|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Emma Gilbert |
|
Officer job title |
Tenancy Services Operations Manager |
|
Contact Details |
Emma.gilbert@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
The Council needs to monitor the effectiveness and safety of the work done by the 24-hour fire safety patrols.
|
|
Background |
While fire safety concerns are being sorted out at Livingstone House, there is a 24-hour fire safety patrol. During the night, Fire Officers have been sleeping in the lobby, which has caused concern to residents a) about how effectively the fire patrol is working and b) residents, especially women, feel uncomfortable and unsafe when there are people sleeping in the lobby. A private company may be contracted to do the fire safety patrols, but it is down to the Council to ensure that this is safely and appropriately carried out.
|
|
Request or Question |
Ask at Area Panel: a) How does the Council monitor the work of the fire safety officers? b) What assurance can they give to residents that this is being done safely and appropriately?
|
|
Response |
|
I am sorry that residents have been made to feel unsafe as a result of guards being asleep in the lobby. This is not acceptable, and we would ask residents to continue to report any issues with the guards to Housing Customer services on 01273 293030 or email housing.customerservice@brighton-hove.gov.uk at the earliest opportunity so we can take action to address the issue asap.
The security guards are providing a 24 hour “waking watch” service as an additional interim fire safety measure. Their role is to walk each floor, internal common ways and external areas hourly, to raise the alert and let residents know of the need to evacuate if there is a fire, and to inform the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. These two blocks have a guard each and one supervisor to ensure that each block always has cover for comfort breaks and lunch cover.
Each of the guards they provide for the waking watch duties are Security Industry Authority (SIA) licenced. To become licenced, the individual must complete a government approved training course as well as pass rigorous checks whilst applying for the licence.
In terms of assurance, the BHCC Housing Health and Safety Manager makes regular visits to the blocks to make sure the guards are in attendance, and they know what they are doing. The ESFRS could also undertake a spot check at any time.
The guards also report any issues to us and keep a log with their control room showing that they are doing the walks of the blocks. Each time the guard walks the block and reaches the top they scan their fobs to confirm this area has been walked, these reports are then sent to the council to confirm the watch is taking place.
Housing staff will escalate up any concerns immediately with the Security Company management, who take immediate action to remedy any issues/concerns we have raised.
Both the Housing Health and Safety Manager and the Tenancy Services Operations Manager and other officers, regularly liaise with the security company’s Senior Management team and Control room to ensure good communication and performance management.
Any concerns raised by a tenant are investigated and also raised with the manager of the company who then takes relevant action with his employees.
|
|
Action |
Ongoing contract and performance monitoring of the Waking Watch service in place at Conway Court and Livingstone House.
|
|
Start date |
March 2025 |
|
End date |
Duration of Waking watch requirement in the blocks. |
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Chloe Mclaughlin |
|
Officer job title |
Housing Estates Service Manager |
|
Contact Details |
Chloe.mclaughlin@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
Work needs to be done on Clarendon & Ellen estate to clean up the area. It has deteriorated so much over the years that it now looks like a sink estate.
|
|
Background |
There is ongoing concern from residents about the way the estate has deteriorated over the years. The grounds are neglected, with dog mess, overgrown bushes, rampant weeds, graffiti, decaying murals. This creates a cycle where people cease to have any pride in the area they live in, making them less likely to look after the area. These concerns were raised at the last Area Panel, and it was asked what regular maintenance there was on the estate grounds. Residents do not think they are getting the amount of work done at Clarendon & Ellen that was specified in the reply. Residents pay for this work, from rents or leaseholder charges, and are not getting value for money.
|
|
Request or Question |
a) Does the Council recognise the extent of the problem at Clarendon & Ellen? b) What action are they taking to improve this? c) How are they consulting and engaging with residents about this?
|
|
Response |
|
We want our housing estates to be places that residents feel proud to call home, and we're committed to making that a reality. We apologise for the delays and inconsistencies in grounds maintenance. We understand the impact this has had, and we’re taking action. A review of the Grounds Maintenance schedule is currently underway, and the Estates Service Team manager has requested a copy of the schedule for the Clarendon estate to share with residents. While this review is ongoing, the Estates Service Team will carry out a walkabout to identify areas that can be improved with the help of the Hard Surfaces Team. We’d love for residents to join us once a date has been set—your ideas and insights are invaluable in shaping the improvements we make. Looking ahead, we’re pleased to introduce eight new Neighbourhood Officers, working across different areas of the city. They’ll be visible around the estates and available to discuss any concerns, improvements, or issues. Your voice matters, and we’re here to listen and take action. |
|
Action |
· Arrange an Estate Walkabout to identify areas that the Hard Surface Team can address to start making improvements to the area. · Obtain the Grounds Maintenance schedule for Clarendon estate and share with residents.
|
|
Start date |
June 2025 |
|
End date |
Ongoing works |
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
James Pauley |
|
Officer job title |
Project Manager Electrical |
|
Contact Details |
james.pauley@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
Communal LED lighting should be set to go off at certain hours and not be on 24/7.
|
|
Background |
Communal lighting at Livingstone House is on 24 hours a day. This is not environmentally friendly or cost effective. Residents are frustrated by rising bills alongside unnecessary use of lighting.
|
|
Request or Question |
a) Is it policy to have lighting on 24/7, or is this down to faulty lighting and an ineffective repairs service? b) Can the Council ensure lighting is switched off at certain hours so there are good environmental impacts and low costs?
|
|
Response |
|
The lighting at Livingstone House is not on 24 hours. Each light has an internal motion sensor, so should not operate until movement is detected nearby. Also, each light has an internal photocell (daylight sensor) which means the light should not operate in daylight. However, some areas are darker than others, for example in the stairwells, so the photocells may consider these areas dark even during the day and illuminate when movement is sensed nearby.
These are also energy efficient LED lights which use much less power than the old fluorescent type lighting.
For extra background: these lights also operate as Emergency lighting (with battery backup), they cannot be put onto a timer as this would prevent the backup batteries from charging while the timer is off. |
|
Action |
A check that these lights are operating correctly will be made this week. |
|
Start date |
30/04/2025 |
|
End date |
07/05/2025 |
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Jane Moseley |
|
Officer job title |
Planning Manager |
|
Contact Details |
jane.mosely@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
There are big plans for re-development around Hove Station. There is concern about the lack of communication, consultation and information given to Council residents directly affected by these plans. |
|
Background |
Hove Station Forum are the organisation leading this development and information on the plans can be found on their website hovestationforum.co.uk. There has been an online survey and consultation, but a lot of residents were not aware of this, and the specific implications for individual blocks and communal spaces were not highlighted. This means Council residents’ opportunity to have a say has been very limited.
Residents
have been told the plans have now been approved and will be going
ahead. |
|
Request or Question |
a) Is this development now going ahead? b) Who makes the decision about the development? Does it go to full Council? c) Will there be any further consultation on these plans? d) Will there be an opportunity for changes to be made following further consultation with Council residents affected by the plans? e) Is the development on Housing land? f) What are the next stages in this development, and how will residents be kept informed? |
|
Response |
|
Is this development now going ahead? The development set out in the Hove Station Neighbourhood Plan, prepared by the Hove Station Forum, still needs to be approved through planning applications before it can go ahead. The Neighbourhood Plan allocates areas as being suitable for development but planning permission is still required before anything can go ahead – so a developer will have to prepare detailed plans which will go through the planning application process. Who makes the decision about the development? Does it go to full Council? Decisions on major planning applications are usually made by the Planning Committee, unless there is so little opposition (fewer than 10 objections for the approval of major applications) that they agree officers can sign off the decision. Will there be any further consultation on these plans? If a planning application is submitted, the Council (planning department) will carry out publicity, but we will also strongly encourage the applicant to undertake community engagement before submitting. Will there be an opportunity for changes to be made following further consultation with Council residents affected by the plans? For major applications in particular we would expect a developer to have pre-application discussions with the Council and with the local community so both can help shape the scheme. Once the application is in and consultation responses are received, we may also recommend changes to the scheme in response to the issues raised. Is the development on Housing land? The land at Sackville Road on which the JV scheme will be delivered has been purchased by the Joint Venture (Homes for Brighton and Hove) from Moda. It is not currently, nor has it been BHCC Housing Land.
What are the next stages in this development, and how will residents be kept informed? The next stages are for a developer to decide to submit a planning application, ideally after having carried out pre-application discussions with the Council planning department, specialist consultees such as Highways, and the local community. Equally, a developer may not come forward, particularly if they decide redevelopment would not be viable. However, they are allocated which gives strong planning support for their redevelopment in the future.
|
|
Action |
N/A
|
|
Start date |
|
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Sam Crick |
|
Officer job title |
Housing Repairs and Maintenance Operations Manager |
|
Contact Details |
sam.crick@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
The water pressure is very low at both Conway Court and Livingstone House.
|
|
Background |
This was raised at a previous Area Panel and residents were told that it was Southern Water’s responsibility and that the Council are in the planning stages of replacing the rising water main pipes within all the blocks at the Clarendon Estate. Conway Court residents did a door-knocking survey with Community Engagement officers to find out the extent of the problem at Conway Court. 95% of residents they talked to said that low water pressure was a problem in their flat. Residents have been in contact with Southern Water, who have tried, unsuccessfully, to increase the pressure. Southern Water also say it is to do with the age of the blocks and the need for new pumps and that this is not their responsibility. Residents realise this isn’t a problem that is quickly or easily resolved, but the water pressure does need to be improved. They are asking for more communication and involvement in the process. For example, when is work likely to be done to modernise the water system in the blocks? What can be done to improve things in the interim? Who is responsible for this? |
|
Request or Question |
Residents would like a meeting with Southern Water and the Council to properly inform people about the cause of the problem, what steps are being taken to rectify this and when this is expected to happen.
|
|
Response |
|
The drop in water pressure is due to additional development in the area of the Clarendon Estate in Hove. Since the supplies to these new properties were turned on, we have been experiencing multiple reports of poor water pressure from residents in our blocks.
It appears that at some point in 2024, Southern Water did increase the pressure to the area which improved this but subsequently this has dropped off again, presumably to additional new builds being fed off the same supply.
The service has tried to engage with Southern Water to request that the pressure be increased again to take into account the increased demand but to date, this request has remained unanswered. It seems that Southern Water are working on the assumption that we have to replace or upgrade the pumps serving our blocks but the fact is that these supplies are mains pressure fed currently without additional pumps to boost the supply. Works to upgrade supplies to these blocks are extremely costly, disruptive and lengthy.
The service is currently working on the project to replace the water main that is in worst condition (Clarendon House) and this is scheduled to be completed under 2025/26 budgets. Once this project is completed and we have learned a bit more about the specific challenges, solutions and costs, the plan is to move on with replacement of water mains at other blocks which hopefully will be at a rate of two per year (budget dependent). |
|
Action |
As above.
|
|
Start date |
|
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
2 star/ Local area issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Robert Keelan |
|
Officer job title |
Housing Manager |
|
Contact Details |
Robert.keelan@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
A resident is throwing dirty nappies and used sanitary pads out of their flat on to the roof of the clinic.
|
|
Background |
Nappies and pads are building up on the roof of the clinic. The door to the roof is locked and no one can access it to clear them up. They have also been told it is not safe to go out on the roof. It is not clear which flat the waste is coming from. The Community Engagement Officer has been to Conway Court and seen the problem. A letter has been sent to every flat saying rubbish should not be thrown out of the windows. This has not stopped it happening, and it will only get worse as it gets warmer, attracting flies and vermin. The resident whose windows open closest to the clinic roof is reaching the situation where they can’t open their windows because of the smell. It isn’t acceptable for this health hazard to just be left and for no one to take responsibility for ensuring the site is cleared of waste.
|
|
Request or Question |
a) ask the Council to take immediate action to dispose of the current waste, and to remove any future waste, while seeking a solution to the cause of the problem. b) Residents to be kept informed of what action is being taken.
|
|
Response |
|
We are sorry that this situation continues following our letter to the residents of Conway Court. It would be helpful to us if we had information on who is doing this so that we can set standards and give a tenancy warnings to the individual concerned. In the interim our Estates team will visit the site to ascertain whether we can remove the waste from the clinic roof.
In the week commencing 12 May 2025, Housing Officers are visiting all tenants of Conway Court about fire safety and will take the opportunity to discuss rubbish from windows with all tenants in a further attempt to resolve the problem.
The Housing Estates team will be checking the roof, and will remove any discarded rubbish. |
|
Action |
Monitor |
|
Start date |
Ongoing |
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Janet Dowdell |
|
Officer job title |
Housing Operations Manager |
|
Contact Details |
janet.dowdell@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
Estate Inspections should be an integrated, regular bit of work with Residents’ Associations. There should be clear procedures on how to organise these and a commitment from the Council to work with residents in this way.
|
|
Background |
When Estate Inspections take place, residents find them really helpful – for example the recent inspection at Knoll. They are an effective way of tackling a range of local issues and improving communication with residents. They give Residents’ Associations a focus and a boost, as they improve communication and help to get results. It’s important that the officers involved in these inspections then have the necessary authority to make sure agreed work is carried out. There isn’t any programme of Estate Inspections, or a clear way for Associations, or informal groups of residents, to organise one. They are happening unevenly across the city. |
|
Request or Question |
a) Ask the Council to recognise the value of Estate Inspections and commit to providing these. b) Provide clear information and guidelines to Resident Associations and informal groups of residents on how to organise an Estate Inspection. |
|
Response |
|
We recognise the value of estates inspections and are very keen to restart them. We have continued to respond to individual requests for an estate inspection/walkabout and can be quite responsive when approached by tenant representatives and Councillors. This has been ad hoc pending our recruitment to our new Neighbourhood Officer posts.
I am pleased to report our new recruits will be joining the team through May and June. We will introduce the new Neighbourhood Officers to Area Panels soon and they will be spending some time getting to know the areas and estates initially. We will come back to panels with information on the launch of our planned programme of inspections as soon as we are able to. |
|
Action |
Notify residents when the schedule of estate inspections is agreed.
|
|
Start date |
ongoing |
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
West |
|
Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
|
Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Robert Keelan |
|
Officer job title |
Housing Manager |
|
Contact Details |
robert.keelan@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
The Council need to take firmer action when Council tenants and residents allow their dogs to foul on Housing land.
|
|
Background |
There is an ever-increasing dog population, and many owners do not take responsibility for clearing up after their dogs. This is making the communal areas around blocks and on estates increasingly unpleasant and unsafe.
It
is difficult to get hold of the Dog Warden, and what they can do is
very limited.
|
|
Request or Question |
a) Do Council tenants have to apply for permission to keep a dog? b) What action is taken if Council residents have dogs without permission? c) What actions can the Council propose to help reduce the growing problem of dog-fouling on Housing land?
|
|
Response |
|
The council is a pet-friendly landlord and we recognise that pet ownership can enhance wellbeing for the resident concerned.
Tenants should request permission for a pet and in the case of a dog, permission would not usually be withheld unless they have history of poor pet ownership or have other pets in the household that combine to give us concern.
Where we can evidence dog fouling, a Community Protection Notice (CPN) can be issued for irresponsible dog fouling that causes a nuisance. A CPN is a statutory notice that requires an individual to take action to stop anti-social behaviour. The notice will require the owner to pick up dog waste with an evidenced breach leading to a fine of £75
Should the owner of the dog continue to breach and allow dog fouling then we could issue further fines of £75. The council can consider revoking permission to keep a pet. This is more challenging as our response needs to be proportionate and as an example, the Renters Rights bill encourages landlords to be more pet friendly. Should we need to enforce further, we could look at an injunction to stop dog waste being left with a breach of an injunction leading to an escalation of tenancy enforcement.
The council also works with Residents’ Associations across the City and we would hope that residents are able to be part of the solution when their neighbours are being disrespectful to their environment. We can assist with Community Engagement Officers and/or Neighbourhood Officers targeting an area of concern so please contact the Housing Team if you would like us to do this.
|
|
Action |
Residents to let us know if there are areas of concern.
|
|
Start date |
Ongoing |
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
Central |
|
Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
|
Date question raised |
3rd April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Benjamin Tedder |
|
Officer job title |
Parking and Garages Manager |
|
Contact Details |
benjamin.tedder@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
a) Notice is not given to residents if heavy vehicles, containers and lorries will be using the carpark the next day, so cars get hemmed in and damaged. b) Residents’ long-term access to their carpark space and access to their building, can be severely restricted by contractors vehicles. Sometimes this is because there is major work going on in their block but can also be a result of a lot of building work in the surrounding area.
|
|
Background |
a) Essex Place residents are finding their cars blocked in by heavy vehicles, and in some cases vehicles have been damaged. Residents are not able to move their cars in advance, because there has not been any notice of this. There is also discontent that, despite paying for a residents’ parking space, residents have to pay for on-street parking in order to give Council contractors access. b) Theobald House carpark has a consistent problem with massive vans taking up all of the space. The three visitors’ bays are always occupied by contractors. Public safety is not taken into account - parking obstructions make getting in to the block difficult for people with disabilities and the elderly. Blocking of visitors’ spaces prevents visits from carers, nurses, family and friends. This is all an additional pressure on people who are just trying to manage their lives, adding to stress. Sometimes this can spill over into anger and abuse towards the contractors, which makes their lives more difficult as well.
|
|
Request or Question |
a) Notice of at least a week should be given to residents when the car park will be used by contractors. This can be by text, phone, email. b) The council needs to make alternative arrangements for the parking of heavy vehicles and equipment while major works are going on, to ensure the safety of their residents. The cost and inconvenience should be borne by the contractors and the council, not the residents.
|
|
Response |
|
Planned Major Works affecting Housing car parks The Housing Customer Services team contact car parking licensees to advise them in advance of any planned major works to Housing properties that will affect their spaces. At times, it may be necessary to site equipment or containers within Housing car parking areas or for heavy vehicles to enter the car parks so that contractors can carry out their tasks safely and effectively. Where needed, the team will offer alternative parking spaces for affected licensees to use for the duration of any planned works, in the same car park wherever possible or the nearest one with available spaces, as part of their standard procedures. The team contact affected licensees by phone, letter, email and by text to advise them and make alternative parking arrangements where needed, seeking to provide the maximum amount of notice possible. If visitor bays must be set aside specifically for major works, the team advise the affected residents of this in advance. The notice given for planned major works typically exceeds two weeks at a minimum but please note that if any urgent issues arise, the team may need to act more quickly. Responsive repairs and maintenance to Housing properties There are limited spaces available within Housing car parks and the majority do not contain visitor bays but where these are in place, they can be used by residents’ visitors or by authorised contractors who are visiting the site to carry out essential repairs or maintenance to Housing properties. If visitor bays are often found to be in use, residents can obtain permits for their visitors to park in on-street areas as an alternative via the council’s website at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/parking . The website also contains full details of how professional carers and unpaid carers can apply for permits to park in on-street areas, while they are visiting residents to provide care. The Housing Repairs and Estates Services teams can also park in visitor bays where available or in common areas of the car park if needed, in order to carry out responsive repairs or maintenance to Housing properties in a timely manner but should not cause an obstruction to other car park users or to residents accessing the blocks. Responsive repairs and maintenance are carried out as needed to Housing properties across the city and it is not possible to give advance notice to residents before every contractor visits site but any vehicles causing an obstruction to car parking licensees or pedestrian access to the blocks can be reported to the Housing Customer Services Team at housing.customerservices@brighton-hove.gov.uk or on 01273 293030 so they can take appropriate action. |
|
Action |
No further action.
|
|
Start date |
|
|
End date |
|
|
Area in city |
Central |
|
Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
|
Date question raised |
3rd April 2025 |
|
Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
|
Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
|
Name of officer responding |
Emma Gilbert |
|
Officer job title |
Tenancy Services Operations Manager |
|
Contact Details |
emma.gilbert@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
|
Issue |
Help and support is needed for both residents suffering from serious mental health issues and those living alongside people with disruptive and sometimes violent behaviour. |
|
Background |
A growing number of residents are struggling with poor mental health. People in this situation desperately need help and support which isn’t always available or easy to access. Theobald House has experienced some frightening and violent behaviour from residents, including criminal damage to property. People have been scared for themselves as well as concerned about the well-being of the perpetrator. There appears to be very little support for people with serious mental health issues, with various different agencies not seeming to take any responsibility. There is also little support for residents trying to live their lives safely and peacefully. It is not a straightforward or easy process to report issues, responses can be slow, residents feel left on their own and that the physical danger they are in is not addressed. Residents’ Association officers can be under particular pressure from other residents to resolve issues while there is very little they can do. |
|
Request or Question |
It was recognised that this is a complex situation, but it was felt that more could be done to support residents who struggling with their mental health, as well as those living alongside individuals with disturbed, aggressive and violent behaviour. · Can the Community Engagement Team help by bringing residents together, think through solutions and give us more support and control in this situation? |
|
Response |
|
What support can the Council offer residents suffering from mental health issues?
Mental health support services in the city are provided by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, (SPFT) including emergency/crisis response services. A wide range of information can be found on the website www.sussespartnership.nhs.uk/your-mental-health. I have also included relevant information from their website in the section below, for ease of reference.
Housing and ASC work closely with partner agencies including the Police and MH services at an individual case level, including case management of ASB. Our approach will always be to balance support with enforcement in these cases. Mental Health is a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010 and as such needs to be fully considered in any action we take to address anti-social behaviour to ensure it is reasonable and proportionate.
Who can you call out of hours if there is a mental health emergency? The police will not always respond if the problem is to do with mental health.
Please see the guidance from the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on who to contact in a MH emergency/crisis:
Urgent support for adults in a crisis For immediate help: If your life - or someone else's life - is in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to A&E. For same or next day help: · Call 111 and select the mental health option - also known as the Sussex Mental Healthline (available 24/7).
Who can call NHS 111 and select the mental health option? The service is free and available to everyone who is concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative, friend, or someone they care for. The service also supports children and young people. NHS 111 'select mental health option' is one of a range of services available in Sussex to support people with their mental health. If you require support with physical health symptoms or have a query about medication, please call 111 and press 1. If your life, or someone else's life, is in immediate danger, please call 999.
Alert Warning During busy periods, you may need to wait for someone to answer your call. If you would prefer not to wait, you could use our free crisis support text messaging service instead. Text the word SUSSEX to 85258 for a confidential text-based conversation with a trained volunteer.
What to do if you are hearing or speech impaired · If you’re deaf or have hearing loss, please use the following link to be connected to local crisis service: To connect with a BSL interpreter, please visit SignVideo - https://signvideo.co.uk/nhs111/. The interpreter will contact Sussex Mental Healthline on your behalf. · To use Text Relay, please call 0300 5000 101.
What do to if you need a language interpreter If your first language is not English, we can arrange a telephone interpreter for other community languages. Please ask someone to call NHS 111 'select mental health option' on your behalf to let us know the language needed.
· If you feel you are not able to keep yourself safe, but do not need immediate medical assistance, you should call the Mental Health Rapid Response Service (MHRRS) on 0300 304 0078 (available: Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, weekends and bank holidays 10am-10pm). MHRRS is able to offer immediate support, as well as refer on for further support from other mental health teams where needed. Patients, health professionals, and carers can also ring for advice. · Call the Samaritans on 116 123, or visit www.samaritans.org (for anyone distressed, thinking of suicide or in crisis). · If you would prefer support via text you can do so by texting SUSSEX to 85258. · Visit the Staying Well Service (weekdays: 5pm-10:30pm, weekends: 3pm-10:30pm) at The Wellbeing Hub in Preston Park, 18 Preston Park Avenue, Brighton, BN1 6HL. They can be contacted on 0800 023 6475 or stayingwell.brighton@southdown.org. Information on other support services can be found at https://www.mindcharity.co.uk/crisis-services/. · For more advice on coping with suicidal thoughts, please visit the following sites · NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/suicide/ · Mind: http://www.mind.org.uk
Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service https://www.brightonandhovewellbeing.org/ · The Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service is a free, confidential NHS service for adults and children and young people with a postcode beginning BN1, BN2, BN3 or BN41. · If you're feeling sad, anxious, stressed or low in mood we can help you get the support you need. You're not alone, and we're here to help. · Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service is delivered in partnership by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust ,YMCA DownsLink Group and Southdown · We offer a variety of support and NICE compliant psychological therapies. The services that we provide are delivered by a number of teams who work alongside one another to ensure that you receive the care and support that you need at every stage of your journey. · When we receive your referral and talk to you about your needs, we will discuss which part of the service is best suited to you.
Advice and information · If you are worried about yours or someone else’s mental health or would like information about how mental health services work in the city, please visit Mind’s Advice and Information Service - https://www.mindcharity.co.uk/advice-information/.
· Contact us
0300 002
0060 (local
rate)
Can the Community Engagement Team help by bringing residents together, think through solutions and give us more support and control in this situation?
The Community Engagement Team will always do their best to support Tenants & Residents Associations to support their community and make improvements for residents. The question of how an association of neighbours can support other neighbours in crisis is complex and would need some careful assessment for safety, boundaries and expertise. The Association may want to invite a range of professionals to a meeting to talk through what local informal support might look like. Your community engagement officer can help a group by making linking in any appropriate council officers.
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Action |
CET team to explore how they can support the association in widening awareness of Mental health support services
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Start date |
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End date |
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Area in city |
Central |
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Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
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Date question raised |
3rd April 2025 |
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Week of Area Panel |
16th June 2025 |
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Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
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Name of officer responding |
James Deamer and Stephen Wraige |
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Officer job title |
Lift Engineer and Housing Customer Service Manager |
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Contact Details |
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Issue |
The Council’s communication with residents when lifts break down is unacceptably poor. This needs to be improved and residents kept informed.
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Background |
At Warwick Mount recently the lift was broken for two weeks before the Council contacted residents. When lifts are not working there is a significant impact on the residents living in the block. This is particularly true at Warwick Mount, where lifts stop on alternate floors. Residents who cannot manage stairs are effectively trapped in their flats. Good communication with residents about the problem and the expected length of the repair is more than a courtesy – it allows residents to plan and organise their lives in these difficult circumstances. Considerable stress, anxiety and anger is caused by residents not knowing what is being done and how long it will take. The Council’s recent failure to communicate with Warwick Mount residents about the lift repairs needs to be looked at.
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Request or Question |
Can the Council commit to contacting affected residents within 48 hours of a lift breakdown? This could be by text message, followed up with a letter if the repairs are lengthy. This should apply to affected residents citywide.
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Response |
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Our lift contractor, Liftec, advises our mechanical and electrical team within the Housing Investment and Asset Management (HIAM) service of any overnight outage either via email or by way of the daily lift status report. This is then emailed to Housing Customer Service and other parties with a summary of the problem and any updates given if and when requested.
Within approximately one hour of receiving the report from HIAM the Housing Customer Services Team send a text message to all affected tenants advising them that the lift is out of service. This message includes any information on how long the lift will be out of service for, when this is known.
The Housing Customer Services Team will attempt to call any tenants who are known to have mobility issues to discuss how they may be affected and make sure they have what they need during the lift outage.
In the event of longer term outages such as Warwick, we gather all the information such as type of fault and lead time for sourcing spares before notifying residents in writing. Unfortunately, Warwick had a difficult to diagnose fault followed by a week attempting to source parts originally manufactured many years ago, which caused a delay in writing to residents.
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Action |
N/A
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Start date |
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End date |
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Area in city |
East |
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Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
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Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
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Week of Area Panel |
9th June 2025 |
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Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
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Name of officer responding |
Sam Nolan |
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Officer job title |
Community Engagement Manager |
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Contact Details |
communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
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Issue |
Most citywide and service improvement group meetings have been halted. Residents have been told that this is due to low attendance and not having sufficient staff to organise them. |
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Background |
Residents feel that these citywide meetings are a useful space for residents to discuss and exchange information and share issues across the city. For example, residents in sheltered and predominantly senior housing would find it useful to come together to discuss issues that jointly impact them as well as exchange ideas (e.g. what kind of social activities are being run, what works/what doesn’t). |
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Request or Question |
Residents would like some of the citywide & service improvement groups re-instated and request a discussion with the Community Engagement Team to explore possibilities and options. Rather than stop having these meetings entirely, perhaps alternative avenues could be looked at to address the issues around attendance. |
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Response |
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Thank you for your feedback about citywide and service improvement group meetings. I understand the concern about these meetings stopping and the value that they offered residents across different housing communities. The move away from service improvement groups happened over time. However, we weren't clear enough about these changes, which left many of you unsure and frustrated. We should have kept you better informed about changes to meetings that matter to you. I apologise for this and commit to improving our transparency moving forward.
When we presented new ideas at the last Involvement and Empowerment Group meeting, members wanted to keep the old meeting structure but also agreed it was hard to get people to attend. You asked us to work harder to get people to attend meetings. While the meetings worked well for some residents, they weren't reaching the wide range of people who live in our homes.
When we look at who attends our engagement activities, we see gaps in representation across age groups, ethnicities, disabilities, gender, and family types. People's lives are busy and how they want to get involved is changing. We believe a new approach will help more people share their views and ideas to improve council housing services. there will be many face to face and digital opportunities to be involved. In response, we've starting to develop "A Taste of What's Possible When We Listen" - a comprehensive menu of engagement opportunities that allows residents to participate at their preferred level of involvement:Starters - Quick and easy ways to speak up (Digital polls, Pop-up stalls)Light Bites - Regular engagement with minimal time commitment (Surveys, Coffee morningsMain Courses - Regular meetings with significant impact (Focus groups, Service workshops)Chef's Specials - Engagement on specific interest areasThe Full Works - Formal involvement in governance, co-production groups and scrutiny of specific areas of housing.This menu directly responds to feedback where tenants expressed enthusiasm about meaningful opportunities to influence service changes. We want to co-produce a plan that is truly built on your voices - based on tenant feedback gathered through tenant conferences, focus groups, workshops, tenant and resident associations, area panels, service improvement groups, and working with housing colleagues. We want to create a genuine culture change in how we work together. Next StepsWe are planning a citywide co-production workshop in the next month to work together with tenants on designing new opportunities to be involved. This is a perfect opportunity for you to help shape how future engagement will work. Your experience with the previous citywide groups would be particularly valuable in this discussion. |
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Action |
As above
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Start date |
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End date |
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Area in city |
East |
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Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
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Date question raised |
10th April 2025 |
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Week of Area Panel |
9th June 2025 |
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Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
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Name of officer responding |
Janet Dowdell |
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Officer job title |
Tenancy Services Operations Manager |
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Contact Details |
janet.dowdell@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
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Issue |
Resident inspections and Estate Walkabouts have not been happening. |
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Background |
Residents were told that these would be taking place. However, nobody has received information as to when or where these might happen. Residents value these opportunities to run through issues on their estates together with Council workers. |
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Request or Question |
Residents would like to know when and where resident inspections and estate walkabouts will take place. |
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Response |
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We continue to respond to individual requests for an estate inspection/walkabout and can be quite responsive when approached by tenant representatives and Councillors. This has been adhoc pending our recruitment to our new Neighbourhood Officer posts.
I am pleased to report our new recruits will be joining the team through May and June. We will introduce the new Neighbourhood Officers to Area Panels soon and they will be spending some time getting to know the areas and estates initially. We will come back to panels with information on the launch of our planned programme of inspections as soon as we are able to. |
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Action |
N/A
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Start date |
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End date |
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Area in city |
North |
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Star rating |
3 Star/ City wide issue |
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Date question raised |
3rd April 2025 |
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Week of Area Panel |
9th June 2025 |
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Deadline for officer response |
Tuesday 13th May |
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Name of officer responding |
Sam Nolan |
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Officer job title |
Community Engagement Manager |
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Contact Details |
sam.nolan@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
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Issue |
When, for example, major works are being considered by the Council, it is unclear whether Residents’ Associations have the power to veto decisions made by the Council, such as their choice of contractor/subcontractor.
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Background |
N/A |
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Request or Question |
Residents would like to know if, and which Tenants’/Residents’ Associations in Brighton & Hove are Recognised Tenants Associations (RTAs) under Section 29 of the Landlord & Tenant Act. What powers do Tenants’/Residents’ Associations in Brighton & Hove have under this act?
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Response |
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Recognised Tenants Associations in Brighton & Hove When a Tenants' Association gains formal recognition under Section 29 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, they receive several legal rights and powers:
1. Right to information about service charges - Request and receive summaries of costs forming the basis of service charges - Access and inspect supporting documents, accounts, receipts, etc. - The landlord must provide this information within one month of request
2. Consultation rights regarding major works - Must be consulted before landlords carry out qualifying works exceeding £250 per tenant - Must be consulted on long-term agreements for provision of services exceeding £100 per tenant per year - Failure to consult properly can limit the landlord's ability to recover costs
3. Right to appoint a surveyor - Can appoint a qualified surveyor who has rights to: - Access the building to inspect its condition - Examine documents relating to service charges - Advise the association on matters relating to service charges
4. Management audit rights - Can request information about managing agents appointed by the landlord - Can commission a management audit to review the landlord's compliance with management obligations
5. Right of first refusal - In certain circumstances, if the landlord intends to sell their interest in the building, they must first offer it to the qualifying tenants, which an RTA can coordinate
To become recognised, a Tenants' Association must either: - Obtain voluntary recognition from the landlord, or - Apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a certificate of recognition (generally requires membership of at least 50% of qualifying tenants)
While BHCC have a Tenant & Resident Association Recognition policy this is only to recognise organisations as formally representing their communities and neighbourhood and it is not the same as recognition under the Tenant and Landlord Act.
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Action |
N/A
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Start date |
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End date |
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