our service
Resident Liaison
Considerate work in occupied homes. We help housing providers keep residents informed, arrange access around individual needs and reduce the disruption of essential safety works.
We book appointments between 7am and 8pm, including weekends, flag vulnerable residents before engineers arrive, and follow a structured no-access process that has kept missed appointments below 2% on a 3,500-home contract. Every engineer working in occupied homes is DBS checked.
Their home. Our responsibility to work considerately.
A visit from a contractor can interrupt work, caring responsibilities and everyday routines. For some residents, unfamiliar people, noise or uncertainty about what will happen can also cause anxiety. We take those concerns into account when planning and carrying out our work.
Fire Systems Ltd works with housing associations, local authorities, managing agents and scheme staff to make essential safety works easier for the people living in their buildings. Resident liaison connects the contract programme with what matters at home: clear information, agreed access, respectful behaviour and a reliable point of contact.
From routine servicing to installation and remedial programmes, we agree the communication and access approach with the housing provider and adapt it to the residents and properties involved.
Resident care in practice
At a sheltered housing scheme in London, the housing provider’s scheme team leader described our team’s approach:
“They have worked well with the residents gaining access to their properties and have been professional and polite at all times. They have cleaned up after themselves and the whole installation has gone very smoothly.”
Clear information before we arrive
We explain why the work is needed, what it involves, where access is required and how long the visit is expected to take. Residents are told about likely noise, testing or temporary inconvenience, and any preparations needed in their home.
We contact each resident through the channel they prefer, whether that is a letter, phone call, text or email. Residents receive a reminder a week before and a day before their appointment, and a call or message 30 to 60 minutes before the engineer arrives. For larger programmes, resident meetings and coffee mornings give people a chance to meet our team, ask questions and raise concerns before work begins.
Appointments that fit around daily life
We book appointments between 7am and 8pm, including Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, taking account of work, caring commitments and support visits. We confirm arrangements, send reminders and keep residents informed if plans change.
If access cannot be gained, the engineer leaves a contact card, and we follow a structured process: further contact, a second letter, at least three attempts on different days and at different times, and formal escalation to the housing provider with photographic evidence. A missed visit is never recorded as completed work. This approach has kept no-access below 2% on a 3,500-home portfolio.
The rules that shape resident engagement
Regulator of Social Housing Consumer Standards. Since April 2024, social landlords must show they treat residents fairly and with respect, communicate clearly and meet diverse needs. How their contractors behave in residents' homes is part of that.
Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code. Now statutory for social landlords. We acknowledge complaints within three working days and give a full response within ten, in the format our clients need for their own complaint stages.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Residents of blocks of flats must be given fire safety instructions and information about fire doors. Our engineers explain what has been done and leave relevant guidance where the client asks us to.
Why Some Residents Need More Support
Every resident deserves to know who is coming and why. Some need more help to make that happen.
Sheltered and extra care housing: Residents may be older, have limited mobility or memory problems, or be anxious about strangers. We coordinate every visit with the scheme manager, allow more time, and never leave without explaining what has been done.
Supported housing: Residents may have support workers, advocates or specific triggers to avoid. We agree the approach with the housing provider and the support team before work starts.
Residents with additional needs: Hearing, sight or language barriers can make a fire alarm test or a knock at the door confusing. Large print, Easy Read, translation and British Sign Language interpreters help residents understand the work and make their needs known.
Higher-risk buildings: Residents are entitled to clear fire safety information, and missed access in these buildings can quickly become a compliance problem. Persistent no-access is escalated early so the building is not left at risk.
Planning works in occupied homes? Talk to us about the people as well as the programme. We can plan resident communications, access arrangements and support needs with your housing team before work starts.
Questions about a visit?
If we are due to work in your home or building, please tell us about any access needs, appointment concerns or support arrangements. Use the contact details on your appointment notice, or contact our team for help.
Reducing noise, mess and repeated visits
We plan the sequence of work to limit the time spent in residents' homes and coordinate tasks to reduce repeat visits, combining fire alarm, emergency lighting and other servicing where we can. Noisy activities and alarm tests are discussed in advance with residents and building staff, so people know what to expect.
Our engineers explain the work on arrival, agree access to the areas needed and protect floors and belongings with appropriate coverings. Cleaning up is part of the job. We remove work-related waste, leave the working area tidy and explain any outstanding work or return visit before we leave.
Solving access problems differently
On a group of sheltered schemes where getting into individual flats was a persistent problem, we fitted 450 wireless remote monitoring units in six weeks. Critical alarm points are now monitored around the clock, even where full flat access cannot always be achieved, which cut follow-up visits and gave the housing provider better assurance for its residents.
Residents should know who is coming, why they are visiting, what will happen and who to contact if they have a concern.
Our engineers wear branded clothing, carry identification and ask permission before entering a home. Courtesy, privacy and respect for personal belongings are part of how we work.
Support that reflects individual needs
We work with the housing provider to understand relevant communication, mobility and support needs before a visit. This can mean allowing more time to answer the door, arranging a longer appointment or coordinating with a carer, family member, advocate or scheme manager where the resident has agreed.
Scheme-managed properties and residents' access and support needs are flagged in our Infor ERP system, so the visiting engineer arrives prepared. Large-print, Braille, audio and Easy Read information can be provided, and Language Line gives us translation across 35 languages, supported by British Sign Language interpreters.
Every engineer working in occupied homes is enhanced DBS checked, wears uniform and carries photo ID, and completes safeguarding training every six months. Serious safeguarding concerns are escalated immediately through the client's agreed route.
Listening, resolving concerns and following through
Residents are given a clear contact route for questions, appointment changes and concerns. Formal complaints are acknowledged within three working days and investigated, with a full response within ten working days and the root cause identified so it does not happen again. We ask residents for feedback within 48 hours of a visit, and use what they tell us to improve future visits.
Questions Residents Often Ask
Why do engineers need to come into my home?
Many fire safety systems include equipment inside flats, such as smoke detectors, heat detectors and alarm sounders. These must be tested regularly to make sure they will warn you, and your neighbours, if there is a fire.
What if I can't make my appointment?
Call the number on your appointment letter and we will rebook. We offer appointments between 7am and 8pm, including weekends and bank holidays.
How do I know the engineer is genuine?
Our engineers wear Fire Systems uniform and carry photo ID. If you are unsure, do not let them in. Call the number on your appointment letter and we will confirm who is visiting.
I have a disability or need extra help. What should I do?
Tell us or your housing provider before the visit. We can allow more time, arrange for a carer, family member or scheme manager to be present, and provide information in large print, Easy Read or other languages.
How long will the visit take?
It depends on the work. Your appointment letter will tell you what is being done and roughly how long it should take. The engineer will explain everything when they arrive and before they leave.
