Did his Housing Giant fake life-or-death safety checks? Leaked tape reveals chilling order to staff.

In a scandal that strikes at the heart of post-Grenfell safety reforms, a leaked audio recording has exposed a manager at Clarion Housing, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, allegedly instructing a staff member to systematically falsify a critical fire safety check. The tape, obtained by investigators, reveals a brazen attempt to deceive regulators and residents, putting the most vulnerable lives at risk for the sake of meeting performance targets.

The recording, which dates back to 2022, captures a Clarion manager coaching an employee on how to fabricate evidence that a legally required fire safety notice had been installed. The notice is a cornerstone of modern fire safety protocols, designed to alert residents with disabilities or mobility issues to register for a “person-centred fire risk assessment.” These assessments are vital for firefighters to know who needs assistance during an evacuation.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you this,” the manager is heard saying, before laying out the deceptive plan. The instruction was chillingly simple: “Just put it up on a plain bit of wall… take a picture.” The manager emphasized meeting targets, boasting, “My team is always on point, we always meet our targets,” and warned the employee, “I’ll come and find you if it turns out I can’t trust you.”

A Culture of Complacency and Delay

The incident, however, reveals a failure that extends beyond a single manager. The whistleblower first reported the misconduct to Clarion’s internal HR department in September 2023. Astonishingly, no formal investigation was launched for an entire year. It was only when the damning audio recording was sent directly to senior management in September 2024 that the housing association sprang into action, leading to the dismissal of the manager involved—nearly two years after the initial incident.

This delay has raised alarm bells among housing safety advocates and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed 72 lives in 2017 and prompted a nationwide overhaul of building safety regulations.

Edward Daffarn, a Grenfell survivor, expressed his profound disappointment, stating, “I stood underneath the burning carcass of Grenfell in the days after the fire and I was absolutely convinced that it would be the catalyst for societal change.” He added, “The only conclusion I can come to is that those in power, those people who have the power to make the change necessary, really don’t care enough about people that live in social housing.”

“Death or Serious Injury”: The Stakes of Faked Safety

Experts are unequivocal about the potential consequences of such negligence. Arnold Tarling, a chartered surveyor and fire safety expert, stated that failing to identify vulnerable residents could lead directly to “death or serious injury” in a fire.

“This will be industry-wide,” Tarling warned, citing motives like “money saving, couldn’t care less, lessons haven’t been learned.” He criticized the lack of robust oversight, noting, “When you’ve got a file which has been faked, how do you know that it’s been faked? So these issues will just simply slip through and won’t get corrected.”

The scandal casts a long shadow over Clarion’s significant role in the UK’s housing landscape. As a strategic partner of Homes England and a manager of over 125,000 homes, Clarion is central to the government’s ambition of building 1.5 million new homes. Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa voiced his concern, saying, “I do worry about the fact that they are going to be in charge of housing thousands of more people up and down the country… it’s an absolute disgrace.”

Official Responses and a Sector Under Scrutiny

In a statement, a Clarion spokesperson said, “When an audio recording was shared with us in September 2024, we immediately launched a full investigation, which led to the dismissal of a staff member. It is deeply regrettable that information was not shared sooner, as this would have enabled earlier action. Building safety remains our top priority across all Clarion homes.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government condemned the allegations, stating they “show a total disregard of vulnerable people whose lives and safety depend on strict fire safety laws.” The ministry reiterated its commitment to applying lessons from Grenfell and noted that those breaking the law face prosecution, including prison sentences.

This incident serves as a grim reminder that the promise of “never again” after Grenfell is being tested by a culture where targets can seemingly trump tenant safety, leaving the most vulnerable to bear the gravest risks

FAQ Section

Q1: What did the Clarion Housing manager allegedly do?
A: A leaked audio recording captured a manager instructing an employee to falsify a fire safety notice. The plan was to photograph a blank piece of paper on a wall to fake evidence that a legally required notice for vulnerable residents had been installed.

Q2: Why is this fire safety notice so important?
A: The notice alerts disabled and vulnerable residents to contact the housing association so a “person-centred fire risk assessment” can be created. This information is crucial for firefighters to know who needs help evacuating during a fire, preventing serious injury or death.

Q3: What has been Clarion Housing’s response?
A: Clarion stated they launched an immediate investigation upon receiving the audio recording in September 2024, which led to the manager’s dismissal. They also expressed regret that the evidence wasn’t provided sooner when the issue was first reported to HR in 2023.

Q4: Does this problem extend beyond Clarion Housing?
A: Fire safety experts believe that cutting corners on fire safety is an industry-wide issue, driven by factors like cost-saving, complacency, and inadequate enforcement, raising concerns about the sector’s commitment to safety post-Grenfell.

Q5: What can residents concerned about their fire safety do?
A: Residents should first report specific concerns directly to their landlord in writing. If the response is inadequate, they can escalate the issue to the Building Safety Regulator or contact their local fire authority for advice. Tenants have a right to live in a safe building.