New Building Safety eLearning made available for high-rise building managers

The free digital training programme aims to empower those responsible for building safety management in buildings above 18 metres with a firm understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), a government-funded advisory body providing trusted, independent support to leaseholders and park homeowners, and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), an independent body and part of Health and Safety Executive (HSE), have launched a free digital training programme to support volunteer directors of Right to Manage (RTM) companies and Resident Management Companies (RMCs) in England.

Designed to demystify the complex building safety regulations introduced under the Building Safety Act 2022, the new Building Safety eLearning initiative developed by LEASE and BSR, will give the more than 3,500 RMCs, RMTs and Commonhold Associations the practical knowledge they need to fulfil their legal responsibilities around fire and structural risk in their buildings.

The significant building safety regulatory reforms introduced after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, place considerable legal duties on individuals managing buildings over 18 metres in height. For the first time, even when tasks are outsourced to managing agents or third parties, resident directors are legally accountable as Principal Accountable Persons (PAPs) or Accountable Persons (APs).

Using clear, accessible language and practical examples, the training breaks the complex legal regime into manageable parts. Whether directors are carrying out duties themselves or delegating to others, the course helps them understand their role and remain accountable. It also equips directors to assess the quality of professional advice and services they receive, empowering them to make informed decisions. Above all, the training aims to build confidence in managing compliance and protecting their buildings and communities.

Ella Norman, Senior Legal Advisor at LEASE, commented: “The new Building Safety eLearning programme fills a critical knowledge gap in building safety guidance. Many leaseholders that have volunteered, unpaid, to help manage their high-rise residential buildings often have limited formal training yet now carry significantly more legal responsibility. This training will ensure that residents involved in managing high-rise residential buildings have access to the knowledge they need to carry out their legal duties confidently and competently. In collaboration with the Building Safety Regulator, we created this free online course to empower and protect both residents and resident directors.”

The eLearning is delivered in four interactive modules, each around 30 minutes in length:

• Module 1: Getting Ready for the Building Safety Regime (Including the Golden Thread)

• Module 2: Managing Building Safety Risks and the Safety Case Report

• Module 3: Resident Engagement Strategies, Mandatory Occurrence Reporting, and Complaints

• Module 4: The Building Assessment Certificate Process

While the course targets resident directors of RTM and RMCs in buildings over 18 metres who are responsible under the Building Safety Act 2022, it is also highly relevant for freeholders, managing agents, housing associations and local authorities, professional building safety managers and leaseholders who wish to better understand what they’re being charged for.

Andy McGrory, Policy Lead for resident matters at the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), said: “We are delighted to have worked with LEASE to make this invaluable training openly available to the directors of thousands of high-rise Resident Management Companies. Their role is critical in upholding the highest standards of building safety for high-rise residents across England. This programme provides RMCs with the information needed to understand their responsibilities, to work towards implementing robust building safety measures, to be intelligent customers where they secure assistance from third-party providers and to ensure residents feel safe and are safe in their own homes.”

Resident directors, leaseholders and residents of high-rise buildings can access the free Building Safety eLearning here.