hours. This has allowed the RP to move away from relying solely on occupants, who cannot be expected to reliably report on fires. Instead, the RP can be made aware of potential fire risks digitally

Training- staff are given fire safety training every year. Every new member staff is inducted to evacuation procedure and fire safety within their first couple of weeks’ induction period. If a staff member is moved to a different site, they will receive further training relevant to the new site.

For some blocks of medium/high risk residents, none of the residents have been assessed as having physical mobility impairments, but they are all considered vulnerable individuals, so each has an individual PCFRA. This assessment is carried out at a local level and referral stage.

Example 2 - Sanctuary Housing

Scope

Involves 48 high rise buildings (17 general needs housing high-rise, and the rest is student housing) across the UK. It covers all residents who are willing to engage, identifying focusing on those deemed ‘at risk’: the RP’s experience is that a very small minority will not engage. In place since 2017/18.

Initiatives

The RP undertook a post Grenfell Fire initiative for their housing management staff to visit every resident in their 10 storey+ blocks across the UK to assess their risk of causing a fire, their ability to recognise a fire is happening and raise the alarm, and their ability to evacuate in the event of a fire. For those identified through the process as ‘at risk’, a PCFRA is undertaken. A fire technician and housing officer jointly review and between them agree what might be needed under the broad categories of:

• prevention / containing a fire – in flat items to prevent fires e.g. a large and high-vis ashtray velcroed to the arm of a chair, fire doors, sprinklers, personal water misting systems; and

• recognition / raising the alarm – e.g. they have their own internal 24/7 alarm system for residents to use, whereby the call goes to the scheme manager, or a warden call system, where the signal goes through to a warden centre, which will then make contact with the resident or, failing that, call the FRS. Plus additional fire detection items, movement pads (to detect if someone has fallen), daily calls from their call centre to check in on vulnerable people

The original intent had been to include evacuation measures as a third category, but the RP have not to date identified a way this could reasonably be achieved. Instead, they provide information for the FRS (physical box).

Resources

Delivered internally using housing officers and fire safety advisers. The housing officer has responsibility and ownership of the PCFRA and initiates the PCFRA process. The completed PCFRA is then sent to the regional fire safety adviser (a role internal to the organisation) for review and completion as necessary. In rare cases, the fire safety adviser may need to involve the local FRS or others. Housing officers receive training, provided internally, and guidance is taken from NFCC specialised housing guide but supplemented further by Sanctuary themselves.

Other staff used by the organisation, e.g. maintenance staff also pick up information and report back into the housing management system if they think someone has an issue regarding fire safety.

PCFRAs are reviewed annually, or where the housing officer becomes aware of any issues.

Costs are currently picked up by the Responsible Person. Sanctuary provides mostly supported living/social housing so does not currently have leaseholders. However, in taking ownership (2023) of another housing association primarily made up of leaseholders, they anticipate that costs would be passed to those leaseholders.

Example 3 - Warwick Council

Scope

The initiative covers the Council’s 9 high-rise residential blocks, 2 of which are vertical age-restricted (50-55+) with a high proportion of mobility-impaired residents, and multiple lower rise residences (5,500 council homes, 2,200 of which are flats). This initiative has been in place since soon after the Grenfell Tower fire, with 4-5 years’ experience of some elements of the developing initiative.

The various common area mitigations are part of a broader package approach including resident engagement, a risk assessment (not badged as a full PCFRA), and info for the FRS.

Lower rise areas of risk have been identified and discussed with the FRS, and Warwick is working with them to reduce risks (treated wood removed).

Initiatives

The Council’s focus has been to make the built environment safer to prevent/ suppress fires. This has included:

• one hour fire doors instead of 30-minute ones for high rise blocks
• paying for leaseholder fire doors as well as for tenants (as a measure to support compartmentation and fire safety for all residents)
• installing automatically opening air vents to expel smoke in a fire
• installed sprinkler systems for particular residents where there are concerns about the fire risk that resident poses
• roll-out of secure information boxes for sheltered accommodation moving to midrise blocks with the aim to install to all estate
• where flats are really unsuitable for the particular resident, offer them a move, but often the resident will not wish to do that and cannot be compelled
• carry out annual visits on all high rise and sheltered accommodation residents and ensure that all resident understand fire evacuation procedure and discussion about more suitable properties is applicable
• sprinkler systems in all bin stores and storage areas under the flats
• immediate removal of items in communal areas
• vibrating pillows
• wayfinding signage (strips on the floor)
• inspection of common areas of high rise blocks are carried out every day (365 days a year)
• medium rise blocks are inspected weekly and low rise blocks are inspected either fortnightly or monthly depending on the size of the blocks. Inspecting officers complete an electronic form linked with the asset database, identifying damage or repairs required, issues with communal areas which are soon as submitted is sent to the asset team and raises a repair query. This can then be checked off. Each block has its own form, managed under the Council’s hazard management system
• the Council have installed Lifeline and a responder service in sheltered accommodation in case a fire occurs when staff are not on site

4. Information sharing with Fire and Rescue Services

The Residential PEEPs policy requires RPs to provide information about each relevant resident to the Fire and Rescue Service to support them in undertaking evacuation as required, where the resident consents to their information being shared. It is the FRS’s choice whether this information is provided electronically or in a secure information box on the premises. The following examples include different approaches to information sharing agreed with the local FRS.

Example 1 - Leeds Council

Scope

The Leeds City Council initiative is called Emergency Evacuation Alerts (EEAs). Evacuation codes were shared pre-Grenfell, as fire safety has always been a priority for the Council. Initially, EEAs were carried out in the Council’s 8 sheltered housing blocks, however since the Grenfell Tower fire it has expanded the EEA initiative to all its buildings.

The Council has 121 7-storey and above or 18m+ in height buildings. All its high rises apply a ‘stay put’ approach. Simultaneous Evacuation was never adopted.

In these buildings there are over 7,000 high rise apartments. The council has a total of 53,000+ rented properties across the city.

Out of its 7,000+ high rise residents, 955 have been identified as having an alert code (each code correlates to a specific condition and some individuals have multiple conditions, codes are explained in the next section). These EEAs are spread across all 570 have said they need an EEA, with 720 ‘alert codes’ registered (each code correlates to a specific condition and some individuals have multiple conditions, codes are explained in the next section). These EEAs are spread across 95 blocks out of the total 118.

Initiatives

The concept of an EEA asks the individual if they have any condition that would impair their ability to evacuate in the event of a fire or make them higher risk of fire in their flat.

Each of the tenants receives an annual visit from their housing management team. In addition, when a new resident moves in, they are provided with a ‘new home visit’. The visit gives them an overview of the layout of the building, support available and includes EEAs.

We send an annual high-rise fire safety booklet, and an e-bulletin email to all high rise tenants quarterly. It is sent wit h a link o a form that the tenant needs to complete. There is a specific question on the form “does anyone in your household require assistance to get out o the building in the event of an emergency”. Upon confirmation of receiving the information we will arrange to conduct a PCFRA.

Within the PCFRA we assess the level of risk (fire related) posed in the property, and if we can, we will provide any intervention to assist the tenant to leave the property should they need to in the event of an emergency or to alert the resident if a fire was to occur in their property. The EEAs from the PCFRA are stored on our systems to share with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Interventions provided can be fire resistant throws, hard of hearing systems and basic aids such as grab rails, balustrade rails, additional smoke and heat detection, and off site monitored alarm system etc.

Each EEA refers to a specific condition and some individuals have multiple conditions. There are 11 possible codes; alcohol dependant, bed bound, cannot escape unaided, dementia, history of violence, hoarder, learning disability, may be impaired by medication, mental health issues, oxygen dependent, sensory impairment - blind, deaf, other - specify.

Resources

All information and personal details regarding the tenant is securely recorded centrally and made accessible by appropriate FRS members of staff in line with GDPR requirements. GDPR requirements and sharing the data with FRS is done via email, and in the longer term the Council are looking at the potential option a new cloud-based database which could be updated in real time, for example when a resident moved out, to which access could be given to the FRS. Currently, FRS can access an excel spreadsheet and prioritise who needs to be evacuated first by looking through the EEAs.

As agreed with the FRS, in the first instance i.e., attending a limited fire, the FRS’s Mobilising and Command Centre (MACC) has access to the data, FRS will not hold data as previously, due to GDPR, and the Council are in development to store on secure cloud site and secure accessed gained on FRS dispatched to fire incident, who can pass on the info on receipt of a request from incident commander attending crews via their secure radio communications. This is still being developed. Larger incidents would involve the attendance of their mobile command unit who could upload data or use a cloud facility if available.

Leeds City Council do not keep sensitive information in their premise information boxes any more: while these are high-end security boxes from a leading provider, there are cases where the box has previously been set on fire or stolen, so would risk a breach of GDPR.

There are 180 housing officers employed. However, not all of the housing officers go into the high-rise blocks. The role of the Housing Officers is to manage tenancy/property/ rent etc. Retirement life support officers support the individual by conducting regular visits per week and, provide basic day to day support. With challenging residents, more Housing Officers/resources are used to provide additional support.

Walk throughs are carried out 5 days a week, to include fire & safety checks by cleaning staff. The Council have a small number of blocks (where more support is needed for the residents), and these checks are 7 days a week.

Training: Two Fire Risk Reductions Officers trained by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service conduct our PCFRAs. They collate all the information proved from the surveys and ATCIs to the all properties and conduct PCFRAs on a risk-based programme.

Costs: The council do charge their leaseholders for other fire safety interventions if needed e.g., new front doors or for in-flat works, but they do not charge their tenants.

Time Taken: The sleeping accommodation guide has always required a method of recording any evacuation issues. The present form of recording was introduced to standardise the method across Leeds in 2014. There have been minor changes and additional questions to the form used however, these codes are now stored electronically.

Example 2 - Kingsway Court, Hove: Resident Managed Company

Scope

Kingsway Court, Hove, is a Resident Managed Company, for a 9-storey residential block containing 107 flats. The building dates from 1963.

Initiatives

The Kingsway Court RMC resident initial engagement is done via correspondence. They have a standard engagement letter, and for those residents who self-identify, there is a simple 5-question form aimed at pulling together information for East Sussex fire and rescue service. Communication is by email or, where requested, in hard copy. The resident’s explicit consent is sought to share the information with the FRS.

Each time a letter is sent, or information received, a standard Admin sheet is completed or updated so that a record is maintained of engagement.

Resources

The TMC have found their system an effective way to gather and maintain information about vulnerable neighbours’ needs, and keep a proper record. They have found no problem in maintaining the system.

The process is followed on a 4-monthly basis, and residents are encouraged through the standard letter to notify the TMC of any changes. Some properties are rented out by the leaseholders, and the letter asks that the message is passed on to tenants where this is the case.

The standard letter, follow up questionnaire, and record, are included in the Additional Resources.  

Example 3 - Westward Housing

Scope

The RP have 7,500 properties, including 200 schemes for older/vulnerable people, including those with drug/alcohol/mental health issues, and young vulnerable mothers with infants. Buildings include a variety of purpose-built blocks of flats and converted buildings, all sub-18m, with a number being Simultaneous Evacuation due to the building construction and the nature of the vulnerable occupants.

The scheme for FRS information has been running in its current form since 2019.

Initiatives

Information is collected from residents in all schemes and sheltered accommodation, focused on whether individuals would need assistance to leave the building in an emergency. Since the initial information collection, they now ask all new residents joining schemes, or if there is a significant change such as a change in medication. There is outreach to all general needs residents on a quarterly basis through routine communications (e.g. newsletter) to encourage self-identification.

Information for the FRS, stored in a secure information box on each site, and agreed with the local FRS, is limited to flat numbers, together with colour coding to say who needs assistance. The types of assistance categories are: visually impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired (wheelchair scheme), breathing difficulties and bariatric.

This information goes through an annual review unless something happens in the interim.

Resources

Scheme managers (on site or off site) are responsible for contacting their residents and collecting information, coordinated centrally. Housing officers are responsible for updating the information in the secure box.

Information is stored in secure information boxes with a standard key available to the FRS. Housing officers are responsible for updating the information in the secure box.

Resources- standard PEEP form, and if residents need any further assistance, they can go to a staff member. The form was sourced externally but has since had changes made internally.    

Example 4 - North Northamptonshire  

Scope

There are 10 sheltered schemes plus individual bungalows that are sheltered. 568 hard wired sheltered properties (including the bungalows). Mainly single occupancy but have some couples. Not just for vulnerable adults, but anyone over 55 who has a housing need.

The Council’s sheltered housing is for vulnerable residents living independently, and while it includes people with physical and mental disabilities, is not designed for, for example, recovering addicts. Residents include those with mobility issues, who are placed in ground floor accommodation, when possible, which is not always the case. This initiative has been in place since post-Grenfell.

Initiatives

Information is gathered by the council from vulnerable residents living in their sheltered accommodation blocks. The first approach is a meet and greet, and a support determination that informs the Council of what the resident’s support needs are. Key questions are does the resident require support visits or call from their team and whether they need a PEEP in place from there.

The above meet and greet and determination is part of residents’ tenancy agreement so compliance is high. A resident could have very few or low-level needs, however they would go through this annual determination. Residents with higher level needs are usually open to the engagement, and it is very rare that they would disagree with the assessment.

A document then records what help the person would need in the event of a fire. In the event evacuation is needed, the FRS would do this (with help from any carer if they are there).

While a backup copy of the resident’s document register is in an on-site secure information box, the main route to share information is via a register of everyone who has had an assessment and where they live being held by the existing 24-hour contact centre for care support workers. By arrangement, the FRS know to contact the centre if there is a fire and are then given the current information held by the council. The Contact centre gets notified of the alarm and will send to the FRS, and also send to the support team. The broader information is not on site but in the office, but officers in the support team have access to that information.

Resources

The risk assessment is delivered by existing council support workers who staff a 24/7 off site response team supporting those living in council sheltered accommodation. There is one person who managers the phone lines, however this is not just fire specific and covers everything.

There are arrangements in place for the FRS to contact the existing 24/7 response centre in the event of a fire, to get the up-to-date information from the register.

Fire drills are conducted twice a year, however they are often ignored by residents.

The Fire and Rescue Service will come and do a Home Fire Safety Visit if they identify risks eg. if a resident is a chronic smoker.

Training: specialist training is not required, more professional judgement and common sense supported by a checklist of areas to cover. Basic fire training is provided but not for any specific equipment.

Example 5 - Uttlesford District Council  

Scope 

The Council has an initiative where fire escape reviews and person-centred fire risk assessments are conducted for every vulnerable resident in independent living sheltered housing. The reviews and assessments result in mitigating measures being implemented within residents’ flats.  

Information detailing the location of residents with these assessments and the level of assistance these residents require to evacuate is shared with the local Fire and Rescue Service via the buildings’ secure information boxes. 

The sheltered housing schemes all have ‘Stay Put’ evacuation procedures in place and have a member of staff on site for two hours per day, where resources allow. 

The Council has 11 sheltered housing buildings, all of which have secure information boxes installed. 

The initiative of using person-centred fire risk assessments and fire reviews began shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, and was developed with input by a specialist fire consultant, building safety experts, and health and safety advisers. 

Initiatives 

Staff go through a fire escape review for every resident on an annual basis. These reviews indicate whether the resident has and understands the necessary fire policy information, whether they are aware of their evacuation procedures and whether they are able to evacuate the building in the event of a fire.  

In the event the resident says they cannot evacuate the building, the resident undergoes a person-centred fire risk assessment (provided the resident consents). This assessment considers in greater detail: the resident’s ability to evacuate; the level of assistance the resident may require to evacuate the building; the resident’s use of communal areas; and the resident’s awareness of evacuation procedures and fire alarms. Use of buddies to support evacuation is considered, but in the Council’s experience this can only rarely be put in place.  

After providing these details, the Council identifies and details actions taken as a result. The Council has a personal evacuation plan problem solving form to refer to, which offers suggestions as to the type of mitigating measures which could be put in place to address common issues. These are typically mitigating measures in the resident’s flat, such as a vibrating pillow or flashing light alarm to act as a fire alarm for those residents who are hard of hearing and would not otherwise be able to respond to a sound fire alarm. These assessments are reviewed on an annual basis and in cases where a change in the resident’s circumstances would require a review of the assessment. 

Minimal information detailing the location of residents with these assessments and their level of required assistance is shared with the local Fire and Rescue Service via the buildings’ secure information boxes.  

Uttlesford District Council compliance staff have confirmed this information shared with Fire and Rescue Services as not causing any General Data Protection issues. Resident consent regarding the sharing of information is sought when the resident moves into the property. 

On moving into their property, the resident signs a sheltered assessment form. This includes questions ascertaining the resident’s cognitive and mobility condition, and risks posed to the resident within the property. The form concludes by seeking the resident’s agreement that the information can be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis with external agencies. 

In the event that the resident does not consent, their agreement is then sought to consent to the sharing of information in a medical emergency situation and / or an emergency situation within the property which endangers other residents (such as a fire). 

In the event that the resident cannot engage due to a cognitive impairment, or the resident decides to delegate engagement to another who will provide consent and answer on the resident’s behalf, the Council typically engages with an advocate such as a support worker or family member, with the resident being present. The Council takes a proportionate approach, and ultimately, if someone has capacity and chooses to make decisions which Council officers deem less than optimal, then this has to be respected. 

Resources 

Scheme managers (on site or off site) are responsible for contacting their residents and collecting information. 

Information is stored in secure information boxes with a standard key available to the FRS. Scheme managers are responsible for updating the information in the secure box, updating the information via monthly Premises Inspection forms which are provided to the Sheltered Housing Team Leader. The care management information sheet is also updated as and when required, for instance, if a resident is away.