Grenfell Fire Response Team

You may be interested in the Grenfell Fire Response Team:

 

The Grenfell Fire Response Team has been set up to support residents

affected by the fire. The team includes London-wide local and regional

government, central government, British Red Cross, Metropolitan Police,

London Fire Brigade and many different local and national voluntary groups.

 

The Grenfell Fire Response Team is being led by John Barradell, OBE, Chief

Executive of Corporation of London, and a Gold Command Centre has been set

up to manage the response.

 

We are working hard to put in place support and services for those affected

by the fire. a leaflet has been distributed in the

area around Grenfell Tower to signpost information about the support

available and a newsletter is regularly being produced.

 

The purpose of this update is to provide you with our latest information on

the response. You will now receive regular updates in this way. Please feel

free to pass this on to other people who may find it useful.

 

For up to the minute information follow them on Twitter

@grenfellsupport

 

Housing

 

We have offered emergency hotel accommodation in the local area to everyone

who needs it.

Housing numbers across Grenfell Tower, Grenfell Walk and the cordon area

are:

 

*   In total there are 354 households in emergency accommodation.

*   140 hotel placements have been made for people living in Grenfell

Tower and Grenfell Walk.

*   There are also 109 additional households now in hotels from the wider

affected area.

*   There have been 59 additional high-vis workers, including 38 Red Cross

in the centre & undertaking community liaison.

*   137 keyworkers are supporting people affected.

 

Work is now taking place to assess the housing needs of all Grenfell Tower

and Grenfell Walk families to identify longer-term accommodation in the

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and neighbouring boroughs.

 

*   So far 127 housing needs assessments have been completed.

*   21 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk have not had their

housing needs assessed yet. These households have been contacted. We

continue to work with the families using the assistance of volunteers to

accurately assess their needs.

*   28 viewings are taking place for families to view properties we have

offered to date.

*   68 new build flats as part of the Kensington Road development in the

borough will be provided to re-house residents from Grenfell Tower. These

will be ready by the end July 2017.

 

Financial assistance

 

*   As of 12 midday on 22 June, £999,830 has been distributed to affected

families.

*   This is made up of a £500 cash payments and £5,000 delivered through

DWP into bank accounts or similar in a single payment, along with

discretionary payments made by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

*   94 households have been given the £5,000 payments so far.

 

Boilers

 

*   The hot water boiler which serves Grenfell Tower and surrounding

properties – covering a total of 394 homes – was located under the Tower and

completely destroyed by the fire.

*   Military specialists have supported a local authority engineering

assessment on site. As a result, plans are now progressing to install a

temporary boiler. We will ensure this is in place as soon as possible.

*   In the meantime, any residents who want to do so can be placed in

hotel accommodation.

 

Utility companies

 

*   The Government and utility companies have announced a package of

support for Grenfell victims across energy, water and telecommunications.

This includes suppliers agreeing to write off outstanding utility bills for

victims of the fire, and the support comes on top of the £5 million fund to

pay for emergency supplies, food, clothes and other costs.

 

 

Air Quality

 

*   Public Health England (PHE) has been providing specialist advice on

health following the Grenfell Tower fire. This includes health advice on air

quality, smoke exposure, asbestos, and the clean-up process.

 

 

Mail

 

*   Grenfell Tower’s post is being held at Royal Mail’s West London

Delivery Centre, Unit 20-23, 7 Premier Park Road, London NW10 7NZ (Open from

8am – 2pm Mon to Sat). There will also be a collection location at Westway

Sports Centre Car Park. No ID is required for collection.

*   A free Royal Mail Redirection service is available to those affected

for a period of one year . For more information on these services call 01752

387055.

 

 

Community Engagement

 

*   There is now a single point of contact for voluntary and community

sector organisations that wish to discuss community engagement issues and

concerns.  Please contact this email address if you would also like to be

added to the update bulletin:

Communityengagement@grenfellresponse.org

 

 

Further support

 

There are a range of support services available in the Assistance Centre.

This includes housing needs, emergency funds, health, social care services,

experienced volunteers from the Red Cross and other organisations, food and

above all, a kind and sympathetic team of people ready to provide advice on

anything.

 

The British Red Cross is coordinating and providing assistance. The British

Red Cross personnel, public sector staff, and volunteers have been on site

24 hours a day since early last Wednesday.  They are undertaking outreach

work to find people who need help and we have also asked them to be at

airports to meet grieving relatives as they arrive. They can also help

distribute donations that have poured in from the public.

 

A British Red Cross helpline is in action to help give practical or

emotional support to anyone who needs it and capacity of this is being

expanded to give people a central point of contact. The number is 0800 458

9472.

 

Frequently asked questions

 

Are people in emergency housing being put in tower blocks?

No. People are being temporarily housed in hotel accommodation in or close

to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

 

Are people living in parks?

We are not aware of anybody living in parks and there is no need for people

to be living in parks if that is the case we would urge people to come to

the Westway Sports Centre so we can help with their housing needs.

 

Are people been forced out of the borough, or being made intentionally

homeless?

This is simply not true. No one is being forced to move out of London, or

being threatened with being made homeless. We’re working to find the right

accommodation for those affected residents, either in Kensington and Chelsea

or neighbouring boroughs.

 

Are people affected by the fire being asked for ID at the assessment centre?

People affected by the fire were issued letters informing them of the

process to access funding and we have asked them to show this letter as some

people may have had their IDs destroyed in the fire. This is to ensure those

who need support get it. They should not be asked for their ID.

 

Concerns about cyanide released in the air from the fire?

Public Health England air quality tests over the past week following the

Grenfell Tower fire shows no detectable deterioration in air quality. They

have advised that smoke from any fire is toxic and can contain a range of

chemicals such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, irritant gases such as

hydrogen chloride.  The amounts of toxic products will vary with the

materials involved in a fire, its temperature and the amount of oxygen.

 

Undocumented migrants – What will happen to anyone who isn’t documented but

lived in the tower?

We will not use this tragic incident as a reason to carry out immigration

checks on those involved and those providing vital information to identify

victims.  We will also make sure that all victims, irrespective of their

immigration status, will be able to access the services they need, including

accommodation and healthcare.

 

Media enquiries – Grenfell Fire Response Team 24 hour media centre on

020 7641 3677/3678/3679 or email

grenfellcomms@westminster.gov.uk

 

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