How we keep your home safe
The Building Safety Act defines a higher-risk building (HRB) as one that is at least 18 metres high or has at least seven storeys. Managing the fire safety for these buildings is obviously a key focus for us and our Building Safety Managers have particular responsibility for these, including engaging with customers.
While our own building safety remediation programme is well advanced, we are also carefully considering the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower final report to see what other actions we can take to make our customers and their homes safer.
Fire Risk Assessments and block documents
We regularly carry out Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) on our properties with communal areas. We've published a number of Fire Risk Assessments for our buildings with communal areas. You can find these, as well as more information about them, using the Riskhub Resident Hub.
You can also check for additional safety information about your building. (Please note that other documents are available on request as we haven't yet reloaded them from the former Network Homes website.)
Using the Riskhub Resident Hub 
is really simple and there is no registration needed to access your fire safety information.
First, you must look up your postcode [PDF, 814KB] to get your unique building reference number.
Please note down your unique building reference number, then visit the Riskhub Resident Hub , fill in your unique building reference number and click ‘continue’.
You will be taken to a screen where you will need to provide your name, flat number and contact details before selecting which document you’d like to download.
Fire Risk Assessments - FAQs
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is an inspection of one of our buildings with an internal shared/communal area. The purpose of a FRA is to
- Assess the risk of a fire occurring
- Assess the likelihood of residents being able to respond to a fire
- Assess the consequences of a fire occurring in the building
- Recommend appropriate actions to ensure the safety of residents and the building.
It is a legal requirement that we undertake a FRA in every building that has an internal shared/ communal area. We are committing to making our business more transparent, so all FRAs and key fire safety information for your building is available to download on the Riskhub Resident Hub.
We employ experienced, qualified, independent specialist assessors from Savills to carry out the assessments. As part of this task the assessor may speak to those on site. They then produce a report (the FRA) with all the information they have gathered and record any recommendations and/or actions for us to address. We then put in place a plan to carry out the recommendations to ensure the building and your home are as safe as reasonably practical.
Using the Riskhub Resident Hub is really easy and there is no registration needed to access your fire safety information.
- First, you must look up your postcode [PDF, 814KB] to get your unique building reference number.
- Please note down this number, then visit the Riskhub Resident Hub, fill in your unique building reference number and click ‘continue’.
- You will be taken to a screen where you will need to provide your name, flat number and contact details before selecting which document you’d like to download.
We're working hard to complete the recommendations made in the FRA. We have over 1,800 FRAs which are reviewed at different intervals over a three-year cycle.
On occasion it is not possible for us to meet the desired target dates for actions set out in the assessment. Our dedicated Fire Safety Team and Savills constantly review the target dates set out in the FRA and the programme of work planned to see if the extended target date can be met and or they need to be extended.
The FRAs available on the Riskhub Resident Hub are a copy of the assessment at the time it is handed over to SNG. If you need to know the exact position of the recommendations identified, please get in touch with our fire safety team who can arrange to send you the latest version of the document.
There are number of reasons why an FRA may be reviewed sooner than initially planned. Most commonly, when there is a significant change of use, occupancy or construction queries to the premises.
In early 2020 new Government published guidance urging building owners to investigate buildings with the external wall system such as rendered insulation, cladding, timber, balconies etc, concentrating on buildings over 18m. This is to ensure the buildings have been constructed in accordance to the design specifications. These inspections are intrusive and can sometime identify problems not previously identified. It has been widely reported that there is a national shortage of the qualified fire engineers who can do these types of investigation and there is high demand across the industry for these individuals to carry out building safety investigations, which are separate to our usual fire risk assessments. We're are proud to say that we've assessed all our buildings over 18m and are working to resolve any problems which have been identified.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require owners to assess materials used in external wall systems as part of the fire risk assessment. FRAs may require a more detailed fire risk appraisal to be happen if there is a known or suspected risk. We're continuing to carry out investigations into all our buildings with external wall systems, prioritising buildings based on their construction type. A programme has been developed for this and it is currently underway.
If you need to know when your building is due to be investigated, please contact us and ask to speak to our dedicated Building Safety Team.
The London Fire Brigade offers the Home Fire Safety Checker - a free online tool which guides you through an assessment of your home, helping you to uncover fire risks and giving you tailored advice.
If you live in London, for more vulnerable residents or those at higher risk, you can book a Home Fire Safety Visit from your local fire crew.
If you live in Hertfordshire, you can request a 'Safe and Well' Home Visit.
Cladding
Since 2017, the government has issued a series of fire safety advice notes to building owners and managers of tall buildings (buildings 18 metres or above). As a result, building owners across the country have been following this advice and carrying out investigations into their tall buildings.
The advice requires us to check the external wall system on our tall buildings, which means we need to verify that:
- the correct materials were used that met regulations at the time of construction
- these materials were installed as recommended by the supplier/manufacturer
- these materials have been maintained as recommended by the supplier/manufacturer.
This is not specific to your development; it affects all owners of tall buildings, whether they are housing associations, councils, private companies or organisations operating in other industries (including hospitals, hotels, schools and colleges).
Our intention is to pursue third parties to recover the costs for any mistakes they made while the building was being constructed. This could include developers, contractors, professional advisors and building inspectors. We will also investigate the building warranty to determine if it offers a route to recover some of these costs.
Where relevant, we will also apply for any available government funding for building safety related work.
If you have any questions regarding your tall building, you can contact us.
EWS1 forms
We have undertaken a thorough review of all our blocks to determine which ones fall into scope of needing an EWS1 form, in line with the current Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) guidance. See answers to frequently asked questions about EWS1 forms here.
You can view the government's building safety advice here.
What are we doing?
We have a programme of works for all our tall buildings and these follow a similar pattern which is summarised below:
- A desktop review – looking at all the relevant documents and certification when the building was built to check the products used were suitable.
- Site inspections – removing part of the cladding to check the products used and if they have been installed correctly. The inspection will require scaffolding or the use of mobile access equipment.
- Investigations after the site inspections – after the site inspections we may need to liaise with the original builder, the design team and manufacturers to fully understand the findings.
- Forward plan – once the investigations are complete,we will prepare a plan for your building and put appropriate measures in place. We will share this plan with you.
Who are we working with?
We have commissioned experienced Chartered Building Surveyors to lead the inspections and advise us. We are also seeking specialist advice from Chartered Fire Consultants where we need it and where an issue is identified, we will be in dialogue with the Fire Brigade.
I have heard you need to do a BS8414. What is this and when will this test be undertaken?
One way of demonstrating compliance with the government advice is to carry out a BS8414 test. This is a British Standard test, which will demonstrate the performance of the external wall in the event of a fire. This test involves constructing a mock-up of the external wall in an accredited test centre. The wall is tested by lighting a fire and measuring how the wall performs.
When we have the results of our investigations we will know if a BS8414 test is required.
What could the test show?
The test will have one of two outcomes – either the wall passes, or it fails:
Pass: If the wall passes the test, our Fire Consultant will review the test results and, if they are satisfied, they will issue a report to that effect. This will include an EWS1 Certificate which lenders require to advance mortgage loans.
Fail: If the wall fails the test, we will write to you to explain what we intend to do to:
- Ensure the building remains safe to live in and
- To remedy the situation. It is likely this will require physical remedial works.
How long will all this take?
Our investigations will take between three and six months depending on the complexity of the development. If a BS8414 test is required, we will have to book a slot at an accredited test centre. This will take between three and six months and the need for a test will become apparent in our investigations.
We will communicate the results of our investigations and any test results to you when we have them and let you know about next steps.
Why is it taking a long time to resolve?
There are over 5,000 buildings which are above 18 metres and need inspecting. There are however only 300 qualified fire engineers who are able to carry out the relevant inspections and issue EWS1 forms (safety certificates). This means they are in high demand and there is already a backlog of buildings which need to be investigated.
How does this affect the Fire Strategy/ Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) for my block?
Until the investigations are complete, your existing fire strategy, which is commonly referred to as ‘stay put,’ and your FRA remain valid. We are updating the FRA for each of our developments as information comes in from our investigations. Please familiarise yourself with what to do in the event of a fire in your block.
What am I allowed to store on my balcony?
Please remember items such as barbeques or patio heaters should not be used or stored on balconies. These items are a serious safety risk and are prohibited. Please notify us if you are aware of any such items being stored on balconies.
We also recommend people do not smoke or store combustible materials on balconies or in any communal areas. For example, recently a small fire in one of our properties was caused by smoking on the balcony.
Fire safety is the responsibility of the building owner as well as the residents!
Can I store items in the communal area?
We have a zero-tolerance policy on items left in the communal area – these can be a hazard if there is an emergency evacuation. We will remove any items left in communal areas and corridors.
If the investigations indicate that remedial works are required, we will seek advice from a Fire Consultant on the Existing Fire Strategy. If the Existing Fire Strategy poses a Health and Safety risk, the Fire Consultant will design an Interim Fire Strategy. This may change the existing ‘stay put’ strategy to an ‘evacuate’ strategy. If we need to do this for your development, we will write to you with specific instructions on what to do in the event of a fire. It is likely this will involve the installation of a Waking Watch and a Fire Alarm.
What does a Waking Watch do?
The Waking Watch patrol buildings to look for signs of smoke or fire. If they spot anything, their job is to alert you using an audible alarm and by knocking on doors. The presence of a Waking Watch does not mean your building isn’t safe.
Where a fire alarm is also installed the role of the Waking Watch will be scaled back and they will be there to assist residents if they need to evacuate the building.
Please note, the Waking Watch are not security or neighbourhood staff, and therefore don’t deal with other housing issues such as intruders or anti-social behaviour. If you see something else that needs reporting, please contact us in the usual way.
What does the fire alarm do?
In the event that your building is deemed to require a fire alarm, fire alarms will be installed in each property. It will comprise of heat detectors and an audible alarm and will be triggered if the temperature in an individual property goes above a minimum level.
What do I need to do if the Fire Strategy for my building changes?
If this happens, we will write to you with explicit instructions on what to do in the event of the alarm being triggered. We recommend you review these instructions, so you are familiar with what action to take in the event of a fire or a fire alarm.
We appreciate this may be worrying and we want to reassure you that, as stated above, we will actively pursue all other possible avenues for funding these works to avoid the costs being recovered from residents.
If we are unable to secure alternative funding, we may need to consider recovering the costs, or part of the costs, from residents as part of the service charge. To do this we are required to go through a statutory consultation process and/or, where relevant, apply for dispensation where costs have already been incurred. This process is commonly known as the Section 20 process.
We will be in touch with further information, including a full explanation of the Section 20 process, when the position is clearer.
How much will all this cost?
Whilst we appreciate it is frustrating for you, at this time we do not have an accurate cost estimate that we can share with you.
However, we can confirm that Network will not seek retrospective recovery of costs incurred to date, such as if your building already has a waking watch.
We are also investigating ways in which we may be able to allow residents to pay any costs over an extended period.
We will write to you again on this when the position is clearer.
We understand your frustration on the length of time work may take to resolve or for increased disruption at your building. However, we are unable to offer your compensation because of the inconvenience. This is essential work that must be carried out for your safety, and therefore we don’t believe compensation is payable.
We don’t expect to be able to reimburse you for any costs you may incur because of this project. This includes if you are unable to sell or remortgage your home. If you are worried about increased mortgage costs, please speak to your lender and a ‘product transfer’ as they may be able to move you onto a more favourable mortgage rate.
While SNG may be your landlord, sometimes we aren't the owner of a building - where this is the case we are often called a 'head lessee'. This has mostly come about because during the construction of a building by a private developer, they had to provide some affordable homes. These are then purchased by a housing association or sometimes a Local Authority and is known as a 'Section 106 agreement' (s106).
So while we are your landlord, if we don't own the building, we aren't able to carry out our own investigations. We will liaise with the building's freeholder or managing agent to determine what their course of action is on your behalf.
Who pays for building safety work?
We think that leaseholders having to cover the cost of building safety work is a last resort. We will continue to pursue other avenues of funding such as warranties, insurance policies, contractors, architects and the government's Building Safety Fund.
For us to charge anything to leaseholders through the service charge, we must follow the 'Section 20' process, which is legislation that outlines how much can be charged, the challenge process etc. You can find out more information about the Section 20 consultation process below.
A Section 20 is the process of consultation we must go through when we need to carry out major work on your building which will cost more than £250 per resident, or a service which will cost more than £100 per year. This is a requirement under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003.
The process has three parts:
Stage 1 - We give a written notice to each leaseholder and the recognised residents’ association (if there is one). The notice will:
- give a general description of the work we are planning
- say why the work is necessary
- inform you about whether you can nominate a contractor to provide an estimate (a nominated contractor); and
- give you 30 days to send any comments to us in writing.
Stage 2 - We give each leaseholder a written notice, which:
- includes at least two estimates for carrying out the work
- gives a summary of and our response to any comments we have received; and
- gives you 30 days to send us your written comments on the estimates.
Stage 3 - We will only give a stage 3 notice if:
- we (the landlord) have not selected the lowest estimate
- we have not selected a contractor proposed by a leaseholder or recognised Tenants' Association.
We will know the estimated cost after the project has been tendered (when companies have an opportunity to bid for the project and outline how much it will cost).
The cost each leaseholder will be charged will vary on your individual lease. We will only know how much each leaseholder’s estimate is after we have tendered the works and have a confirmed price. Most section 20 notices allow for associated works which may arise during the works, so it is possible that the estimate will vary from the final amount charged to each leaseholder.
We will carry out another round of consultation with leaseholders specifically about any estimated cost you will be expected to pay.
Under the terms of your lease, you agree to contribute towards work on the structure of your building, as part of your service charge.
Subject to leaseholder consultation, our intention is to tender this project to experienced contractors. We will ask contractors to submit proposals to us that will be judged partly on price and partly on the quality of their submission.
As part of the section 20 process you have the right as a leaseholder to nominate a contractor who will be able to tender for the works if the works or services are below the thresholds set out in the Official Journal of the European Community. Contractors nominated by leaseholders will however need to meet these minimum criteria:
- They must be accredited by Garland UK Ltd.
- They must be able to demonstrate they have delivered similarly designed projects which are of a similar value.
- They must have sufficient public liability insurance to cover a project of this size.
Your block may have a reserve fund (sometimes called a sinking fund) – a small portion of your service charge that goes into a fund to cover unexpected charges. Your block may or may not have a reserve fund and the amounts will be different for every block.
The balance of the fund may be used to pay for some of the work. If the cost of the work exceeds the fund balance at the time the works are invoiced the difference will be charged to the leaseholders as per the terms of your lease.
Once the works are invoiced, we can accept payment over 12 monthly instalments, interest free. We are currently looking at extending the terms we can accept repayment – we will let you know if anything is agreed.
We will continue to do all we can to access funding for essential safety work to your building. But legally we may be obliged to require leaseholders to pay towards the costs of this work, which we know might be substantially more than their usual annual service charge.
So, to help support leaseholders and shared owners stay in their homes and manage their payments, we now have Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation to enable us to offer an interest free credit option arrangement to those affected. We can also offer free debt advice.*
We're still in the process of setting this service up which should be up and running in early 2021. We'll be adding further details in this section in the coming weeks.
*FCA consumer credit arrangements are regulated by the FCA and any complaints arising from these arrangements by the Financial Ombudsman Service; Sovereign Network Group, reference number FRN 784290, is authorised to provide Limited Permission lending and debt counselling on a not for profit basis. Details of our FCA permissions can be found on the Financial Services Register.
Buildings below 18 metres
We've put together a summary video explaining our building safety programme for buildings below 18 metres. (Please note that this was produced by former Network Homes and is still in that branding and with links to our previous website, so please ignore these.)
If you're reading about building safety, you may come across the height threshold of 18 metres (generally about six storeys). This is what was considered as a 'high rise' building and was historically linked to the height that firefighting equipment was able to reach from the ground.
If your building is above 18 metres tall (or sometimes 17.7m as there can be a 30cm tolerance) then you are eligible for government grant support through the ACM Remediation Fund , Building Safety Fund and/or Waking Watch Relief Fund .
If your building is under 18 metres, you are likely to only be eligible for government support through a loan scheme, rather than one of the above grants. Full details of the government's loan scheme have not been released yet.
As directed by government guidance, we have prioritised our buildings based on risk, and this meant focusing on our buildings over 18 metres first. We have now completed our investigations of our tall buildings and so are able to move onto the next phase of our investigations - which means our buildings below 18 metres.
If you live in a block of flats which measures below 18 metres, you may have received some information from us telling you what phase of our building safety programme you are in and the general timeline of when we expect that phase to begin.
At this stage, we've only carried out a 'desktop study' on your building. This is where we check the technical documents and drawings we have, to see what type of construction type and materials your building has. Until we have carried out an intrusive investigation on-site at your building, we won't be able to share anything concerning:
- What remediation work may be needed
- How much it will cost
- How long it will take.
This is because it is unhelpful to speculate on what problems there might be until we have a confirmed position following the intrusive investigation.
We do recognise that you are in a difficult situation at the moment and you are not at fault. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to proceed with our building safety programme safely and efficiently, and are working hard to resolve this situation on behalf of our residents.
Working with you
We have a Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy [PDF, 231KB] in place, which sets out how we engage and communicate with residents about building safety for new and existing buildings. These ensure residents can have a say when it comes to the safety of their home.
Vulnerabilities - need to be rescued survey
Would you need to be rescued in the event of an emergency?
If you have a vulnerability, it's important you let us know if anyone in your household will need to be rescued in an emergency. If you think this is relevant to your neighbours, please prompt or assist them to contact us.
You may need to be rescued if you or your household have mobility issues; visual/hearing impairment; are a large family unit; includes elderly relatives or young children.