smoke alarm in council property

*Robin*

G_M wrote: »

It seems they don't take kindly to the public specifying the gender of fire officer being asked to attend....

:shocked:

Perhaps you should have mentioned cake?

Mojisola

Pollycat wrote: »

After referrral by our local hospital, the council - in the same style of property as I'm talking about above - fitted a walk-in shower for my Dad. That was around 3 or 4 years ago.

It seems that the council no longer fund this.

My parents had their bath removed and a level-access shower fitted - paid for with a grant from the council.

It meant that they stayed independent for longer and their lives were improved - a good use of tax-payers' money.

It's sad that older, poorer people's lives are being made more difficult through these cuts.

Pollycat

Mojisola wrote: »

My parents had their bath removed and a level-access shower fitted - paid for with a grant from the council.

It meant that they stayed independent for longer and their lives were improved - a good use of tax-payers' money.

It's sad that older, poorer people's lives are being made more difficult through these cuts.

Absolutely, Mojisola.

My parents paid full rent on their warden-controlled, senior persons' council flat for 6 years until my Dad went into a care home.
At that point my Mum qualified for housing benefit and council tax benefit but only for several months until Dad died.
She then paid full rent and full council tax (less the 25% single person discount) for another 4 years until her savings fell below the £16k threshold.

The walk-in shower was a god-send for her, she didn't need her carer to bath her.
County Council led my sister to believe installation in the bungalow would be funded by the local council but it appears that is not the case.
It was a big factor in her deciding to move - leave her walk-in shower or be stuck in a first floor flat.

We have gained planning permission from the council to have a shower installed and hope that it can be done soon so she can settle into her new home.
My Mum will pay for it out of her dwindling savings.

Smodlet

Pollycat wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm or not.

Please clarify the true meaning of your post.

In case you are being sarcastic, I will reiterate that my Mum is over 80, disabled and the property is warden-controlled and specifically for senior citizens.

After referrral by our local hospital, the council - in the same style of property as I'm talking about above - fitted a walk-in shower for my Dad. That was around 3 or 4 years ago.
It seems that the council no longer fund this.

I agree - it absolutely blows.

No, it was not sarcasm... no idea where you got that idea from...

I meant, I cannot believe councils no longer fit walk-in showers; I actually thought such housing automatically came with those in place. But you interpret what I mean any way you want.

seven-day-weekend

We had our bungalow rewired last year and it has a wired-in smoke alarm in the hall and a wired-in heat alarm in the kitchen. The electrician could not certificate the job without doing this. My son's is the same, he had his flat rewired in 2012. The BTL flat that we own also has the same (new build in 2014).

So the legislation obviously applies to new builds or new wiring. Don't know whether it applied to social housing.

In our bungalow we also have two CO (carbon monoxide) alarms. The other two properties are all electric so don't need one.

Better to be safe than sorry, imho.

It will be worth your while, imho, to get the fire brigade round, they are very helpful and will fit smoke alarms for free.. Otherwise they cost about a fiver.

seven-day-weekend

t0rt0ise wrote: »

The Fire Brigade route is usually for those in private rented properties only. Certainly in London they won't come to social housing. It says so on their website.

They gave us some smoke alarms and we owned our house.

Mojisola

Smodlet wrote: »

Councils won't even fit walk-in showers, now? That absolutely blows.

Smodlet wrote: »

No, it was not sarcasm... no idea where you got that idea from...

I meant, I cannot believe councils no longer fit walk-in showers; I actually thought such housing automatically came with those in place. But you interpret what I mean any way you want.

That was the way it came over to me as well.

Glad it wasn't how you meant it.

Pollycat

Smodlet wrote: »

No, it was not sarcasm... no idea where you got that idea from...

I meant, I cannot believe councils no longer fit walk-in showers; I actually thought such housing automatically came with those in place. But you interpret what I mean any way you want.

I can't believe it either - in senior accommodation.

The absence of smilies didn't help in interpreting your post.
I've already had some poster querying my priorities about getting a smoke alarm fitted.

I find it shockingly poor that councils don't fit walk-in showers in elderly accommodation.
!!!!!!, they've put in a new kitchen.

If you had been clear with the content of your post, I wouldn't have needed to 'interpret' your post.

Pollycat

Mojisola wrote: »

That the way it came over to me as well.

Glad it wasn't how you meant it.

I'm pleased that it wasn't just me who 'misinterpreted' that post.

And I'm also glad that wasn't how the poster meant it.

Lily-Rose_3

Pollycat wrote: »

Hi
Stranger to this board, just wanted to ask this question:
My elderly Mum has just moved from a warden-controlled council flat to a warden-controlled council bungalow.

There is a carbon monoxide alarm but no smoke alarm.

I did find something on Gov.UK that said:

I need to get the council out to rectify a few things in the property and would like to know if a smoke alarm should be fitted by law before I ring them.

Thanks

Hi Pollycat.

As far as I know, private landlords have to provide smoke alarms,

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities

(Section 3, your landlord's safety responsibilities...)

But I don't think social housing landlords have to by law.

That said, when we moved into our little bungalow 4 years back, we already had 2 fitted (one in the back hall, and one in the front hall,) and each time our housing association come to do the safety check on the heating/boiler/gas, they check them to make sure they're working.

As I said though, I don't think social housing landlords (council/housing associations,) have to provide smoke alarms.

http://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/carbon-monoxide-requirements.shtml

I think - if my memory serves me well; it's because they have so many properties - many more than most housing associations - so if they do start to provide them, they will be forever changing batteries and maintaining them.

So if I were you, I would ring them and ask, and and if they say no, then she can buy one for a few quid.