accreditation is a gold standard of competence for building managers.

YHN – Newcastle City Council’s housing management organisation – looks after 39 high-rise blocks across the city. That’s more than 3,000 households who need to feel safe at all times.

In the wake of the tragedy at the Grenfell Tower in London in 2017, YHN reviewed all its building safety processes and systems. It asked both its tenant scrutiny panel and residents for their views of what they needed to feel safe in their homes.

The result was a dedicated building safety team focused entirely on high-rise homes and a simple-to-use contact system through which residents can report concerns – they can even contact the team via their building intercom system.

Alongside this, YHN comms staff developed an award-winning approach to keeping residents in the loop about how to spot problems and alert housing officers quickly, and exactly what they should do in an emergency. Every building now has its own illustrated poster describing its unique safety features.

The team are available to speak to residents at regular events close to the blocks throughout the year – 25 were held across 2022/23 – and, to make absolutely sure every resident has been reached, YHN staff knock on doors. In the last year, they’ve had 622 doorstep conversations.

August 2023