Faulty Smoke Alarms - More Than Frustrating
Faulty smoke alarms can have far-reaching consequences, transforming a mere inconvenience into a frustrating and potentially dangerous situation. When the safety and well-being of residents are compromised due to malfunctioning smoke detectors, the implications extend beyond disrupted sleep and heightened nerves.
The case of Dursley, Gloucestershire, stands as a stark example of the reality faced by residents who endured two weeks of incessant alarms, a lack of resolution, and a genuine threat to their safety.
Frustrating Indeed
One resident from Dursley reached out to her housing provider GreenSquareAccord, detailing her concerns about the unresolved issue of faulty smoke detectors in her residence. Despite two weeks passing since she initially reported the problem, no action had been taken, and the alarms continued to disturb her daily life.
To exacerbate matters, the resident had sought assistance from GreenSquareAccord, who redirected her to Firstport, a company with whom she had no contractual agreement, and who were unaware of her as a tenant. Each organization provided conflicting responses, failing to acknowledge the urgency of the situation. The lack of cooperation and accountability was evident.
The resident also emphasised the critical issue of essential fire equipment maintenance. With each passing day, her anxiety about living in the property grew, and the ongoing sleep disturbance only heightened her concerns. She expressed her intention to escalate the matter further, and both she and her daughter no longer wished to stay in such an environment.
A Shared Frustation
The impact extended beyond the immediate residents. Neighbours, deprived of sleep themselves, directed their frustration towards the residents of the affected flat, assuming they had failed to report the issue. And who could blame them? One would expect housing providers to prioritise the resolution of faults in fire safety equipment.
Not Our Problem
After exchanging multiple emails with identical responses, the resident decided to move out with her daughter, desperately seeking some sleep.
In addition to the emails, the resident made numerous calls over the proceeding two weeks, hoping to receive a response from someone who would prioritise her safety and well-being. Unfortunately, all her efforts were in vain.
Eventually, the resident came across our website while searching for support. After speaking with her and reviewing the emails, we sent the following email and shared a video of the incident on social media.
From: Ben Jenkins <ben@housingsector.co.uk>
Subject: Urgent Action Needed for Faulty Smoke Alarms in Dursley Residential Block
Date: 12 May 2023 at 08:18:26 BST
To: GreenSquareAccord Customer Services <info@greensquareaccord.co.uk>
Cc: ********@yahoo.co.uk>, ***********@greensquareaccord.co.uk, Ruth Cooke <ruth.cooke@greensquareaccord.co.uk>, control@glosfire.gov.uk, ********@greensquareaccord.co.uk, *********.mp@parliament.uk, *******@dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk, ********@dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk, Customer Care <customer.care@greensquareaccord.co.uk>, *********@newsquest.co.uk, news@gazetteseries.co.uk, ********@newsquest.co.uk, **********@newsquest.co.uk
Dear GreenSquareAccord,
All information within this email stated with consent.
I am writing to express my deep concern about the ongoing and unresolved issue regarding the faulty smoke alarms in the residential block of flats in Dursley. The faulty smoke alarms not only significantly affect the quality of life for the residents, but more urgently, they pose a severe risk to their lives.
Despite numerous reports and calls made to your company and engineers since 30th April, this issue has still not been resolved. The lack of urgency and accountability towards ensuring the safety of the residents is unacceptable. Immediate and concrete action must be taken to ensure that the smoke alarms are in working condition, only sound when there is smoke, and that residents are not forced to ignore them due to repeated faulty alarms.
It is imperative that GreenSquareAccord and their engineers take this matter seriously and prioritise the safety and well-being of the residents. Any further delay or negligence in resolving this issue is unacceptable.
I strongly urge you to take immediate action to ensure that the smoke alarms are in proper working condition and that the safety of the residents is ensured. Please keep me informed of the steps you are taking to resolve this issue and provide an update on the progress made.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
If you’ve been put on copy it is in hope that you can support GreenSquareAccord, Ms *******, and myself in seeking a positive a speedy response. Any support you can offer is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ben Jenkins
CEO & Founder
www.HousingSector.co.uk
Now, while GreenSquareAccord continues to ignore my emails, it is evident that they do pay attention, possibly due to the people I included in the email thread, as an email from the CEO of GreenSquareAccord was sent to the resident just over an hour later.
From: "Ruth Cooke" <Ruth.Cooke@greensquareaccord.co.uk>
To: ********yahoo.co.uk>, ***********@greensquareaccord.co.uk>, ********@greensquareaccord.co.uk>, "Customer Care" <CustomerCareTeam@greensquareaccord.co.uk>
Cc:
Sent: Fri, 12 May 2023 at 9:21
Subject: Re: Smoke detectors
Dear Ms *******
Thank you for your email and I completely appreciate your frustration on this.
I know that your housing officer will have explained to you that the building is managed by First Port and that therefore unfortunately GSA are unable to carry out any repairs directly. Looking at the history on this, I can see that our team have chased FP on a very regular basis since you first reported the issue and have escalated with FP when an appropriate response wasn’t received. We were advised by FirstPort that a repair was completed last week, but clearly this hasn’t fixed the issue if the alarms are still sounding and so we have raised it with them again this morning as an urgent matter to be dealt with. We have also escalated at regional manager level with them.
I would urge you and fellow residents to continue to contact First Port so that they are fully aware of the impact this is having on you.
With best wishes
Ruth
Ruth Cooke
Chief Executive Officer
It is concerning that the CEO of any housing provider would overlook such a significant threat to life. While we can all acknowledge the frustration in this situation, the real concern is that people are now attempting to ignore a smoke alarm.
Furthermore, the CEO now asserts that the third-party contractor may have misled her team by claiming that the issue had already been resolved.
From: Ben Jenkins <endofcommuncationplans@gmail.com>
Subject: Smoke detectors - follow-up
Date: 12 May 2023 at 09:47:53 BST
To: Ruth Cooke <ruth.cooke@greensquareaccord.co.uk>
Cc: ********@yahoo.co.uk>, ***********@greensquareaccord.co.uk, *******@greensquareaccord.co.uk
Hello Ruth,
Thank you for your response.
It is crucial to take ownership of this situation, conduct safety checks for residents, take necessary actions, and maintain regular communication, which I believe is of utmost importance to GreenSquareAccord. As such your team should have constantly remained in the loop to ensure this issue was addressed fully and quickly, appreciating your residents frustration will not ensure their safety.
Ideally, this situation should not have required my involvement, nor should it have been necessary to push the matter out on social media. If your residents are reaching out to me, it is likely because they have exhausted all other avenues. It should also not be necessary for me to have to bypass email blocks.
Please let me know what parts of this message you are comfortable with me sharing so that we can work together to resolve the issue, learn from the experience, and strengthen procedures.
Once this issue is resolved, I suspect that it may require escalation as a complaint to conduct a thorough investigation and identify the weak links in the system.
Kind Regards
Ben Jenkins
CEO & Founder
www.HousingSector.co.uk
Of course no response was forthcoming. I did however receive a response from Dursley Town Mayor who sent the following:
I'd suggest giving them a bad review but having seen their profile on TrustPilot I am, quite frankly, horrified.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/greensquareaccord.co.uk
Cllr Alex Stennett
Dursley Town Mayor
Indeed.
Conclusion
I am delighted to report that later today the issue was resolved.
The case of faulty smoke alarms in Dursley, Gloucestershire, serves as a vivid illustration of the dire consequences that can arise from neglect and a lack of accountability. This incident highlights the urgent need for housing providers and relevant organisations to take immediate action when such issues are reported, ensuring the safety and well-being of their tenants.
The residents in Dursley experienced not only the frustration of enduring nights of restless sleep, strained nerves, and a drop in productivity but also the genuine threat to their safety. Despite their repeated reports and pleas for help, the faulty smoke alarms remained unresolved for an alarming two-week period. The lack of urgency and accountability displayed by GreenSquareAccord, the housing provider, and their redirection of responsibility to a third-party company exemplify the troubling chain of responsibility that exacerbated the situation.
Furthermore, the incident emphasises the critical importance of maintaining essential fire safety equipment. The anxiety and sleep disturbance caused by the malfunctioning smoke alarms created an environment where residents no longer felt safe and were forced to consider leaving their homes. The impact of this situation extended beyond the immediate residents, as frustrated neighbours directed their anger towards those affected, assuming they had failed to report the issue. This shared nightmare underscores the expectation that housing providers should prioritise the resolution of faults in fire safety equipment.
The case also raises questions about GreenSquareAccord's response and their commitment to resident safety. Despite numerous reports and calls, the housing provider failed to address the issue promptly until it was brought to their attention through external channels. The subsequent communication from the CEO, Ruth Cooke, acknowledging the ongoing problem and potential miscommunication with the third-party contractor is concerning. It highlights the need for stronger procedures and effective communication channels to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Ultimately, the resolution of the issue is a positive outcome, but it should not have required the intervention of external parties or public exposure on social media. Faulty smoke alarms should never be taken lightly, as they pose a significant risk to life and property. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of functional and well-maintained fire safety equipment in our homes.
GreenSquareAccord must take this incident as a learning opportunity and ensure that similar issues are addressed promptly and effectively in the future. Merely passing the buck and redirecting responsibility is not enough to guarantee the safety of residents. It is essential for housing providers to prioritise, appropriately escalate, and address such serious issues without delay.
In the context of the Grenfell tragedy, which occurred six years ago this week, this incident raises concerns about whether we have made significant progress in ensuring the safety of residents in housing developments. The Dursley case serves as a sobering reminder that vigilance and continuous improvement in fire safety measures are crucial to prevent potential disasters.
It is hoped that GreenSquareAccord and other housing providers can learn from this incident, identify the weaknesses in their systems, and take decisive actions to improve resident safety.
The well-being and lives of residents should always be the top priority, and no compromises should be made when it comes to fire safety in our homes.
Has GreenSquareAccord published any learnings from this incident?
Is simply "passing the buck" enough to guarantee resident safety?
Why is this housing provider unable to prioritise, appropriately escalate, and address such serious issues?
It has been six years since Grenfell. Are any of us truly safer?
I reached out to the resident involved to gain consent for this post and to see if there had been any update regarding the complaint she raised:
The complaint was initially raised on 5th May and still had no response about it other than an e-mail 3 weeks ago to say that they had my complaint but due to a high demand it may take a little longer.
A month and a half nearly seems unreasonable to handle a complaint about a serious issue.
Email shared with Ruth Cooke 15th June
Another reason why we should all be sceptical of GreenSquareAccord’s shared figures.