Following the above email I asked the University to provide a narrower timeframe or choice of options when room entry is required. 

The University have committed to working to see how much more they can achieve, both in reducing entry and advising students when it will occur. This could include systems such as automatic notification of entry to flats if maintenance personnel are delayed.

I'm going to mark this YMC as completed as it was also discussed at our recent Halls Forum. If you would like me do anything further please message me at bit.ly/OliviaTeams 

Thanks,

Olivia :)

I have raised this to the University and received the following response:

Thank you for raising this, it is a difficult issue we are regularly discussing in RS.

As you may be aware, we are required by law to carry out statutory compliance works within our residences at all times, including during the pandemic and exams.  We are trying to reduce all entry to any flats as far as possible and are working with maintenance and operations teams to condense the number of times we enter flats.  This has been ongoing since the beginning of the covid situation and we are continuing to review how we advise students of required entry and reducing how often we go in.

To this end, since Covid commenced, we have only undertaken kitchen inspections very intermittently in the effort to reduce risk to both our staff and students.  However, with the reduced number of students returning after Christmas we are now required to carry out legionella flushing of all empty rooms and flats weekly.  This is not our choice but a legal requirement.

Given this, and trying to reduce number of flat entries whilst maintaining a safe environment, we are asking the member of staff undertaking flushing to also undertake a cursory visual inspection of the kitchen.  We are also responsible for hygiene compliance and this cursory inspection will help us make sure communal areas and kitchens do not present a health risk.  We know we have some flats where students have not returned but have left perishable goods in the fridge and cupboards.  Plus we also have some students whose hygiene practice is very poor which does present other risks.

For completeness I advise we legally have to carry out monthly inspections of all fire equipment and egress routes, plus over the year we undertake inspections to ventilation and mechanical equipment for statutory legal compliance.  Personnel are required to announce themselves before entering and we have robust risk assessments and measures in place to reduce any covid risk but unfortunately we cannot cease any of these activities.

I am aware we can improve our communication to students of why we enter their flats and the protection measures in place and will work with the comms team to ensure we do this, but unfortunately I am unable to reduce the entry to student flats even during exams.  In truth the need to flush to prevent legionella will require more access to occupied flats than before the winter break.   That said, please be assured we are doing all we can to reduce risk and disturbance to students.