By
Halls
Posted 1 week ago
Wed 13 Nov, 2024 04:11 PM
The Resident Engagement Strategy set out on this page is for students residing in LSE owned and managed accommodation.
Building Safety Act
The Building Safety Act is recently implemented legislation in England and Wales, which plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of buildings – particularly high rise residential buildings. In line with the new law, we are required to keep documentation of how buildings are designed, built, maintained and changed.
A key part of the new legislation is the establishment of a Resident Engagement Strategy. This strategy sets out our communications strategy and how we will communicate with you about building safety decisions, how we will collect and use your opinions, and how we will measure and review participation in these building safety decisions.
This strategy is for LSE students residing in accommodation that is managed by LSE.
Our Resident Engagement Strategy for Student Accommodation
Your safety is our top priority and we’re committed to keeping you informed about our safety protocols. We outline here how we communicate any unforeseen circumstances, which encompasses fire safety, electrical safety, structural safety, and security measures.
We have three main goals:
- To engage
- To inform
- To empower
Engage
Whether online or in person, you will always have access to safety information about your hall.
We will engage you through our Halls Life website and various digital platforms, including hall digital noticeboards, email and local hall WhatsApp groups, ensuring that information is readily available and easily accessible.
If you want to reach out in person, your Hall Reception Team, Operations Manager or Warden Team are available.
We will promptly notify you through our digital channels and noticeboards about any safety-related issues in your building. We will make sure these are clear, what they mean for you and what steps we are taking to sort things out.
We value your input and will actively seek your involvement in shaping our strategies.
We conduct student satisfaction surveys throughout the year, which we encourage you to participate in.
Inform
We will keep you informed about matters concerning the safety of your home. Throughout the year, safety checks occur in your hall. This involves routine maintenance, like fire door checks and emergency light testing. Occasionally, for short periods, we may require access to your room. You will be notified in advance if this is required.
To ensure our safety messages remain meaningful, we will only notify you about safety work that directly affects you.
Unless it is an emergency, we will notify you in a timely manner.
If you have any questions about safety measures, then please speak to the reception team.
We will inform you directly and in advance:
- When works are required in your room
- If works in the hall are likely to be disruptive (eg. in your kitchen or corridor, or window cleaning)
We will notify you in advance via our website where larger, longer-term disruptive projects are required. We will always plan to mitigate disruption. Such measures may include:
- Scheduling larger projects during holidays
- Avoidance of noisy works during exam periods.
Empower
We will provide you with all the necessary information to keep yourself safe in halls, including the pre-arrival online induction accessible via your LSE accommodation account. Additionally, there are channels available for addressing any questions or concerns you may have regarding hall safety. This includes:
- In person or via email to your Hall Reception Team, Operations Manager, or Warden Team
- Online via our Fault Reporting Form
In the first instance, you should contact your reception desk or Operations Manager with your questions or concerns about your building's safety.
You will find contact details for your halls in your hall reception or can raise a request via the Fault Reporting Form.
Should you be dissatisfied with the way in which your concern has been dealt with, you can submit a complaint via our complaints procedure.
We will review this strategy every year, taking your comments and feedback into consideration. Make sure your voice is heard by participating in our student satisfaction surveys throughout the year.
Your information will be collected and stored in line with the measures set out in LSE's Data Protection Statement.
Responsibilities
We all have a part to play in keeping our halls safe. Below, you will see what we all need to do to keep things secure.
- Promptly notify you of any issues detected regarding a property's structure, electrical components, or safety systems.
- Outline the measures taken to ensure your safety during the repair process.
- We will provide you with information on fire safety and prevention.
- We will conduct regular assessments of fire risk.
- We will regularly test and assess our safety systems, including smoke detectors, fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors, and evacuation routes.
- Mitigate risks during the maintenance of safety systems.
- Perform regular patrols to ensure escape routes are kept clear and hazardous items in communal areas are promptly removed.
- Clear emergency exit routes will be clearly identified, and an evacuation plan will be clearly communicated.
- Complete the online induction in your LSE accommodation account, which includes key safety guidance.
- Read safety materials about your halls.
- Attend welcome talks from wardens.
- Understand the evacuation procedures and ensure your guests know the protocols.
- Keep all fire doors shut.
- Do not tamper with any safety equipment.
- Use appliances appropriately and as intended.
- Report any faults or concerns with facilities in your room or hall.
- Tell your halls reception team about any safety concerns you have.
