SUSSEX NIGHTSTOP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH EAST SUSSEX FIRE & RESCUE
ENSURES ITS CLIENTS #SLEEPSAFE
Sussex Nightstop, the Brighton-based community project which works to empower the local community to make a difference to the lives of the county’s most vulnerable young people, has partnered up with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) as part of its City Partnerships Initiative.
This exciting partnership has given the Sussex Nightstop Team the opportunity to have access to the best expert advice in reviewing its practices and procedures relating to fire safety in its Volunteer Host homes. This has helped the Team achieve best practice in this area, ensuring Sussex Nightstop clients can #SleepSafe.
Alison Marino, Executive Director of Sussex Nightstop, says of the partnership: “The safety and well-being of the young people who stay with our Volunteer Hosts is of paramount importance to Sussex Nightstop and a safe home environment is something we pay close attention to.
“Working in partnership with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and being able to access their expertise has meant we are confident in meeting best practice in this area. We look forward to this partnership continuing and on behalf of Sussex Nightstop and all our Volunteer Hosts who have taken up the additional home safety visits – a big thank you to the Fire and Rescue Service and their Safe and Well Advisors”.
In addition, as part of the City Partnerships Initiative, Sussex Nightstop’s Volunteer Hosts can take advantage of a free Home Safety visit from ESFRS. Alison continued: “We are delighted that so many of our hosts have taken advantage of this offer for a home visit where they have received fire safety advice ranging from staying safe with your electrics, exit routes and night-time routine as well as fitting free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms if appropriate.”
The #SleepSafe campaign, together with the partnership work Sussex Nightstop is doing, focuses on making volunteer hosting as safe as possible. One Volunteer Host who has had an ESFR Home Safety visit said: “It was very reassuring to receive a visit from the ESFRS Team. They did a thorough check of our house and explained how the visits help identify and reduce the risks from fire. It’s also comforting to know that our home is somewhere not only our family, but the young people we have staying, can be sure of a good, safe night’s sleep.”
ESFRS Partnership Manager Keira Woodroofe said: “It has been a privilege to provide our Home Safety Visits to the Volunteer Hosts who go above and beyond to help keep safe young people at risk of homelessness through Sussex Nightstop. We can offer advice, support and smoke alarms to help reduce risk and do our part to help our local community sleep safe”.