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01273 405800

Checks, visits and practical steps you can
take to reduce risks in your home

Safety checks and accessElectrical safetyFire safetySecurity and insurance
We carry out checks and inspections to help keep your home and building safe.

Use the links above to find information about appointments, electrical and fire safety, home security and insurance.

You are always welcome to speak to your Housing Officer if you are unsure about anything or need support.

Keeping your home and building safe

Safety checks and access

Southdown is legally required to carry out safety checks in the homes it manages. These checks help us identify problems and keep your home and building safe.

Depending on your home, we may need to inspect gas appliances, fixed electrical systems and equipment, fire alarms and water quality. We test the fixed electrical wiring in your home every five years.

We will write to you in advance with the appointment details. It is important that you allow our staff or contractors access to complete the check. Our staff and contractors carry identification showing their photograph and organisation.

If you cannot attend an appointment, contact the contractor or Property Services as soon as possible to rearrange it. Please give at least 24 hours’ notice where you can.

You can ask Property Services for information about the testing schedule or for a copy of an inspection record or certificate.

If you are going away

Please tell your Housing Officer if you plan to be away from your home for more than two weeks. In an emergency, we may need to enter your home without your permission.

Need to change an appointment?

Contact the contractor named in your appointment letter or contact
Property Services:

01273 898744

property.services@southdown.org

How you use appliances

Electrical safety

You can reduce the risk of an electrical fire or injury by checking how you use appliances, chargers and heaters.
  • Check cords, plugs and sockets for damage. Stop using damaged items.
  • Report a problem with an appliance supplied by Southdown, such as a fridge, to Property Services.
  • Do not leave phones, tablets or laptops charging overnight or when you are away from home.
  • Use the correct charger for each device and stop using damaged chargers or batteries.
  • Do not overload sockets. Plug high-powered appliances, such as washing machines, directly into a wall socket.
  • Keep anything that can burn away from portable heaters. Do not dry clothes on heaters, and unplug them when they are not in use.

Mobility scooters and e-scooters should not be charged inside your home. If this is absolutely necessary, speak to your Housing Officer so we can discuss your situation with our Health and Safety team.

Never leave a scooter where it could block an escape route.

Your fire safety plan

Fire safety

Read the Fire Action Notice displayed in your building and make sure you know what to do.

Fire arrangements can differ between buildings, so follow the information provided for your home.

Your fire safety plan

Where applicable, we review your Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment each year. In staffed buildings, staff will also review any Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan with you.

Tell your Housing Officer if your circumstances change, even temporarily, and this could affect how you would leave the building in an emergency. We may need to update your fire safety plan. You can also ask your local fire and rescue service for a free home fire safety visit.

Keep communal areas clear

Keep communal staircases and corridors clear. Prams, bicycles, mobility scooters, plant pots, mats, furniture and rubbish can block an escape route and help fire spread.

We may need to remove items left in these areas, but we will give notice so they can be stored elsewhere.

Before you go to bed

  • Close internal doors.
  • Turn off or unplug electrical items you do not need.
  • Check that the oven, hob, washing machine, tumble dryer and portable heaters are off.
  • Put out cigarettes, candles, incense and oil burners safely.

If there is a fire in your flat or bedroom:

Alert anyone else in your flat or room.
Leave the building immediately and close your front door behind you if it is safe to do so.
Stay outside.
Call 999 and ask for the Fire Service.
How you use appliances

Security and insurance

Southdown or the head landlord insures the structure of your home.

This insurance does not cover your belongings. We strongly recommend that you arrange your own contents insurance. Speak to your Housing Officer if you would like help finding suitable insurance.

Keep your home secure

  • Lock doors and windows when you leave, even if you will only be away for a few minutes.
  • Do not leave cash or valuables where they can be seen.
  • Do not hide a key outside your home.
  • Do not let someone you do not know into your home or shared building.
  • Use a door chain, spy hole or intercom if you have one, and ask unknown callers for identification.
  • Southdown staff and contractors carry identification showing their photograph and organisation.