Stafford and Rural Homes

July 14, 2008

Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) is championing the importance of health and safety, for both its customers and staff.

The association, which owns and manages some 5,500 homes in Staffordshire has formed a partnership with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to help prevent fires in the homes of vulnerable customers.

Under the new partnership, officers from SARH who have direct contact with customers in their homes, are being trained by the fire and rescue service to identify people whose health or lifestyle puts them at a higher than normal risk of being in a fire.

Vulnerable groups include people using chip pans or with poor safety skills in the kitchen as well as those with mobility problems, alcohol problems or a poor sense of smell.

Karen Armitage, Chief Executive of SARH, said: “This isn’t about prying into people’s lifestyles and telling them what they should and shouldn’t do. It’s simply about raising awareness of how easily a fire can start in the home and giving practical advice where it might help prevent a tragedy.

“Our staff are very well placed to support the Fire and Rescue Service’s work to prevent such accidents because they often have to visit customers in their homes. In many cases, they are often on first name terms with each other and I like to think customers trust our staff to give them good advice.”
The work to date has involved the fire service training forty five of SARH’s technical staff in hazard recognition. This enables them to identify and refer people who may be ‘at risk’ to the fire service who then, with the owners permission, attend the premises and carry out any necessary work such as providing smoke detectors, electrical devices or information and advice.
In the first week of the partnership 30 homes have been referred to the fire service and visits carried out. Initial feedback from the families is that they appreciate the work done and the proactive approach taken by their landlords towards ensuring their safety.
Tim Hyde, Local Area Commander for SFRS said “We are extremely grateful to everyone at Stafford and Rural Homes, particularly Clive Gill, the association’s Health and Safety Officer, for the work they are doing to assist us in making the communities of Stafford Borough safer.
“This is just one part of our ongoing “More than” campaign to carry out home fire risk checks in all homes in Staffordshire. I would urge anyone who thinks they or someone they know may be at risk to use to use our free number 0800 0241 999 to request a visit. All visits, including the equipment provided, are free.”
And it’s not just customers that SARH is committed to keeping safe. The association, which employs 173 staff, has just received a Silver Award from the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) for its commitment to health and safety in the workplace.

Karen Armitage added: “We were really pleased to receive this recognition from ROSPA for the work we’ve done on occupational health and safety. We are determined to keep pushing forward to make Stafford and Rural Homes a safer place in which live and work.”