<div>As part of a commitment to improve council homes in the borough, Southwark Council has today, 18 June, made a self-referral to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in relation to electrical testing.Raising standards across its thirty six thousand council homes is a top priority for Southwark, and as part of an ongoing, full review of its housing service the council has identified that a new regulatory requirement to undertake an electrical safety test of each home has not been implemented in the way it should have been. This has led to the Council making a voluntary self-referral to the RSH, the independent organisation responsible for regulating a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector...(<a href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/news/2024/jun/southwark-council-statement-on-electrical-testing-of-council-homes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here</a> to continue reading Southwark Council&#39;s statement on electrical testing of council homes)</div>

Southwark Council statement on electrical testing of council homes

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Here at the London Borough of Southwark, your safety is our priority. We also want to make sure you are involved, informed and updated on all building safety matters within your community. This is why we are introducing the Building Safety Commonplace.The Building Safety Commonplace is a dedicated platform where you can get important updates on the steps we are taking to improve building safety within our high-rise buildings. You will also be able to share your views, hear about events and meetings, and download documents.We would like to invite you to join us on the Building Safety Commonplace.When you sign up, you will receive regular updates and easy access to key information. It&rsquo;s a simple way to stay in the know about what is happening.Why not share this with your neighbours and friends in your building? By spreading the word about the Building Safety Commonplace, you are helping every resident stay informed.

Stay Informed and Connected with the Building Safety Commonplace!

Learn more about the steps we are taking to improve building safety in Southwark. 

Southwark's Building Safety Programme

Building Safety Programme

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Here you will find information about how you can prevent a fire starting in your home.

Keeping Your Home Safe

The Council, you, everyone who lives with you, and all visitors you welcome into your home have a part to play in keeping your home safe. <a href="https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here to visit the London Fire Brigade&#39;s web page</a> all dedicated to fire safety in the home.&nbsp;Here are some of things you can do to help everyone in your building stay safe:&nbsp;Keep fire exits and communal areas clear at all times:&nbsp;Leaving items like fridges, freezers, tumble dryers, shoes, rubbish, prams, pushchairs and buggies in the hallways, stairs, shared landing or near fire exits could make it hard to escape, cause fire to spread and slow down the fire brigade in an emergency.Keep fire doors closed: Never block, tie or wedge open fire doors in your home or building.Take care when smoking: Make sure cigarettes have been stubbed out carefully and never smoke in bed.Let us in: The Council or our contractors will need to have access to your home at times to carry out safety checks and works.Report building safety hazards: If you see anything that blocking a fire exit, a damaged fire door or anything that could make your building less fire safe, please let us know immediately.Keep us informed:&nbsp;If you, or anyone that lives in your home would find it difficult to leave the building in the event of an emergency, you must let us know so that the fire brigade knows how to help you. Here are some of the things we do to help everyone in your building stay safe:Carry out regular building inspections: Our Building Safety Managers will inspect all high-rise buildings on a monthly basis. The Council also conducts fire risk assessments to identify and address safety issues.Develop a Safety Case: The Safety Case sets out how we will manage and maintain the safety of your building.Engage with residents:&nbsp;Create a Resident Engagement Strategy to make sure all tenants have access to information and are actively involved in discussions about safety.Keep a digital record:&nbsp;The Council must keep a digital record of key building information including the design, construction and maintenance information. This information should be made available to residents. &nbsp; &nbsp;

 Here you will find information about the surveys we are carrying out to make our high-rise blocks as safe as they can be.

The council is carrying out Type 4 Fire Risk Assessment surveys in all of our high-rise buildings. This is part of our response to new national laws, which aim to make high-rise blocks as safe as they can possibly be.The surveys will look at all communal areas, the outside of the building and we will need to access the inside of a selection of homes. The council will contact you directly about this, either by letter or a phone call.Below you can watch a short animation to learn more:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kxMGd9seavE?si=i4T6u67rdaBXY1eq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

 Here you will find our Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy

SURVEY - Resident Engagement Strategy

Resident Engagement Strategy

The Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy has been co-designed with the residents of our 187 high-rise buildings. We would like to thank those of you who responded to our questionnaire. This plan aims to make things better by including residents&rsquo; opinions in our services. We want residents to feel like they belong and play a key role in shaping the way we deliver our services. We also want them to help us make decisions about building safety.The key goals of this strategy are:&nbsp;<ul><li>Getting residents involved in building safety</li><li>Explaining which decisions residents can help make</li><li>Stating how we will listen to residents&rsquo; opinions</li><li>Making sure residents know how to keep their homes safe</li><li>Helping residents know how to contact us with any building safety concerns or complaints</li><li>Detailing how often the strategy will be reviewed</li></ul>You can download a copy of the proposed strategy below.&nbsp;

Check out the following documents

After reading the strategy, we would appreciate it if you complete our short survey to share your thoughts.You can complete the survey here. <a href="https://forms.office.com/e/BwQ9XuAQnb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Resident Engagement Strategy Survey</a>

Resident Engagement Strategy for High-Rise Buildings.pdf

Here you will find a list of the high-rise buildings the London Borough of Southwark is responsible for.

Is My Building On the List?

Here you will find the ways you can contact us with your building safety concerns or complaints

Report a Building Safety Concern

We&rsquo;re here to help. Southwark Council has implemented a safety reporting system for all high-rise buildings to ensure your home is safe and secure. Here&rsquo;s what you need to know:How to Report a Safety Concern:&nbsp;If you notice anything in your building that concerns you, such as signs of structural damage, fire risks, or any other safety issues, please report it.&nbsp;You can report your concerns by calling our Customer Call Centre or sending an email. Every report is logged within our system.What Happens After You Report:&nbsp;Our Building Safety Team will review your concern and assess the risk. If your concern is urgent and poses a significant risk, we will act immediately to ensure your safety.We will also submit a detailed report to the Building Safety Regulator for concerns that could lead to serious harm.You&#39;ll be informed within 24 hours of your report being received and we&#39;ll keep you updated as we address the issue.&nbsp;Our Commitment to You:&nbsp;<ul><li>We take every concern seriously and work swiftly to address potential risks.</li><li>Our goal is to resolve major concerns within 24 hours, and we have specific timelines for other levels of risk.</li><li>We continuously monitor and manage all reported concerns to prevent any recurrence and to improve overall building safety.</li></ul>For any safety issues or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We accept complaints in all formats and they can be made in a number of ways, including: &nbsp;Visiting our website at: <a data-uw-original-href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint" data-uw-rm-brl="PR" href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint">Making a complaint&nbsp;</a><a data-uw-original-href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint" data-uw-rm-brl="PR" href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint">-&nbsp;</a><a data-uw-original-href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint" data-uw-rm-brl="PR" href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint">Southwark Council</a><a aria-label="southwark.gov.uk" data-uw-original-href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint" data-uw-rm-brl="PR" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl="" href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/complaints-comments-and-compliments/making-a-complaint">&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;Emailing us at: complaints@southwark.gov.uk &nbsp;Calling our Customer Service Centre on: 0207 525 0042 &nbsp;Writing to us at: Customer Resolutions Team, PO Box 64529, London, SE1P 5LX &nbsp;In person at one of our offices &nbsp;Via social media (where we can identify the person making the complaint) &nbsp;&nbsp;Where we accept a complaint via social media, we will liaise with the complainant as to the most productive way of managing that complaint and look to take it off-line, so that we can ensure confidentiality and privacy

Here you will find information about the Building Safety Act (2022).

What is the Building Safety Act (2022)?

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, the Building Safety Act (2022) was introduced to make sure our high-rise buildings are safe for everyone. Here&rsquo;s what you need to know: &nbsp; &nbsp;1. Who it Affects: The new law applies to buildings taller than 18 meters or 7 floors with 2 or more flats.2. Your Responsibilities:&nbsp;As a resident, you have a role in keeping your home and common areas safe.3. Our Responsibilities: As your landlord, we have the responsibility of managing and maintaining the safety of your building.4. Resident Engagement: You&rsquo;ll receive a strategy to help you get involved in decisions about building safety.5. Protection For Leaseholders: You won&rsquo;t have to pay for removing dangerous cladding, and there&rsquo;s a limit on how much you&rsquo;ll have to pay for other repairs.<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-act" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can read more about the Building Safety Act (2022) by clicking here.</a><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-act" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>