Helping residents evacuate safely in an emergency

No. Taking part is your choice. If you’re offered a Residential PEEP or a person centred fire risk assessment, you can decide if you want to go ahead.

Residential PEEPs are for residents who may find it difficult to evacuate safely in the event of a fire because of their health, mobility, hearing, sight, or another condition. Support may be needed on a temporary or long term basis.

A Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (Residential PEEP) is a personal plan, agreed with you, that sets out what you should do in the event of a fire and what support may be needed to help you evacuate safely.

A PCFRA is a conversation based assessment that looks at:

• How a fire might affect you personally
• Any difficulties you may have evacuating
• Practical and realistic ways to reduce risk and support evacuation.

It focuses on your individual circumstances, not just the building.

A PCFRA is usually part of the Residential PEEP process. It helps us understand your needs so that, if appropriate and with your consent, a Residential PEEP can be agreed.

Yes. Even if your building isn’t covered by the regulations, we can offer the same Residential PEEP process, including a PCFRA, where someone’s ability to evacuate safely is affected.

No. Requesting support will not affect your tenancy, lease, or ownership status.

In some cases, a person centred fire risk assessment may identify that a resident could benefit from accommodation with additional support. This can be discussed as an option, but moving home is always the resident’s choice and is subject to housing availability and local authority decisions.

Regardless of the outcome, we’ll continue to support you with appropriate fire safety advice and measures where you live.

We’ll only share information with your consent.

If a Residential PEEP is agreed, limited information may be shared with the Fire and Rescue Service so they know where support may be needed in an emergency.

Only essential information, such as:

• Your flat and floor number
• Whether support may be needed to evacuate.

Detailed personal or medical information is not shared.

Yes. Your circumstances may change, and your plan can be reviewed, updated, or withdrawn at any time.

That’s fine. Residential PEEPs and support can be temporary and adjusted as your situation changes.

You can still contact us. We’re happy to talk things through and help you decide whether a PCFRA or Residential PEEP would be useful.

Yes, in some circumstances.

If you request a Residential PEEP, we’ll always take your concerns seriously and consider your individual situation. However, a Residential PEEP or person centred fire risk assessment may not always be appropriate or required.

This may be because:

• You’re able to evacuate safely without additional support, or
• The fire risk can be managed through other reasonable measures, or
• The building or circumstances don’t require a Residential PEEP under current guidance.

Any decision will be based on your individual needs, not on building type alone, and we’ll explain the reasons clearly. You can also ask for the decision to be reviewed if your circumstances change.

No. We don’t charge for completing a Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (Residential PEEP) or for a person centred fire risk assessment.

Support Southern Housing is responsible for

Any support or measures that fall within our responsibilities are provided at no cost to residents.

All support options are recommendations only and will be discussed with you as part of the Residential PEEP process. Nothing will be put in place without your consent and agreement.

Southern Housing is responsible for meeting its legal fire safety duties. If a recommended support option isn’t something we’re legally responsible for or is something the resident is responsible for under their tenancy or lease, Southern Housing isn’t responsible for paying for or providing it.

Support provided by other organisations

In some circumstances, additional support or equipment may fall outside our responsibilities. Where this happens, we may direct you to your local authority or another appropriate organisation to explore what support or funding may be available.

Any support offered by a third party is:

• Entirely optional
• Subject to your consent
• Agreed directly between you and that organisation.

We won’t agree to costs or arrangements on your behalf.

Grant funding

We sometimes receive time limited government grant funding to support specific residents who meet a set criteria. This funding is only available in certain circumstances and for a limited period. If it applies to you, we’ll explain:

• What support may be available
• What is covered
• How long the funding lasts.

You’ll never be expected to accept support or agree to any costs without this being clearly explained and agreed by you first.    

As part of the Residential PEEP process, we may discuss a range of recommendations to help improve fire safety and support evacuation. Some of these may relate to things within your home that you’re responsible for under your tenancy or lease.

For example, if you’re a leaseholder or shared owner, you’re usually responsible for fixtures, fittings, and certain safety matters within your flat in line with your lease.

Where a recommendation falls under your responsibility:

• It will be explained clearly
• It will be advisory, not compulsory
• You’ll be asked for your consent and agreement before it’s recorded as part of your Residential PEEP.

We won’t require you to make changes inside your home as part of the Residential PEEP process, and choosing not to take up a recommendation won’t affect your tenancy or ownership.