Northumbria Lodge

We want you to know who to contact when you need help or have questions.

Here’s a list of key team members at Northumbria Lodge:

Building Safety Regulator

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is a Government agency, part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and is responsible for overseeing the safety and performance of buildings, with a particular focus on high-risk buildings.

• Oversight of building safety
• Certification and approving buildings safety case for occupation
• Regulation and enforcement
• Review and approve the building safety case submitted by the accountable person
• Building safety inspections
• Providing guidance and standards
• Monitoring building performance
• Promoting a culture of safety
• Stakeholder engagement and communication
• Public safety and transparency
• Review and update of regulations
• Accountability and reporting
• Collaboration with industry bodies

They can be contacted on 0300 790 6787 or www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-the-building-safety-regulator

Building Safety Compliance Team

Responsible for overseeing, implementing, and enforcing all aspects of building safety, ensuring that both the building itself and the residents are protected from potential hazards and risks. Responsible for inspections, fire safety, and maintenance.

• Responsible for inspections, fire safety, and maintenance associated fire systems
• Oversight of building safety, particularly in relation to fire safety and structural integrity
• Developing, maintaining, and reviewing the building safety case for the building
• One point of contact for any fire or structural safety related concerns
• Fire risk assessments, safety audits and structural surveys
• Compliance with Landlord health and safety legislation, and maintaining relevant records to demonstrate these have been completed as required by legislation
• Providing fire safety training and awareness for tenants

The Neighbourhood and Community Team ensures that residents have a safe and well-maintained place to call home.

Resident engagement and communication (providing information and feedback)

• Supporting building safety (raising concerns and promoting safety awareness)
• Community engagement and cohesion (creating a supportive community)
• Safeguarding vulnerable residents
• Monitoring and reporting on community safety
• Assisting with building works and repairs
• Supporting and assisting with access and tenant engagement on building works, and repairs and compliance with regulations

Property Maintenance Department

The repairs teams ensure the building remains in good condition in compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Responsible for:
• Responding to safety issues
• Managing emergency repairs
• Compliance with building safety regulations
• Keep detailed records
• Coordinating with the building safety team
• Managing contractors

The asset and property team ensure that any alterations to a building are carefully planned, communicated, and monitored, with a strong emphasis on maintaining the safety of residents and the building itself during any works.

Responsible for:
• Managing the contractors carrying out major improvement works
• Notification to the building safety regulator
• To assess risks and impact
• Ongoing safety checks during planned works

An important part of the team – responsible for:
• Following fire safety instructions
• Avoiding obstruction of fire escapes
• Not interfering with fire safety equipment
• Reporting safety concerns
• Safe use of facilities
• Compliance with tenancy agreements (allowing access and informing landlords of any changes)
• Seeking permission for alterations or improvements
• Reporting fire or building safety concerns
• Not interfering with, damaging or propping open any fire doors

Responsible for:
• Registration of the building with the Building Safety Regulator
• Reporting
• Resident engagement strategy
• Mandatory occurrence reporting
• Information management

We will:
• Provide clear, regular updates about building safety and management
• Offer real opportunities for you to influence decisions
• Make it easy to ask questions or report concerns
• Listen to feedback and act

We follow all law, legislation and regulatory requirements to ensure Northumbria Lodge is safe and well-managed.

This means:
• We have legal responsibilities to keep you informed about safety
• The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) and Accountable Person (AP) oversee building safety
• We must involve residents in decisions that affect safety and maintenance. This strategy helps us meet these responsibilities in a clear and transparent way

What this means for you:
Building Safety Act 2022 – this is a UK law that aims to make buildings safer, especially tall ones like high-rise flats. It makes sure that tenants are better protected against any building safety risks with improved safety standards and clear communication on things like safety procedures and evacuation plans.

Fire Safety Act 2021 – this is UK law that makes sure building owners check the safety of outside walls, balconies and front doors of flats to help stop fires spreading.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are extra rules such as checking doors regularly and giving tenants clear instructions on what to do if there is a fire.

Consumer Standards – in the UK, the Regulator for Social Housing enforces a set of standards to protect tenants and make sure they have a safe and secure home, can easily report and receive timely repairs and are treated fairly and respectfully by their landlord.

Mandatory Occurrences – as part of the Building Safety Act 2022, building owners and managers need to report fire safety problems or near misses and potential risks to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Reporting them to the BSR means better communication and quicker responses to identifying and managing them.

We want to work with you to make sure Northumbria Lodge is a safe and a pleasant place to live.

When we’ll keep you updated and involved:
• When you sign up for your tenancy, we will give you important information about your home, safety (including the fire strategy for the building), and your rights as a tenant
• During your tenancy, when we have something new to tell you about
• At the annual building safety event, we will give you important information about fire and building safety, including the fire strategy for the building

Things we’ll keep you updated on:
• Fire strategy
• Fire safety and fire risk assessment actions, maintenance, and repairs
• Building inspections and safety checks
• Planned improvements and changes
• Housing, neighbourhood and community matters

You’ll receive these updates through:
• Resident meetings and drop-in sessions
• Home safety campaigns
• Noticeboards
• Bernicia website
• ‘My Bernicia’ Portal
• Tenants Voice Panel
• Text messaging, emails, phone calls and letters
• Strong partnerships and collaboration with Fire and Rescue and other agencies

We want you to be part of shaping how Northumbria Lodge is managed.

You can share your views through:
• Your accountable person (AP) Amber Welsh for building safety
• With your neighbourhood housing team
• The annual building safety event
• Customer surveys
• Tenants Voice Panel

When you give feedback, we will:
• Acknowledge it and confirm we’ve received it
• Consider it carefully and let you know how we’re using it
• Act where possible and explain any decisions made
• Make it accessible and communicate information to you in your preferred style

Let us know what you need

Tell us about your communication needs so we can make sure you’re able to receive information in a way that suits you best.
Examples include translation, large print and easy read. Our promise to you is that you will be treated fairly and with the respect and dignity you deserve. We will give you the right space and opportunities to use your voice and be heard.

Call us on 0344 800 3800 for assistance.

If you have a question or concern, we’re here to listen and help you

You can:
• Talk to your Accountable Person for Building Safety
• Talk to your Neighbourhood housing team
• Report something by phone, online or through the ‘My Bernicia’ portal
• Join a resident meeting or Tenant Voice Panel to bring up anything on your mind

Not happy with a service we have provided? You can log a complaint and give us the opportunity to make things right.

You can find details of our complaints guide.

• We’ll make sure to log and investigate your concern
• We will respond within our clear timeframes
• If the issue isn’t resolved, we’ll explain the next steps.

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at any point during the complaint process.

• Tel 0300 111 3000
• Email info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
• www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
• Housing Ombudsman Service, PO BOX 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET

It can’t investigate your complaint while your complaint is still in our internal complaints procedure, but the Ombudsman may be able to help you reach a resolution with us. You can also contact the Building Safety Regulator directly to report a concern.

• Tel 0300 790 6787
• www.gov.uk/guidance/contactthe-building-safety-regulator

Your feedback matters, and we’re committed to taking action.

That means:
• Keeping track of all feedback we receive
• Taking steps to improve based on your suggestions
• Providing updates to let you know what’s being done
• We’ll also share summaries of what you’ve told us and how we’re responding

We’ll keep an eye on how well this strategy is working by regularly checking:
• How residents feel about the way we engage
• Whether we’re addressing concerns in a timely way
• How we can improve our communications and processes

We will review and update this strategy every two years to ensure it remains relevant and effective in meeting your needs.

Our success will be measured through key performance indicators such as tenant satisfaction measures, response times to feedback and tenant participation in engagement events.

Your feedback will help us keep making things better, so please, tell us what you think.