Resident Engagement Strategy

23
Mar

Version: January 2026

Introduction

This document outlines the Resident Engagement Strategy for Sandown Court, Avenham Lane,
Preston, Lancashire (postcodes PR1 3RP, PR1 3SE, PR1 3RS, and PR1 3UQ).

Sandown Court Management Company want residents of its high-rise buildings to be at the heart of
decision making about where they live. This document outlines our commitment to building safety
following the guidance set out by the Government to ensure all housing providers have a Resident
Engagement Strategy for building safety in place. It aims to ensure that residents:

  • Know who they can speak to about their safety and sets out the responsibilities between the landlord and residents.
  • Have a variety of opportunities to speak to staff about any concerns or issues.
  • Feel confident to hold us to account and understand any communications sent to them relating to building safety.

The purpose of this strategy is to set out how we will engage with owners and residents aged 16 and
over in decisions relating to building safety. This includes the management of our buildings, building
safety risks, and any other decisions that fall under the responsibilities of the AP/PAP.

Legal Obligations

After the tragic fire at Grenfell in 2017, Dame Judith Hackitt was commissioned to review building
regulations and fire safety and put forward 53 recommendations for change. Her report was titled
“Building a Safer Future” and has prompted new statutory requirements to be met, which are:

  • Fire Safety Act 2021
  • Building Safety Act 2022

These changes highlight the importance of residents feeling safe in their home and ensure that their
views and concerns are listened to and acted upon in a trusting, open and honest way. The key areas
of change are:

  • Clearer responsibilities for individuals and organisations managing high-rise buildings
  • A stronger voice and better information for residents
  • Tougher enforcement for when things go wrong
  • Greater oversight by the Regulator to ensure landlords are accountable to residents in an open and transparent way.

Sandown Court Management Company have fully complied with the requirements of the Regulatory
Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO). Communal areas of our buildings have a Fire Risk Assessment
carried out at regular intervals.

To ensure customers feel safe in their homes, and to ensure we meet regulations set out in the
Building Safety Act 2022, we will communicate, inform and engage with customers about building
safety. We will ensure customers are fully informed where concerns are raised, or works are needed.

Principle Accountable Person / Accountable Persons, their role and responsibilities

Principle Accountable Person / Accountable Persons are legally responsible for repairing or
maintaining common parts of a building for example, the exterior and structure, corridors or lobbies.
If a building has more than one Accountable Person (AP), the AP who owns the building, or is legally
responsible for the structure and exterior of the building will be the Principal Accountable Person
(PAP).

In relation to resident engagement, it is the responsibility of the PAP to:

  • prepare a Resident Engagement Strategy
  • review and revise the strategy and keep a record of the reviews

It is the responsibility of PAP to deliver that resident engagement strategy to their residents and
provide residents with a real say on how the safety of their homes is managed.

Sandown Court Management Company Roles and Responsibilities

Our role is to oversee and routinely check the safety measures across all our buildings in scope to
ensure residents feel safe in their home.

We will keep residents and shareholders informed about building safety decisions, including the
nature and timeline of any work required as well as the people/organisations responsible for
carrying out such work.

Information will vary depending on the type of decision and level of impact. Examples include:

  • Safety updates
  • Maintenance and repair works
  • Building safety/risk assessments
  • Changes to emergency contact information
  • Policy changes and updates
  • Construction and development news

We endeavour to share this information with our residents through the following methods:

  • Regularly updating our “Everyday Information for Residents” page on our website
  • Provide articles in our monthly resident newsletters
  • Dedicated letters and tailored information to residents
  • Provide information on our notice boards
  • Sending information out via email where we have the contact information

The team play a significant role in how the blocks are managed by liaising with all our stakeholders
to ensure the wider activities of the organisation do not compromise the overall safety of the
building.

Residents Roles and Responsibilities

The building safety reform means that there is an emphasis on ensuring residents of high-rise
buildings trust their landlord and feel safe in their home. We will ensure that our resident’s homes
are safe by meeting all the correct regulations and standards. Residents are required to support us
in meeting these obligations by:

  • Living safely in their flat and not doing anything that puts other residents at risk, for example, not making alterations to the flat entrance fire door without permission.
  • Knowing what to do in the event of a fire in their property or another part of the building.
  • Contacting the SCMC Office if residents’ living circumstances change meaning a resident may not be able to self-evacuate in the event of a fire.
  • Checking smoke detectors in their home are working at least once a month.
  • Being respectful of neighbours and keeping the space outside the flat clear.
  • Using the bin chutes safely to dispose of rubbish and contacting the caretaking team if help is needed to dispose of bulky items.
  • Reporting any issues to us, particularly if a resident feels it is a fire safety concern.

Where decisions are to be made that directly impact the residents, we will firstly seek their opinion.
We endeavour to do this via email, post, newsletters, notice boards, in-person meetings and visiting
the resident’s flats as deemed appropriate according to individual circumstances.

Resident Engagement, Communication and Accessibility

Every effort will be made to understand the unique needs of all owners and residents, so everyone
has the opportunity to engage.

Building Safety Information for Residents will:

  • Use clear language (no jargon) and images / photos to ensure information is easy to understand.
  • Be shared with residents using a wide variety of communication methods to make sure residents receive important information in a way that suits them.
  • Be in line with the Fire Service’s safety communications.
  • Be available in accessible formats on request and use the customers preferred form of communication.

All residents are encouraged to contact the management office, in confidence, if they require
additional assistance or have specific communication requirements.

All at SCMC are responsible for ensuring that any building safety issues identified, by us or by
residents, are dealt with and/or reported for further investigation and action. Depending on the
issue raised, colleagues may be asked to take a role in keeping residents informed of progress.

Review and Revision

As a business we monitor performance to show levels of understanding and satisfaction. This
provides us with an opportunity to identify areas of success or improvement.

The effectiveness of our Engagement Strategies will be assessed through the level of active
participation – including the number of responses to correspondence and/or attendance at
meetings.

Regular reviews will be conducted to adapt and improve our engagements methods, to encourage
high levels of owner/resident satisfaction and participation.

This strategy will be reviewed every two years, following consultations or after significant building
alterations.

All reviews will be recorded, and the strategy will be revised as needed to reflect feedback and
changing circumstances.

All accountable persons, owners and residents will receive a copy of this strategy, with consideration
to individual communication preferences and needs.

Customer Complaints

If a customer is not satisfied with the service being provided in their building, they should first bring
this to the attention of the service concerned. This can be done by contacting our team in the office
located in Block 2 (Ground Floor).

We use the Housing Ombudsman service definition ‘an expression of dissatisfaction, however made,
about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the Landlord, its own staff or those acting
on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents.’

Timescales

We aim to acknowledge any complaint within 5 working days. The team will undertake an
investigation and aim to respond within 10 working days. If they require longer, they will speak with
you and keep you updated.

Hopefully we can resolve your complaint in the first instance without the need to escalate any
further. However, if you feel we have not resolved it successfully you can contact the Housing
Ombudsman Service details below.

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service by:

Phonelines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Lines will be closed for staff training every
Thursday from 3.30pm to 5pm.

Write to:

Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 1484
Unit D
Preston
PR2 0ET

Fax: 020 7831 1942

Conclusion

This document is based on creating a safe, inclusive and collaborative environment for all owners
and residents. Through clear communication, active solicitation of feedback, and a commitment to
continuous improvement we aim to foster a community where every voice is heard and valued in
the pursuit of building safety.

The content of the document will remain under review to ensure that we are fully compliant with
the Regulator and that the information contained meets the needs of customers.

Contact Details

244 Sandown Court, Avenham Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3UQ

Email: sandowncourt244@gmail.com
Telephone: 01772 885428