Customer Engagement Strategy - Building Safety

This is the Customer Engagement Strategy for customers living in our high-rise buildings. The Building Safety Act 2022 defines high-rise buildings as either 18m+ in height or with seven storeys or more. YHG own 10 buildings of this type.

To ensure we offer the same engagement opportunities to all YHG’s taller buildings, we also include an additional three buildings which are six storeys in height, which this strategy also applies to. There is no difference to how customers are engaged in these buildings, but a Building Safety Case is not required. A full list of the 13 buildings can be found below.

Your Housing Group (YHG) place customers at the heart of everything we do, and the voice of the customer is very much part of our DNA. Service excellence is achieved by working with customers to co-design a robust customer offer that meets the diverse needs of all our residents. Effective customer engagement sits at the core of this.

This is the fourth review of the Customer Engagement strategy and is the evolution of the original ‘Your Voice on Customer Safety’ strategy developed and implemented in 2021.

This Customer Engagement strategy sets out how customers are:

• Involved in building safety decisions
• Informed about building safety decisions.

Building safety decisions are made by YHG, the Accountable Person (AP) and are about:

• The management of the building
• Management of building safety risks
• Any decision connected to the duties of an accountable person. 

N.B. A customer is anyone over 16 years of age who lives in or owns a residential unit.

High-rise blocks provide a unique way of life for our customers and while we are proud of the quality accommodation we provide; we also recognise that living in these properties brings an enhanced level of risk that doesn’t necessarily exist in other customers homes, such as houses.  We are therefore eager to adopt a robust engagement strategy that places customers at every level of our organisation, giving opportunity to enhance the safety of residents living in our properties and in turn provide the appropriate level of assurance.

Our Customer Engagement Strategy is overarching and applies to all high-rise buildings in the table above. However, an operational plan, specific to each individual building is listed on our High-Rise Living web pages.

The Building Safety Act 2022 and the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 have introduced extensive reforms and fundamental changes to current legislation. The building safety requirements within high rise living have increased significantly in recent years and so, in turn, has the need for customer engagement. Furthermore, both Acts require that Registered Providers (RPs), Accountable Persons (including Principal Accountable Persons) have a bespoke engagement strategy for customers living in these buildings. This should also be shared with other Accountable Persons.

YHG fully support this approach. We want to ensure all our residents feel safe and secure in their homes.

To ensure we comply with the requirements, YHG’s approach will be to build on the existing work of the previous strategies and refine our engagement structure in this area. 

The execution of the strategy will ensure the customer voice at YHG is heard loud and clear throughout the organisation. We will work in partnership with our customers to design, input, influence and monitor all aspects of the building safety agenda within high-rise buildings.

The strategy will also allow the customer voice within these buildings to influence other aspects of housing management relevant to them, but that may go beyond the building safety agenda.

The strategy will link into existing and future YHG workstreams that focus on the safety of our customers living in buildings such as these.  Other linked documents include:

• Customer & Community Strategy
• Customer Connect Framework
• Customer Engagement Policy
• Neighbourhood Management Policy
• Tenancy Management Policy
• Building Safety Strategy.

High-rise building definition

YHG define 13 of our buildings as “high-rise” due to them being either at least 18m tall or six floors high. 

Risk Prioritisation Matrix (RPM)

We utilise this system to help provide a greater understanding of our key buildings and the associated risks and a more holistic view of building safety.  The RPM works by identifying key risks, or areas where we need to engage with specialists and assigning a score for each risk and where works have been delivered to mitigate the risks or actions needed.

The RPM helps to inform this strategy to identify and include other buildings that we feel should be included in this framework in the future due to the level of complexity to buildings or others that fall within the remit of higher risk/priority. Engagement may also be triggered in one of these buildings should an issue or risk be identified that deems it appropriate. For example, if one of our buildings was not compliant with Consumer Regulation, then we will engage with that scheme using the principles set out in this framework and will be reviewed and agreed in Building and Fire Safety Core Group and Working Group meetings.

Strategic Objective

This framework aligns with the strategic direction and legislative changes of both the building and fire and housing management industries within our sector, e.g. The Fire Safety Act 2021, The Building Safety Act 2022, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 & Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and associated secondary legislation, as well as the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.  Furthermore, it links directly into the YHG Plan and what we’ll achieve:

• Passionate people
• Safe Buildings
• Safe environment
• Secure and Connected

Safety should always be the priority for YHG and this strategy cuts through all the above.  Engaging customers in our high-rise buildings, enhances the safety of our customers and anyone visiting these buildings including visitors, our colleagues, and contractors. The strategy provides reassurance to customers that it is safe to live in our buildings.  The strategy also has a direct link with our organisational values:

• Honest and Reliable
• Caring
• Respectful and Fair

All three values are at the core of effective engagement and co-designing services with residents.  This is demonstrable in the level of engagement we offer to customers living in high rise buildings.

Strategic aims

With regards to customers in high-rise buildings, this framework aims to:

• Facilitate the customer voice within high-rise building
• Enable customers to positively input into key decisions and influence all aspects of the resident safety for the blocks in which they live and across YHG
•  Increase the diversity of engaged customers at YHG
•  Deliver a customer voice that is geographically representational of our stock profile within high-rise buildings
•  Develop a culture of building safety across senior colleagues, enhancing their understanding of local issues relating to high-rise buildings
• Develop the culture of building safety throughout our neighbourhood teams to ensure all colleagues understand their responsibilities and that they also can openly discuss any safety concerns in the areas in which they work
•  Achieve compliance with the requirements of all legislation with regards to engaging customers in high rise buildings
• Increase communication with our customers living in high-rise buildings
• Empower local representation through tenants and residents’ associations
• Enable YHG to capture local issues through the understanding of the “Everyday Voice”
• To communicate to customers all building safety information relevant to where they live
• Tailor a bespoke engagement offer to all 13 high rise buildings. These plans will also include how we will communicate and consult on any significant programme of works within the building(s), related to safety or otherwise. A full toolkit will be developed which will enable colleagues to work with and ensure we are engaging with residents in advance of works commencing. This will be done within the first year of the strategy
• To engage with people when works, from a building safety decision, will be carried out and the purpose of the works, including the dates and times of works and how we propose to mitigate disruption whilst these works take place
• To directly engage with the people who live in our neighbourhoods and buildings, to listen to their ideas and concerns and effectively respond, to promote building safety
• To ensure customers interact with the right people who have the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours and are committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of building safety throughout YHG
•  Enable clarity to customers on how they can raise their concerns via Customer Safety Concern (CSC) reporting available to all customers who live in our 10 high-rise and three six storey buildings
• Increase support for customers in preparing for evacuation in our buildings by recording the levels of understanding and knowledge of the fire evacuation procedure for the building
• Provide a Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment for customers that make us aware they require additional support in place to keep them safe in their properties
• To implement a programme of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans Statements (PEEPS) for those customers that require assistance to evacuate 
•  Build trust and to promote greater ownership of building safety with our customers
• To seek assurance from customers that they fully understand how to evacuate safely from their buildings and the importance of fire doors
• To put in place the appropriate support for all customers living in high- rise buildings
• Provide localised building specific engagement plans.

Strategic plan

The strategy includes a robust customer engagement platform for all our customers who live in high-rise buildings. 

Since the introduction (and subsequent delivery) of the previous strategy, a Customer Engagement Structure was co-designed with customers. In the review and the development of this strategy, we have evolved the structure to make it more fit for purpose for our customers, ensuring a clear engagement offer. 

Customer Engagement structure: 

• Annual communication 
• CSP Assurance exercise
• High-Rise Forum
• Customer Safety Concern Reporting 
• Customer Services Committee
• Site Safety Walks
• Tailored engagement plan for each building
• Safety Guardians 
• Community Groups
• Connect visits and support for customers 

The strategy will be underpinned by a delivery plan beginning in November 2025 and will be reviewed annually by Customer Services Committee. We will build on previous successes and continue our progress across all the above engagement pathways. 

Through the operational layer of activity that can be seen above and relating to activity such as tailored engagement plans and community groups, there is a large focus on local decision making for customers.

Through our High-Rise Forum and Customer Connect and Customer Services Committee activity, there is opportunity being provided for more strategic decision making for customers such as policy and strategy approval.

The plan will be reviewed and monitored at all High-Rise Forum meetings and an annual update will be presented at the Customer Connect Panel.

The Customer Engagement Team will be responsible for holding all records on engagement activity, on behalf of the PAP.

Information provided for customers

YHG will provide customers with all relevant information regarding the safety of their buildings.  Customers who live in the 10 high-rise and three six storey buildings have access to the Building Information Request system, available via Your Home Hub. This includes the ability to request information on their building, which is facilitated by the Building Safety Team:

• Building Safety Case Reports
• Fire Risk Assessment findings for the building they live in
• Customer Engagement Strategy (including a building specific engagement plan)
• Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Policy
• Evacuation Strategy for the building
• Importance of fire doors
• General fire and building safety awareness
• Compliance information such as gas servicing information
• Updates to legislation.

YHG as the Accountable Person (AP), and in some buildings the Principal Accountable Person (PAP), will also provide the latest version of this strategy to each Accountable Person (AP) if present in our buildings and when necessary, consult customers and APs about the strategy and take their opinions into account.

We will also consider any additional requests from customers.

Each of our buildings has a communal noticeboard dedicated to Building Safety, where specific building safety information is contained. We will also provide on an annual basis (in line with the Fire Safety England Regulations 2022), a copy of the evacuation procedure for the building, information on the importance of fire doors, general fire safety information and an annual update on the progress of the engagement strategy.

YHG will specifically engage with customers in these buildings as and when planned or reactive works are required, that have an impact or potential impact on the safety of the building.  We will do this in line with the Code of Practice.

Customers living in high-rise buildings will be informed or consulted on any building safety issues. This includes but is not limited to:

• Any works linked directly to the safety of customers living in a particular high-rise building
• Any programmed or major works for that building
• Any works to the building following a mandatory occurrence
• All customer engagement activity
• All relevant information contained within the building safety noticeboard for that building.

In the event of a major occurrence, YHG may be required to carry out works and or activity immediately. Examples of this could be works to extinguish a fire and the evacuation of customers for their own health and safety. It may not be practical for YHG to consult with customers on these activities.

Any consultation or engagement activity will be co-ordinated via the locally tailored engagement plan for that building and we will set out how we will do this on a case-by-case basis.

Communication will be in line with the usual and relevant communication channels, which includes providing information in a range of languages, due to the diversity of our customer base.

Finally, in the event of a Mandatory Occurrence, customers will be engaged via personal letters and if the need arises, specifically held meetings either in person on site or virtually.  We will also review the strategy in the event of a mandatory occurrence.  

Consultation with customers

Consultation with customers will be done in line with the Group’s overarching Customer Engagement Policy.  However, we will specifically engage customers on all works undertaken from a building safety perspective. This includes letters, emails and where the need arises residents’ meetings. Examples of works of this type may be major works such as a new roof or replacement windows programme. However more operational examples may concern smaller (but no less important) building components, such as the replacement of fire doors.

We will also conduct an annual survey of customers in high rise through our Tenant Perception surveys and present results annually to the High-Rise Forum.

Above gives full detail of how we will consult and ask customers on a group level.  The localised plan can be found as an appendix to this report  gives detail on how this is delivered at each specific building our High-Rise Living web pages.

Measures of success

Success of the strategy will be measured by achieving the following:

• Provide assurance to Customer Services Committee and Customer Connect Panel on compliance with our resident safety requirements
• Engage YHG customers formally in building safety
• Increase customer engagement in high rise buildings
• Increase building safety focused communications to our customers
• Understand our satisfaction levels relating to safety by annually surveying customers within our high-rise buildings
• Increase customer satisfaction relating to resident safety
• Increase Tenants and Residents Associations (TARAs) within our high-rise buildings
• Increase information being made available to customers in high-rise buildings
• Deliver all engagement pathways within our high-rise buildings
• Implement a tailored, building specific engagement plan to each of our buildings
• Full compliance that customers understand the fire evacuation procedure in their buildings.

Risks

Resources and capacity

With the ever-increasing demands placed on colleagues working in operations, it will be challenging in some areas to deliver the requirements of this strategy. The control in place here will be to carefully consider how we plan activity and build into existing tasks for our operational colleagues. For example, site safety walks will be carried out annually and will link directly in to Connect Visits and other existing activity.

Customer engagement

We may not secure the buy-in of enough customers to make this work effectively and it is therefore important we review this approach, remain flexible and consider alternative ways of securing the buy-in of our residents.

We understand that we may need to support customers, for example by providing awareness sessions, to help ensure they have the capability to understand their responsibilities with confidence.

Changes in legislation and / or Regulation

Legislative and regulatory changes in this area have been frequent in recent years and in some cases demanding in terms of resources needed. It is important for YHG to keep abreast of these changes and constantly review business planning in line with any changes.

Value for money 

The framework will be delivered using YHG’s existing teams and structures. Whilst the Head of Compliance and Building Safety and the Head of Customer Voice and Insight, will assume responsibility for this strategy, operational delivery will be carried out by a range of teams across the business. 

Review

This strategy will be reviewed by YHG, the “Principal Accountable Person” (PAP) and will be required to follow the usual approval process, at least every two years.  The review will be led by the Head of Customer Voice & Insight and the Head of Building Safety & Compliance.

The Building Safety Act 2022 also requires a full review of the strategy if a “Mandatory Occurrence Report” is submitted to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and after the completion of significant material alterations to the building. 

N.B. - A mandatory occurrence is an event which may occur in one of our high-rise buildings which causes either a risk of structural failure or fire spread in a building which may affect a significant number of people.

N.B. – Significant material alteration means (although not limited to) the following:

• Changes to the height or width or the building
• Changes to the number of storeys (i.e. removal or addition of a storey)
• Changes to the number of residential units
• Changes made the external wall of a building
• Changes to the internal layout of the building.

The YHG (PAP) must record each review, whether they make changes to the strategy.

YHG feel a reasonable consultation period would be within four weeks. The minimum period required by the BSR is three weeks. 

YHG must consider any opinions received during the consultation and, if necessary, update the strategy. YHG does not have to reconsult if they make major changes to the strategy because of a consultation.

We are also required to develop a building specific Customer Engagement strategy in the event of YHG constructing a new high-rise building. There are currently no plans in our development programme for this to be the case.

Version	Date	Changes	Approver
1.0	November 2025	2-year strategy	Customer Services Committee