Agenda and minutes

To agree the procedures for the operation of hybrid meetings.

RESOLVED –

THAT the guidance on hybrid meetings be noted.

Apologies were received from Gul Begum, Councillor Samata Khatoon and Glendine Shepherd (Director of Housing).

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: “In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for at least six months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available on upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast.”

Webcasting

The Chair announced that the meeting was being broadcast live to the internet and would be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available to those that requested them. Those participating in the meeting were deemed to be consenting to being filmed.

There were none.

There were none.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 24^th January 2023.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 24^th January  2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 24^th January 2023 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Borough Commander

London Fire Brigade performance in the London Borough of Camden. This includes selected operational statistics, community fire safety performance and regulatory fire safety information.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Commander.

David George, Borough Commander, took the meeting through the report, and gave the following key responses to questions:

·       The LFB was seeking to engage with local communities to seek to understand what they would wish to see from the fire service. As part of this process the Borough Commander would be seeking to set up and recruit to a local fire consultancy/advisory panel made up of  representatives from Camden. This group would meet regularly with the Borough Commander to share information and insight into how any proposed changes would affect the communities they represented, along with suggesting ways to better communicate with residents. Members of the FSCA panel may wish to consider putting themselves forward to sit on the advisory group.

·       Members of the FSCAP could also put themselves forward to assist the service in helping to shape the service deliver plan.

ACTION BY: FSCAP Members

·       The service would also be seeking to develop performance measures based on a core Londonwide approach, and these would be shared with the panel members once they had been finalised.

ACTION BY: Borough Commander

·       There was anecdotal evidence that the casualty data regarding older people was due to fire’s happening in their own home.

·       The LFB were aware of the concerns regarding Lithium Iron Batteries, and a campaign was currently in place called ‘Charge Safe’, which was seeking to inform people regarding the fire safety issues regarding these batteries. As part of this the LFB had successfully changed TfL policy regarding the use of battery power vehicles so that they were no longer allowed on the underground network. This ban could also be extended to buses and Overgound trains in the future. Further information regarding the campaign would be included in the delivery plan that was being developed.

·       The Borough Commander would seek to work with officers in the Capital Works team regarding fire safety engagement/communications  in relation to all the projects the team were delivering so that a common message was being delivered.   

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report sets out the work being delivered by the Capital Works team to address fire safety risk assessment actions assigned to the team. 

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Susanne Afra, Head of Capital Works, took the meeting through the report, and gave the following key responses to questions:

·       Each project had a dedicated clerk of works, whose role it was to assess and ensure that the quality of the works was being delivered to a high standard. Electrical specialists were also employed on the alarm’s packages of works, to check the work of the contractors. 

·       Each contractor delivering works was required to employ a resident liaison officer whose role it was to work directly with residents receiving the works so they were aware of what was involved and how it would be undertaken, and would be the key point of contact for the tenant throughout the process. Camden would also have a dedicated project manager in place overseeing the project’s delivery, who could also be contacted by the tenant or resident if they were concerned about the way the works were being undertaken.

·       When tenants or residents were unhappy with the works then the issue would be looked into and when necessary appropriate action would be undertaken by the Council.

·       All the contactors the Council would be using would be expected to meet Camden’s delivery standards, and they would be reminded of this responsibility as part of their interactions with the Council.

·       Officers noted that a tenant had advised that access might be improved through greater assurance in relation to delivery, and good notice being provided to residents (following the tenants own experience of alarm installation having caused some concern).

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report sets out the general responsibilities of local authorities for communication, liaison and cooperation with local fire and emergency services under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The report also describes the Councils new Fire Safety Act duty to provide specific information to local fire and emergency services about fire safety in Council residential buildings.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Melissa Dillon, Head of Resident Safety Engagement Strategy, took the meeting through the report, and gave the following key responses to questions:

·       The Government was still to publish the expected guidance regarding the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing, and once this was available then this would be made available to the panel.

·       The Council’s Neighbourhood Housing Officers are undertaking home visits and as part of this process, they have been provided with a list of questions to ask tenants which were based on the Government’s consultation document. The tenant would be asked if they themselves felt that they would have any difficulties or needed any assistance in getting out, and the Neighbourhood Housing Officer would be expected to identify issues for example, whether the premises was overcrowded, or the tenant was hording, had mobility or other physical issues.

·       Once this work had been undertaken, then any referrals and identification of support would be taken forward. This information would provide the Council with a better picture of who was identified as being vulnerable within the borough as a whole/local community/building.

·       Officers would provide a response regarding whether the referrals were then being actioned by the appropriate service, along with whether they were being pulled together as part of a data monitoring system   

ACTION BY: Director of Housing/Director of Property Management (MD)

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report sets out the new responsibilities of the Council and the resident od Council homes under fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022. It explains what these rights and responsibilities and proposals for a programme of information and communication for residents.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Melissa Dillon, Head of Resident Safety Engagement Strategy, took the meeting through the report, and along with Gavin Haynes, Director of Property Management, gave the following key responses to questions:

·       Officers agreed to forward panel members with the link to the Council’s webpage regarding the information on fire and building safety, which panel members had helped to shape.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

·       Panel member’s advice would be sought regarding further leaflets and communications with tenants and residents including the revision to the tenants guide, arising from the requirements from the Fire Safety and Building Safety Acts, e.g. fire doors, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. These would be circulated for comments when available.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)/Director of Housing   

·       TRA representative who were managing and running their TRA halls would be offered further fire safety awareness training provided by the British Safety Council in the autumn. This training would also be available for panel members to undertake.

·       Panel members would be asked to consider what other issues they would wished to see addressed as part of this programme.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

·       A plan was developed following the completion of an FRA which would review the issues raised and the level of priority attached. When an issue was identified as being severe/immediate, then a control change risk assessment would be done to make sure the correct changes and/or work were done as quickly as possible e.g. the work that was undertaken on the Cromer Estate in relation to balcony clearances and installation of alarms. Otherwise all issues identified would go through a prioritisation process which could lead to small or discreet issues being taken up by the Repairs Team to action, whilst an issue that was identified as needing design and programming would be picked up by the Capital Works Team to take forward and action.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Director of Property Management

The report suggests a possible work programme for future meetings of the panel.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

The meeting agreed to receive a report regarding the Social Housing Regulator’s (SHR) Consumer Standards for safety in the home. This report would be submitted to the June or October meeting’s depending on when the information from the regulator was available.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

New items in bold

June 2023 Panel Meeting

·       Proposals for resident information about safety in the home and in communal areas

·       Updating the Tenants Guide

·       SHR Consumer Standards (possible item)

October 2023

·       Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing – Regulations Update Report

·       Fire & Building Safety Charter Commitments – Annual Report to Residents

·       SHR Consumer Standards (possible item)

Jan 24

·       Annual panel report

April 24

·       LFB Annual Performance report

Yet to be Programmed

Fire Safety Delivery Progress Update

RESOLVED –

THAT the work programme and dates of meetings as outlined above be agreed.

There were none.