What are the principles of the system?
The key principle of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is that the dwelling, including the outbuildings and garden, should provide a safe and healthy environment for the occupants and any visitors. The system applies to all dwellings including houses, self-contained flats, non self-contained flats, and bedsits.
The dwelling is inspected using a risk based assessment process and considers the effect of any ‘hazards’ in the property. Hazards are then rated according to how serious they are and the effect they are having, or could have, on the occupants. The system also provides a means of comparing the risks associated with different types of hazard. Some are slow in their effect, like dampness and cold, whilst others are quick, such as falls. Some hazards are more likely to result in death (such as carbon monoxide); others are very unlikely to cause death e.g. noise.
It must be remembered that all dwellings contain hazards and it is not possible to remove all of these. The emphasis is to minimise the risk to health and safety as far as possible either by removing the hazard altogether or minimising the effect, as appropriate.
The Housing Standards Team will investigate any complaints about poor housing conditions.
How are assessments made?
The assessment process is not just a question of spotting defects in the dwellings, but is about risk assessment, outcomes and effects.
An inspector judges the likelihood of an occurrence (such as an accident) over the next 12 months which could result in harm to a member of the vulnerable age group. An accident in which an occupant could fall down the stairs is classified as an occurrence.
After judging the likelihood of an occurrence, the inspector makes the second judgement, that of the possible harm which could result from such an occurrence. There are a range of four harm outcomes.
Please see the document below for a detailed list of the 29 hazards and the four harm outcomes.
How will the system be enforced?
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is obliged to deal with poor housing conditions in their area. The hazard score does not dictate the action to be taken, but the council will focus their attention on the category 1 hazards and the more serious category 2 hazards.
The aim of intervention is to make the dwelling safer for occupation by the mitigation or removal of hazards. The choice of enforcement tool will therefore be a judgement as to whether hazards can be reduced or removed entirely, how they might be removed or reduced and, if they cannot, what other action is necessary. In making this judgement the council will take account of the vulnerability of the current occupants.
Please see the document below for details of the courses of action available to the council..
