Listen to high-rise residents

Accessible, mixed communications

Residents feel safer when they can reach out to building owners or managers simply and straightforwardly whenever they need to.

Make it easy for residents to:

• request information,
• respond to a consultation, raise concerns and
• escalate complaints

When is this relevant?

• for residents who wish to request and access building and safety information from Accountable Persons (APs)
• for residents who wish to respond to a consultation or raise concerns and complaints to APs

Key principles

1. Ensure residents can reach you

Residents need to be able to get in touch with you in ways that suit them.

Create flexible, multi-channel processes that allow residents to reach you via
email, phone, face-to-face and online.

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2. Provide a visible, easy-to-navigate complaints process

Residents need the complaints process to be transparent and clearly set out.

Provide step-by-step details of:

• how a complaint will be handled
• the timescales involved
• a named contact for residents to check the status of their complaint

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3. Tailor responses to resident needs

Residents frequently feel their complaints are neither heard nor taken seriously.

Keep residents informed of the progress of their complaint via their preferred communications channel.

Also provide opportunities to discuss steps to help to resolve issues both individually and as a group of residents.

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4. Clarify your role

Residents do not always understand who is responsible for the safety of their building.

Make clear:

• what your role and responsibilities are for building safety
• your commitment to residents
• when residents should engage with BSR to escalate concerns

Use onsite staff like concierges or caretakers to help residents understand what the information means to them.

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Further considerations

• Check-in with residents during the design of the complaints process and request feedback once up and running to make continual improvements
• Design a non-discriminatory complaints process that offers alternative ways to raise and investigate complaints for example:
  • accepting anonymous complaints from residents
  • allowing complaints to be made collectively with other residents
  • carrying out spot checks on buildings
• Help build and maintain trust in your organisation by working together with residents to resolve issues and demonstrating you are transparent and responsive

Other principles of engagement

• Understand who lives in each building
• Engage via multiple channels
• Communication information effectively
• Be inclusive of everyone

Other useful information

• Safety in high-rise residential buildings: accountable persons 
• Preparing a resident engagement strategy
• Keeping information about a higher-risk building: the golden thread
• High-rise residential building information accountable persons must provide
• Building safety guides for accountable persons
• BSR to introduce more proportionate and targeted approach for higher-risk building assessments