34 Tenant Safety & Security
Regulation 38 has become a vital process that can help resolve gaps within fi re safety information
GETTING DIGITAL WITH YOUR DATA Digital information management tools have evolved considerably over the past decade, and advanced platforms now exist to transform how vital information around fi re safety is identifi ed, collected, stored, retrieved and shared. Even better, these digital tools standardise, through templated and automated processes, off ering in-the-moment communication capabilities and seamless integration with existing systems. If they’re not game-changers, then they’re certainly a game enhancer. Now
fi re safety compliance has become relatively eff ortless and even better, digital solutions can be fl owed through the entire building lifecycle. For example, during the construction journey contractors can now collect and organise information in real time, photo-evidencing work done on a mobile device and storing it in one cloud-based bank. T e entire, once-onerous process is streamlined and what’s more they’re
easy to use, suitable for any level of IT literacy. It’s only the start as AI and AR become more advanced, with the potential to integrate into these platforms and empower project teams even more to achieve Regulation 38 at (almost) only the click of a few buttons.
SHIFTING THE NEEDLE Plug-and-play soſt ware-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, like PlanRadar, are really pushing the envelope when it comes to the regulatory-based solutions, and have made them aff ordable. T is means that even SMEsbu can have a holistic option without breaking the bank. T e impact goes beyond innovation, hopefully encouraging that true cultural
shiſt which, like Dame Judith Hackitt’s ‘Golden T read’, remains agonisingly out of our reach. Hopefully it will help operators in the sector not see Regulation 38
as a box ticking inconvenience but as a relatively easy to comply with safeguard that protects building occupants. We all want to live in a safe built environment, but achieving it means
committing to meeting regulatory requirements. Whilst there are no shortcuts, there are the tools on hand to help us get there quicker, so let’s use them!
Rob Norton is UK director at PlanRadar Stepping up to help disabled social housing tenants G
uidance from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities is calling for social housing providers to
train staff in disability issues to better support impaired tenants. One of the biggest concerns reported among
the Department’s Resident Panel for disability support and social housing was ability to move around their home and to go outside. T e stress was heightened where tenants lived in HMOs with a liſt : when the liſt was not working, they felt trapped in their homes, impacting on their mental health & wellbeing. Mobility innovator AAT GB is stepping up to
the challenge with a raſt of measures to educate social housing management and staff on ways they can help residents, whether they live in a fl at, house or bungalow with steps outside. T e measures include running a free of
charge training session on one way to address the limitation of liſt /stairs/steps, via utilisation of a stairclimber (stairclimbing wheelchair). T e session includes initial support advice for the tenant as to their options in terms of disability equipment/adaptations, demonstration of the equipment and its various options and accessories, and how it can safely be deployed to enable access without obstructing common parts. Further, AAT is introducing an equipment
management programme for social housing providers. When they purchase an AAT
stairclimber, the company will train staff , the recipient and carer(s) in how to use it and will set up the stairclimber for the user. When the tenant no longer needs it AAT will take the stairclimber back, service it, then repeat the process for the next recipient. “More than half (54%) of social housing renters
have a disabled member of the household and mobility is the most common impairment. Social housing providers have a duty of care for their tenants to enable them free access to and from their homes, Having appropriate training and measures in place to deal with the problem is therefore paramount and fundamental” says Peter Wingrave, AAT director. “Our stairclimber is a unique solution in that it is portable, requires no installation and is not
fi xed to the home in any way. It can therefore quickly ensure a tenant CAN get in and out of their home, and around it, safely, enabling them to live their daily life and reducing risk to their mental health.” AAT’s S-Max can travel 300 steps from a
single battery charge- equivalent to a 20-storey block of fl ats. T e standard unit can be easily attach to most common wheelchairs; the Sella version incorporates an integral seat with support arms and harnessing for optimal safety for the passenger. Using this technique, the disabled tenant is safely able to get in and out of the building, into their home and into the outside space and beyond. Use of stairclimbers in social housing- be
it local authority or Housing Association- is increasingly popular up and down the country- proven in practice from East London to Yorkshire. T ey are a cost-eff ective, non-disruptive way of enabling the tenant to remain in their home, for the social housing provider to meet their legal obligations and to provide safe access/exit, whether short- or long-term. AAT stairclimbers have an impeccable safety record stretching back over 20 years. Full details of AAT’s off ering for professionals
and the S-Max stairclimber can be found on the company’s website.
01978 821875
www.aatgb.com Housing Management & Maintenance April/May 2025
Tenant Safety & Security Feature
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
