Barry Martin

Dear After Inquest Team, We have now reviewed your request and provide the following information by way or response. Concern Raised: The concern raised within the Coroner's Enquiry into the death of Mr. Martin was as follows: 'After concerns were raised for his welfare, Mr Martin's front door to his house was boarded up following a forced entry by Greater Manchester Police on 10th December 2020. There were no other exit routes from the property as there was no key available to Mr Martin to be able to use the rear door being the only other door. I am concerned that if occupied houses have to be boarded up that proper checks are made that there are other alternative safe exit routes for residents.' Jigsaw Group's Response: We can confirm that on 14th December 2020, a Jigsaw technician attended an emergency call out to board up the front door of the property; following forced entry by the Police on welfare grounds. In such circumstances, our usual process is for technicians to enter the property, call out to see if anyone is in the property, and to check for alternative access/exit routes before boarding up the door. However, when our technician attended on this occasion, he was approached by a neighbour who confirmed that the tenant had been taken to hospital so was not in occupation at the time of the board up. Our technician noted that the property had rear door access and was therefore satisfied that the tenant had alternative access to the property. Our supposition, given the tenant was subsequently found to be in the property when the Police attended on the second occasion, is that the tenant had been able to use the rear door to access the property on his return from hospital. The Group's records confirm that when the tenant had signed up for the property he had been issued with four keys for the front door and four keys for the rear door and we can find no evidence to suggest that the tenant did not have a key for, or access to, the property via the rear door of his property at the time when the front door was boarded up. We trust this provides sufficient clarification / assurance on the concern raised. Kind regards,

Assistant Director - Corporate Services (Audit)