Security


wiring is preferable. Battery operated locksets avoid the expense and disruption of installing a mains supply and the potential hazards from hard wiring. With Wi-Fi capability, depending on the layout and construction of the building, it is possible to have a system that is almost entirely wireless. Batteries might be seen as


inconvenient, but by checking a few features of the system it’s easy to see that this isn’t the case. On an average of 20 opening cycles per day, the best systems offer a battery life of about 15 months and alert staff when they need replacing. In any care facility, it makes


sense to avoid any fixtures or fittings that could provide an attachment point for a ligature or that are easy to damage or disable. Open keyways that could be blocked with foreign bodies should also be avoided. Use anti-tamper fixings so that fixtures stay in place and can’t be used as weapons. Look for flame- retardant and impact-resistant materials that can make a huge difference to safety, staff morale and maintenance costs. For long product life, choose automatic deadlocking night latches, which cut down on mechanical wear. Aesthetics should never be ignored


and wherever possible an institutional look should be avoided. It is possible to combine style and safety and to source fixtures that can be colour matched to décor schemes or even personalised using permanent hydrographic transfer. By choosing adaptable hardware,


it is possible to achieve consistency of design throughout a site, on bedroom doors, cupboard doors, kitchens, bathrooms, service risers and even back of house locksets.


Safety features The key feature that caused alarm bells to ring at the CQC was the lack of anti- ligature design, but in access control systems another feature of locksets – an anti-barricade function – is much more than a ‘nice to have’. With residents possibly confused,


agitated, destructive or at risk of self harm, every detail of a lockset is critical and however much control of day to day access is passed to residents, overall control must always remain with staff. The best proximity access control system in the world is of little use if it does not offer the capability to over-ride


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Aesthetics should never be ignored and wherever possible an institutional look should be avoided


a service user’s attempt to create a barricade. Whatever type of lockset is used,


whether mechanical or electronic, it should incorporate anti-barricade features. Some residents will try to interfere with locks to form barricades or inconvenience staff, and in these circumstances an over-ride mechanism is essential. The most basic anti-barricade


locksets have a key that always dominates the lock whatever someone is doing on the other side of the door. For more reassurance, some systems – including the latest software controlled options – have a second, concealed backup mechanism that allows the door to be opened in case of emergency. Mechanical systems can be effective and reliable, but the benefits of an


Philip Ross


Philip Ross is a director of Safehinge and Primera Life. He set up Safehinge with business partner Martin Izod in 2007 and in November 2016 Safehinge acquired Primera Life, bringing together two market leaders in door hardware. Philip studied product design engineering at the Glasgow School of Art and worked for design businesses internationally before returning to the UK to launch Safehinge. He takes an active role in enhancing service user recovery through product development and volunteers as a member of the Design in Mental Health Network board.


www.thecarehomeenvi ronment .com • January 2017


electronic solution lie in the potential to simplify the day to day running of units and the advantage of empowering residents. These features are so significant that some providers are choosing to replace their existing, and still functional, mechanical locksets. When it makes sense for everyone – for clinical staff, maintenance teams and especially for residents – we should always be ready to implement the best solution for a facility’s current circumstances.


Conclusion We have come a long way in terms of care home provision and in the design of facilities. Research has proven the importance to residents of a positive, nurturing and


sympathetic environment. Committed and dedicated businesses and individuals are making practical changes, developing new products that have the power to protect residents and by empowering them, to transform their lives. Advances take many forms. From


innovation and adaptation to building in flexibility to accommodate the changing demands of a healthcare environment, it is all progress. Sometimes it’s a small step forward, sometimes a huge leap and sometimes it’s a pause to reconsider. Access control in care homes is an


issue that’s going through the process. Improvements, modifications and adaptations based on the ability to empathise with residents and understand the needs of clinical staff will always be welcome.


TCHE


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