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Chester House
Residents’ Handbook 2015/16
Contents
Welcome to Chester House ........................... 3
Opening hours .................................................... 7
Your Stay ............................................ 3
Visitors ................................................................ 7
Licence agreement ............................................ 3
Late meals........................................................... 7
Entry to Chester House and your room ............ 3
Packed lunch ...................................................... 7
Security ............................................................... 3
Accommodation fees............................... 7
Emergency assistance........................................ 3
Invoices ............................................................... 7
Cleaning .............................................................. 3
Payment .............................................................. 7
Your room .......................................................... 3
Deposits .............................................................. 7
Toilet and shower facilities ................................ 4
Holiday periods................................................... 8
Reporting maintenance issues .......................... 4
Overnight guests ................................................ 8
Personal possessions insurance ........................ 4
Notice of departure ........................................... 8
Pets ..................................................................... 4
Departure day..................................................... 8
Sustainability ...................................................... 4
Health & safety and fire safety .................... 8
Recycling and waste .......................................... 4
Health & safety ................................................... 8
Mail ..................................................................... 4
Fire Safety ........................................................... 9
Televisions and live TV on laptops etc .............. 4
Policies affecting residents ........................ 9
Noise ................................................................... 4
Accommodation allocation................................ 9
Alcohol and gambling ........................................ 4
Complaints ........................................................ 10
Drugs .................................................................. 5
Dignity & respect .............................................. 10
Anti-social behaviour ......................................... 5
Disciplinary procedure ..................................... 10
The Hub .............................................. 5
Safeguarding .................................................... 10
Gym ..................................................................... 5
Feedback .......................................................... 10
Residents’ laundry ............................................. 5
Available nearby ................................... 10
Other facilities ...................................... 5
Doctors ............................................................. 10
Chaplaincy .......................................................... 5
Shops, cafés and restaurants .......................... 10
WiFi ..................................................................... 5
Churches and other places of worship............ 10
Kitchenettes ....................................................... 5
Transport .......................................................... 10
Parking ................................................................ 5
Bicycles ............................................................... 6
Luggage room .................................................... 6
The quad, gardens and grounds ....................... 6
Football and tennis ............................................ 6
Ball games .......................................................... 6
Support Services .................................... 6
Duty Managers ................................................... 6
Photocopying and printing ................................ 6
Residents’ Meetings .......................................... 6
Health Services ................................................... 6
Health emergencies ........................................... 6
Dining Room ........................................ 7
Welcome to Chester House
We hope you will enjoy living here. Please
do take the time to read the following
information and keep this booklet so that
you can refer to it again in the future.
Chester House is named after Mr H Guy
Chester who donated the land it stands on
and made a substantial contribution to the
building cost. He also gave the rest of North
Bank Estate to the Methodist Church in
Great Britain, which is a registered charity.
We provide accommodation for young
people who are in London for the first time.
We welcome people from all faiths or none;
however, we do ask that you respect our
Christian principles.
Your Stay
Licence agreement
You have received a copy of the licence
agreement related to your stay, please
ensure that you have read it and keep it for
reference.
Entry to Chester House and your room
You will be given a room key and a security
fob. The fob is for the outside door and for
most internal doors which have a fob
reader. Your room key is specifically for
your room. If you lose your keys you will be
charged for replacements and in some
circumstances replacement locks – please
look after your keys at all times.
Security
The front door and doors to the quad
require the use of your security fob to
open. Access to the quad and the grounds
is not permitted after 22.00 and your
security fob will not allow entry back into
the building after that time. Never obstruct
doors or wedge them open as it is a security
risk.
Should you lose your security fob, please
contact the Duty Manager so that it can be
disabled to prevent any further access to
the building.
Please be vigilant when entering and
leaving the building. Do not hold doors
open for other people: making them use
their key fob is the only way of being
certain that they are allowed in the
building. If you see anyone acting
suspiciously please contact the Duty
Manager.
Windows in the hub will be closed after
23.00 for security, please do not open them
after this time.
Non-residents must leave the building after
23.00 (Monday to Friday) and midnight at
weekends.
Always lock your room door when you
leave your room, even if you are only going
elsewhere in the building.
Emergency assistance
Residents can go to reception for
assistance. If there is no-one in reception,
residents can contact the Duty Manager by
using the telephone in reception and
following the instructions shown.
Cleaning
Once a week, your room receives a general
clean and the bedding is changed.
Duvets and pillows, which meet fire
regulations, are provided. We also provide
bed linen (duvet cover, pillowcases and
sheets) and these are changed weekly. You
should provide your own towels. If you
have brought your own bed linen, you are
responsible for washing it.
Residents are reminded that where
cleaners are unable to clean (because your
room is untidy or you are asleep or they
cannot gain access) the weekly clean will be
missed and this may be reported to the
Duty Manager for investigation.
Your room
Please be careful how you put up posters or
photographs—no nails, drawing pins or
sticky tape. Do not stick anything on wood
surfaces such as wardrobes, room doors or
book shelves. Notices on the outside of
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your door should only be stuck to the name
plate.
•
Toilet and shower facilities
For residents in standard rooms, there are
shared shower and toilet facilities on every
floor.
Recycling and waste
Chester House is committed to recycling
wherever possible. Recycling bins are
provided throughout the building. Please
note these bins are for recyclable waste
only.
Food waste should go in the kitchenette
bins. All other waste should be put in the
bedroom bins. If your bedroom bin is full
before your room is due to be cleaned,
please tie up the bag and put it into the
outside bins.
Please do not drop litter or leave waste in
any part of the building or grounds. Please
put all waste in the bins provided.
Reporting maintenance issues
Should any resident find a fault with their
room or with Chester House provided
equipment, this must be reported to
Reception using a fault report form. Faults
will be dealt with based on three fault
priority categories:
Emergency: faults such as a major leak
or loss of hot water, which will be dealt
with within 24 hours.
• Urgent: faults such as a light not
working or a dripping tap, which will be
dealt with within 3 working days.
• Routine: all other faults, which will be
dealt with in 7-14 working days.
Should Chester House not be able to
resolve the fault within the above time
periods, you will be notified.
•
Personal possessions insurance
Insurance cover is not provided by Chester
House and you must make your own
arrangements. We take no responsibility for
loss or damage on our premises.
Pets
We do not allow pets in Chester House.
Sustainability
Chester House is committed to reducing its
carbon footprint and asks residents to
assist in this. Lighting activated by sensors
or time switches is present throughout the
building. We are installing LED lighting and
water saving devices such as aerated
shower heads and push taps. You can help
by:
•
•
switching off all lights and electrical
equipment when you leave your room
in the winter, turning down your
radiator when you are not in your room
and not opening your window with the
radiator on full
reporting any leaks or constant running
water as soon as they occur
Mail
Pigeon holes for post are located in The
Hub, you should check these regularly.
When signed-for post and parcels are
received, these are kept in reception and
your name will be listed on the whiteboard.
Please check this regularly and collect them
during office opening hours.
The Chester House address must not be
used for business purposes.
Televisions and live TV on laptops etc
If you bring your own television or you
watch live TV on any device (laptop, tablet
etc) then, under UK law, you must have a
television licence and failure to have one
could lead to prosecution.
Noise
Residents are asked to be considerate to
each other and our neighbours. Please be
especially quiet when entering and leaving
Chester House or if outside smoking.
Please be considerate when playing music
or having conversations.
Between 2300 and 0800 the Halls should be
kept quiet.
Alcohol and gambling
Alcohol must not be brought onto or
consumed on the premises (including car
park, gardens and grounds). Gambling is
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also not permitted. If alcohol is found, it will
be confiscated.
Drugs
Any connection or suspected connection
with the possession, use, buying or selling
of drugs will result in the immediate
termination of residence. We will not
condone any illegal practices and any
matters concerning these are reported to
the Police.
Anti-social behaviour
Chester House believes that everyone (both
residents and staff) should be treated with
respect at all times. Chester House
therefore takes a strong stance on antisocial, bullying or violent behaviour.
Incidents may result in the immediate
termination of residence. This includes
threatening language or abuse. This is
described in our dignity & respect policy.
The Hub
The Hub is located on the ground floor.
It includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lounge (soft seating, kitchenette,
drinks machine, IT facilities, books,
board games etc)
Study (quiet, worktables and chairs, soft
seating, reference books)
Games room (pool table, table tennis)
Gym/dance room (gym equipment; free
standing ballet barre, mirrored wall etc)
TV room (DVD player; VHS player;
surround sound)
Movie room (DVD player, surround
sound, projector)
Laundry (washing machines, driers,
irons, ironing boards and drying space)
Music room (mirror, piano: space to
rehearse or just play to relax)
Gaming room (TV and docking point for
your own console)
Prayer room (small personal space for
prayer or reflection)
Water coolers (in The Hub and the
Dining Room)
Gym
The gym is open:
Weekdays 07.30—23.00
Weekends 09.30—23.00
Residents’ laundry
Washing machines and tumble driers are
coin operated (£1 and 50p respectively.)
Please read the instructions on all
equipment before use and also check the
laundry labels on your clothing, to avoid
disasters.
Other facilities
Chaplaincy
Please ask at reception if you would like to
meet with a chaplain.
WiFi
There is free WiFi throughout the building
served by fibre optic broadband. All WiFi
channels have the same password, which is
available from reception. Please be
considerate to others by not downloading
large files. At peak times the connection
may slow down. Please report any issues to
reception, but please note that Chester
House does not provide IT support.
Kitchenettes
Kitchenettes for residents’ use are located
in The Hub and on the first, second, fourth
and fifth floors, with snack making facilities
(microwave, kettle and fridge). Some
crockery and cutlery is provided, which
must be returned to the kitchenette after
use—you are responsible for your own
washing up.
We also have a small, fully equipped kitchen
available for occasional use by residents. If
you would like to use it, please ask at
reception for more details.
Parking
Residents are advised not to bring their
own cars as we cannot guarantee a parking
place unless you are a blue badge holder.
There may be parking available in the
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surrounding streets but these are busy
roads.
Bicycles
We encourage cycling and provide a bike
storage area for your use. Please ask at
reception for further information on this.
Luggage room
We have a small storeroom where residents
may store cases and boxes of belongings
(there is a limited amount of space per
person). Please ensure that everything is in
a case or closed box (not plastic bags) and
is clearly labelled with your name. Please
note that we cannot store fridges or TVs.
This service is only available to current
residents and those for whom we hold a
deposit and a future booking. If you leave
items and cancel a booking we will charge
£15 per week. Items not belonging to a
current resident will be disposed of three
months after your departure date.
The quad, gardens and grounds
Chester House is arranged around a grassy
square (‘the quad’) which can be accessed
from reception. From the quad, you can
access our garden area and beyond that
you can get into the grounds of the North
Bank Estate (access code 1960). You will
need your door fob to get back into the
building.
The key fobs do not work on the quad doors
between 22.00 and 07.30. This is to ensure
that other residents are not disturbed and to
keep good relationships with our neighbours
(don’t get locked out!)
Football and tennis
We share an all-weather tennis court (which
is also marked up for five-a-side football)
with the local tennis club. Please see the
signs for times when you can use it. We
have some tennis racquets and footballs in
reception for your use.
Ball games
Ball games are only permitted in the main
grounds.
Support Services
Duty Managers
Duty Managers are members of staff who
live in the halls of residence and who work
on a rota to provide 24/7 cover. Their role is
to support, guide and assist residents. If
they are unable to assist, they will advise
the resident of the appropriate support
services.
Duty Managers also ensure health and
safety within Chester House and ensure
that residents do not cause a nuisance or
damage. They can initiate disciplinary action
against residents where appropriate.
Photocopying and printing
Photocopies may be made at reception
during office hours. We will also print items
for you, please email these to
office@chesterhouse.org.uk. (We do not
accept USB sticks or similar items due to
the risk of viruses.) A single side of A4 costs
5p (B&W) or 10p (colour); A3 is 10p/20p.
Residents’ Meetings
We generally hold a residents’ meeting
shortly after the start of the autumn term
and aim for one in each term. It would be
helpful for you to attend this as it is an
important way for us to share information,
provide you with support and answer your
queries.
Health Services
Your university or college may provide
medical support services; you should
investigate this soon after arriving. We
recommend you to register with a local GP
practice. You will find one located directly
opposite us, on Colney Hatch Lane. You will
need to take a letter with you from
reception confirming that you reside here.
We can also provide addresses for local
dentists and other health professionals.
Health emergencies
There is a first aid kit in reception and the
Duty Managers have received first aid
training.
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The nearest casualty department is at the
Whittington Hospital, Highgate Hill, near to
Archway tube station.
In an emergency you can call 999 for an
ambulance or if it is not an emergency you
can call 111 for medical advice. Both operate
24/7.
microwave. This must be requested at
reception before 16.00.
Vegetarian and special diets
A vegetarian option is provided each day.
Special diets may be provided if it is
practicable to do so, please discuss this
with reception before booking.
Dining Room
Packed lunch
You may order a packed lunch for Saturday
or Sunday lunchtime by informing reception
by 16.00 on Thursday. (This is not available
on bank holidays or weekdays).
Opening hours
Monday to
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Breakfast 07.00-10.00 07.00-10.00 07.00-10.00
Cooked/
Cooked/
Cooked/
continental continental continental
07.30-08.15 07.45-08.30 08.30-09.15
Lunch
Evening
meal
Not
available
12.30-13.30
12.30-13.30
18.00-19.30 18.00-19.30 18.00-19.30
All room prices include meals. These are:
breakfast and evening meals every day and
lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Please do not use mobile phones in the
dining room for calls or to play media as this
is disruptive to others. (This also applies to
tablets, laptops and similar devices).
Please do not take more than one meal or
dessert as it will mean someone else going
without. Also do not remove crockery,
cutlery or glasses from the dining room as
this will lead to shortages at mealtimes.
Please dress reasonably, we may ask you to
leave the dining room if we feel you are not
dressed appropriately.
Visitors
Visitors may not enter the dining room
unless you have booked a Visitor’s meal
beforehand at reception. You will be
charged at the current rate.
Late meals
If you know that you will not get back
before 19.30, you may request a late meal
to be kept for you. This will have your name
on it and be stored in the fridge in the
dining room. It can be heated in the
Accommodation fees
Invoices
All residents are invoiced for the first four
weeks on arrival and four-weekly in
advance thereafter. These invoices begin at
12.00 on a Monday. If you have any queries
about your invoice, please inform reception
as soon as possible, delays will make it
harder to adjust your account.
Payment
Invoices are due immediately and we
expect to receive payment within 7 days.
We accept cash, cheques and bank
transfers. We do not accept credit or debit
cards. We recommend that you keep all of
your invoices and receipts.
If payment is not made within four weeks
of invoice, you will be asked to clear the
debt in cash or bank transfer and to leave
Chester House.
If you are having trouble paying please
speak to reception before the invoice is
overdue so that they can consider the
situation.
Deposits
Residents pay a deposit for which a receipt
will be given. Please keep this receipt. The
deposit will be returned to you on or
shortly after departure, once we have been
able to check your room and ensure that
there is no damage. Deductions will be
made where you owe Chester House
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money or if there has been damage or keys
have been lost etc.
Holiday periods
In the following circumstances, reduced
fees will be charged when a resident goes
away and has given 5 days’ notice:
Should it be necessary to ask a resident to
leave, 14 days’ notice will be given, except
in cases of gross misconduct where the
Accommodation Services Manager may
give any notice that they feel appropriate in
the circumstances.
•
During Christmas and Easter holidays for
between 7 and 28 nights
• At all other times, for between 7 and 16
nights. (There must be at least 14 nights
in between each holiday period.)
Normal fees will apply for less than 7 nights
away. Normal fees also apply where less
than 5 days’ notice is given. Normal fees
apply beyond the discounted nights stated.
Please note that all discounts are given in
arrears.
Departure day
Rooms must be vacated and keys returned
to reception, by 10.00 on the day of
departure. On the day of departure only
breakfast is included. All personal items
must be removed from the building. If
reception is closed, please put keys into the
white box in the corridor near reception.
A forwarding address should be left by all
departing residents so that post may be
redirected. This service is for 3 months only.
Overnight guests
If you wish to have a guest stay for a short
period, there are two options:
Health & safety and fire safety
A room may be booked at the shortterm rate if available
• A guest can sleep in your room (after
you have lived here for 28 days) for a
fee. They must provide their own
bedding. This is only available for a
maximum of 8 out of any 28 nights
period per guest
You must inform reception in advance of
any friends staying over—a Stop-over Form
is available in reception. Out of office hours,
put the form into the white box in the
corridor near reception. You will be billed
later. If you don’t inform us by 08.30 the
following day we will bill for a full day at the
normal rate.
•
Notice of departure
Residents booked for more than four
weeks must give at least four weeks
written notice of departure to reception.
Residents booked for less than four weeks
must give at least 7 days’ written notice of
departure to reception. Failure to do so will
lead to additional charges or loss of your
deposit.
Health & safety
Chester House is committed to ensuring the
safety of its residents, staff, visitors and
buildings and we require all residents to
adhere to the health and safety guidelines
outlined below.
Health & safety relates to behaving in a way
that does not put yourself, other people, or
the building at risk of injury or damage.
Anyone found to be in breach of this may
be asked to leave Chester House and could
be liable for prosecution under UK law.
Chester House expects its residents to act
in a safe and responsible way. Specifically,
the following aspects of health & safety
must be adhered to:
• Electrical equipment – all electrical
equipment used by a resident must
comply with UK safety legislation and
carry a CE or BS kite mark. All electrical
equipment must be in a safe condition
with no exposed wires or damage to the
wire, plug or the piece of equipment.
Chester House reserves the right to
check and remove any electrical
equipment it deems does not comply
with safety legislation or is in a
dangerous condition.
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•
•
•
Electrical safety – do not overload
electrical sockets. One fused extension
lead is allowed if it conforms to the
electrical equipment guidelines above.
No further extension leads or adaptor
plugs should be used. Any damaged
electrical sockets must be reported to
staff immediately and must not be used.
Chester House reserves the right to
check bedrooms and remove any
extension leads or adaptors.
Fridges – there are fridges for the use of
residents around the building. Residents
are responsible for ensuring that the
food is adequately covered and stored
correctly. Chester House reserves the
right to remove and dispose of any food
poorly stored or out of date.
Accidents & Injuries – should any
resident or a guest of a resident become
ill or injured while in Chester House, a
duty manager should be contacted
immediately for assistance. Residents
must inform a duty manager should an
injury affect their mobility or if they
contract a serious infection or
contagious illness.
Fire Safety
Fire safety relates to reducing the risk of
fire, ensuring the safe evacuation of all
persons and limiting the damage to
buildings should a fire break out. Every
resident is responsible for their own safe
evacuation as well as the safe evacuation of
their guests. Residents must not behave in
a way that would increase the risk of fire
starting, reduce the effectiveness of fire
safety equipment or prevent the safe
evacuation in the event of a fire. Residents
must comply with the following:
•
Smoking, the use of e-cigarettes,
lighting of candles, joss sticks or any
other items with naked flames is not
permitted in any part of the building or
grounds. Smoking (including ecigarettes) is only permitted in the
specified area at the front of the
building.
The use of cooking equipment in nonkitchen areas is not permitted. Items
such as camping stoves, toasters or
microwaves are not allowed in
bedrooms. Cooking can only be done
using Chester House equipment.
• The use of electrical or gas heaters is
not permitted.
• Do not wedge open or block fire doors
(self-closing doors).
• Do not interfere with or misuse fire
safety equipment. This includes smoke
detectors, fire extinguishers, fire doors,
call points and fire signs.
• Do not put items made of metal in
microwaves and toasters.
• Do not use kitchen equipment for a
purpose for which it was not intended.
• Do not leave a kitchen area when using
the kitchen equipment.
• Flammable liquids or gases are not
permitted in the building.
• Do not leave any items in the corridor,
stairwell or by an exit.
• Read and take note of the evacuation
routes and procedures posters
throughout the building.
• Always leave the building safely and go
to the assembly point, in the quad, as
soon as the fire alarm sounds.
Chester House carries out a weekly test of
the fire alarm on Wednesdays at 11.00. This
test will last for around 30 seconds and
there is no need to evacuate. At all other
times or should the alarm sound for longer
than 30 seconds at that time, everyone
must evacuate and go directly to the quad
when the fire alarm sounds.
•
Policies affecting residents
Relevant policies can be downloaded or
obtained from reception.
Accommodation allocation
This policy aims to avoid discrimination;
comply with the Equality Act 2010 and
equitably allocate rooms, within resources
available.
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Complaints
At Chester House we always try to give you
good service. If you are not satisfied with
what we have done, we would like to know.
Please talk to a Duty Manager or use the
complaints procedure in the leaflet ‘Are you
satisfied?’ which is available in reception.
Dignity & respect
This policy aims to:
Promote an environment where unfair
treatment, bullying and harassment are
not accepted and are understood to be
unacceptable forms of behaviour
• Ensure that residents take responsibility
for creating and maintaining an
environment in which dignity and
respect are fostered
• Provide a framework to support
residents who feel they have been
subject to/or accused of unfair
treatment, bullying, harassment or
victimisation.
If you feel that you or someone you know,
have been treated in a way that is
unacceptable under this policy please speak
to a Duty Manager as soon as possible.
•
Disciplinary procedure
This procedure describes how we handle
breaches of this handbook.
Safeguarding
This procedure describes how we ensure
that under-18s and adults are kept safe
whilst at Chester House.
Feedback
We welcome comments on this handbook
so that we can improve future editions.
Please give feedback to reception.
Available nearby
Doctors
The nearest GP surgery is directly opposite
us at:
Rutland House Surgery
40 Colney Hatch Lane
London
N10 1DX
Phone: 020-8883-8214
When you go to register, you will need to
take a letter from us confirming that you
live here you. Ask for this in reception.
Shops, cafés and restaurants
It is just 5 minutes’ walk to the shops, cafés,
pubs, restaurants, pharmacies and Post
Office in Muswell Hill. There is a large Tesco
a short bus ride away, on bus routes 134, 43
and 234.
Churches and other places of worship
A list of these is available from reception.
Transport
Buses 43, 134, 234, 102 and 299 stop near
Chester House.
From Bus Stop CB
• Bus 134 goes towards North Finchley
(for London Studio Centre)
From Bus Stop CQ
• Bus 134 goes towards Tottenham Court
Road (for Birkbeck/ IALS/ RADA/ SOAS/
UCL)
• Bus 43 goes towards London Bridge
(Cass/London Met north campus & a
short walk at the other end to city
campus)
• Buses 134 and 43 connect to Highgate
Underground on the Northern line
From Bus Stop CA
• Buses 102 and 299 connect to Bounds
Green Underground on Piccadilly line
From Bus Stop C (top of Muswell Hill)
• Bus 144 goes to Turnpike Lane and
Wood Green (for Mountview alight at
Wightman Road)
Bus 234 is a hail and ride service
• From outside Chester House going to
Tesco and on to High Barnet
• From opposite Chester House to East
Finchley tube via Muswell Hill Broadway
Other routes are given on our website and
the Transport for London website
(www.tfl.gov.uk).
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Photography: © andrewalexander.co.uk
2015
Front cover: gym & dance studio Chester House
Back cover: City view from Muswell Hill
Page 11
Chester House, Pages Lane, London, N10 1PR
www.chesterhouse.org.uk contact: office@chesterhouse.org.uk
Chester House and the Guy Chester Centre are trading names of Trustees of the North Bank
Estate—a ministry of the Methodist Church in Great Britain Registered Charity number 1132208