Fire safety policy
Introduction
As your landlord, we are committed to ensuring your home remains safe, this includes fire safety.
This policy explains how we identify, assess and manage fire safety risks within our homes and buildings.
Our commitment to you
We will do everything we can to manage fire safety risks in our homes, to keep you, your household, our staff and contractors safe.
All individual homes have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors fitted. We inspect these every year to ensure they are working as they should. We also ask residents to periodically test them.
Fire safety in blocks
For homes within blocks (flats) communal fire systems and individual fire doors will also be in place, to ensure the safety of all residents. Each block will have a specific approach to fire safety based on the type of building, the number of homes, type of construction and layout.
Fire Risk Assessments for blocks are completed by an Independent Fire Risk Assessor, either annually or bi-annually, dependent on the nature of the building and the level of potential risk. These are supported by regular inspections and testing to ensure all fire safety equipment in communal areas is working and meets all health and safety standards.
Fire safety notices are displayed in the communal areas of all blocks of flats, retirement living, and short-stay accommodation. You should read these to make sure you know what to do in case of emergency.
For buildings over 18m/7storeys, we will talk to residents to establish whether extra support is needed in the event of evacuation and create a personal evacuation plan.
Managing fire safety
We will take all reasonable steps to identify, assess and manage fire safety risks within our homes and buildings. We will:
- Maintain an open and transparent approach with residents, colleagues, contractors and regulatory bodies.
- Ensure appropriate arrangements are in place to assess and manage fire safety risks.
- Use appropriately qualified and competent contractors and specialists to deliver fire safety activities.
- Maintain clear records relating to fire safety inspections, testing and maintenance.
- Respond to fire safety concerns and act when required.
- Ensure up to date Fire Risk Assessments are in place for all buildings that require one and implement any highlighted actions to reduce and prevent the risk of fire.
- Monitor and report on our fire safety compliance each month.
- Complete regular testing of all fire safety equipment, in line with best practice recommendations.
Fire safety testing could include, but not be limited to, tests and checks on:
- Fire alarms (individual homes and communal areas)
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (individual homes and communal areas)
- Fire door inspections (individual flats and communal areas)
- Emergency lighting
- Fire extinguishers
- Smoke control systems
- Sprinkler systems
- Dry rising mains.
Your responsibilities
You have a responsibility to tell us about any repairs needed to your home as soon as possible. You can do this by calling us on 01733 385000 24/7. You can also report repairs that are not emergencies through MyCKH or by speaking to your Scheme or Temporary Manager.
You should test your smoke alarm regularly and report any problems immediately. You must never try to disconnect your smoke alarm.
We have a zero tolerance stance on items left in communal areas. Any belongs left in communal areas could become hazards during an emergency evacuation or increase the risk of fire spreading. Do not leave any of your belongings in a communal area at any time or they may be removed.
If your front door opens into an internal communal space (like a hallway or corridor), your home will be fitted with a specialist fire door. You must provide access to your home once a year to allow us to inspect the fire door. You must never make changes to a fire door and should report any damage to us immediately.
Further information:
Who is responsible for managing fire safety?
The Executive Director of Corporate Services is responsible for this policy. The Assistant Director of Asset Management is responsible for the management of fire safety activities.
Legislation and regulation
This policy is written in accordance with the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
- Safety and Quality standard
- Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
- Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
- Housing Act 2004, including the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Fire Safety Act 2021
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
- Building Safety Act 2022
- Equality Act 2010
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We understand that some residents might have unique situations, such as medical conditions, disabilities, or vulnerabilities, which may require us to adjust how we provide our services. This commitment aligns with the Equality Act 2010. We also recognise that disabilities or other challenges can be hidden or temporary. We depend on residents or those supporting them to inform us about any additional needs they have, and to update us if these needs change, so we can respond accordingly.
Here are some examples of how we might implement this policy:
- Carrying out health and safety repairs that would typically be the resident's responsibility.
- Adjusting our service standards or timeframes where a delay would put a resident at increased risk because of a disability or health condition.
- An adjustment to how we communicate with our residents to meet their specific needs. For example, providing information in alternative ways for people who are visually or hearing impaired.
For further information please see our Residents preference strategy
Information sharing
Cross Keys Homes has an information sharing agreement with key agencies and contractors to share information in relation to the delivery of our services. Information shared must be relevant and the Data Protection Procedure adhered to when handling data. You can find more information about how we manage your data in our Privacy Policy.
Monitoring and review
The Fire Safety Policy was written by the Assistant Director of Asset Management and approved by the Executive Director of Corporate Services in January 2026 and will be reviewed annually - next review January 2027