Native Residential - Building Safety Case Report Development

Native Residential (Native) is a Managing Agent with a nationwide portfolio of predominantly new-build BTR development properties.

Project Overview 

Native came to Pennington Choices for assistance with the development of a building safety case report for one of their higher-risk buildings, which is a requirement under the Building Safety Act 2022 (the Act).

A couple of months after completing the safety case report, it was called up by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as part of the building assessment certificate application process. The safety case report is required by the BSR to demonstrate that the building is safe for residents to occupy. For additional assurance, Native also appointed Pennington Choices to carry out a review of the safety case report, prior to it being sent to the BSR, as an additional service.

Our Approach

At project initiation, a principal consultant and supporting consultant met with the key members of the Native team to agree on a project plan, terms of reference and key delivery milestones. Native were also issued with a document request list to provide us with key documents for development of the safety case reports (fire risk assessments, fire safety policy, technical surveys, and so on). This enabled us to begin to understand the building and Native's approach to managing it, ahead of the next stage - the information gathering sessions.

The information gathering sessions spanned over two days. On day one, our consultants focused on capturing general management and strategic information. This covered areas such as roles and responsibilities, repairs and maintenance processes, and systems and data. Day two focused on capturing the details around the building itself including fire safety measures, structural safety elements and the residents.

At the end of the second day, we held a facilitated risk assessment workshop where we investigated the key risks for each individual building. By reviewing the documents and using information acquired the previous day, we had a better understanding of what the risks would be, making it easier to identify and highlight these during the risk assessment workshop.

Following the information gathering sessions and risk assessment workshop, we were able to draft a comprehensive building safety case report. This was an iterative process, with Native having the opportunity provide feedback, before we agreed on the final safety case report.

As part of developing safety case report, we incorporated an action plan that clearly highlighted any gaps that we had identified during the process. The action plan is crucial for clients to understand the areas that require improvement and what actions they need to achieve compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022 and other relevant health and safety legislation.

Our Achievements

We developed the safety case report using a collaborative approach, which ensured that the process was streamlined and efficient and that Native were fully engaged throughout. This meant that once the report was finalised and issued to Native, they were ready to take ownership of it and review it regularly.

The final report provided a summary of key building risks and outlined how Native manages these risks to provide assurance that the building is safe and compliant for residents to live in.

Native chose Pennington Choices because we have been at the forefront of work on the new building safety regime under since it was first announced. As an organisation we are passionate about keeping people and buildings safe. As a result, our team of consultancy experts are knowledgeable and experienced, and remain aligned and up to date with the latest requirements from the government, BSR, and other enforcement bodies (such as the Regulator of Social Housing, Housing Ombudsman, Health & Safety Executive, and fire & rescue services). This meant that Native received the most comprehensive and practical building safety solutions tailored to their needs.

Through collaborative working with Native, we have developed a strong professional relationship, and we continue to work with them on similar projects as their trusted building safety partner.

Client Testimonial 

“We had a very positive experience working with Pennington Choices. From the first consultation to the final delivery, they were consistently professional, efficient, and thorough. Their approach to the Building Safety Case Report was clear and engaging and we were very pleased with the end report. We have chosen to work with Pennington Choices on further projects and we look forward to continuing our partnership." - Head of Building Safety at Native Residential