We are FRC Living and we’re experts in providing durable, compliant and fire-retardant furniture, white goods, and accessories for all types of social housing.

Whether its hostels, resettlement properties, temporary accommodation, next steps housing, furnished tenancies, supported housing, market rented properties or key worker accommodation, we can help.

Key services include:

• Contract furniture supply: We supply all kinds of furniture, white goods and accessories. We deliver nationwide, with core items supplied within five days – and all items are warrantied in social housing settings.
• Project management: Let us handle installation from start to finish. We can support housing projects of any size, budget, or timeline, with all furniture installed in-situ and all packaging removed for recycling.
• Starter packs and accessories: From kitchen utensils and cookware to bed linens and toiletries, we provide everything residents need to feel at home from day one.
• Long-term support: We offer ongoing assistance to help landlords maintain high accommodation standards and minimise relet times.

FRC Living is all about making things easier so landlords can focus on core activities. Simply place an order, and we’ll do the rest.

 

We are Buckingham Interiors and we’re passionate about creating beautiful and functional living spaces.

We specialise in high-quality interior design, bespoke furniture, and accessories for independent living, sheltered living, and extra care housing.

Here’s what we offer:

• Interior design: Our sector-specific design services blend style, comfort, and aesthetics with practical solutions that cater to the diverse needs of residents, including dementia specifications and dementia friendliness.
• Project consultation and management: We’re with you every step of the way on new builds or refurbishments. Working closely together, we deliver design-led interior solutions with packages tailored to your project’s unique needs.
• Furniture supply and installation: We provide high quality, fire regulation compliant furniture, accessories, artwork, and window coverings, all delivered and installed according to your floor plan.

When you choose Buckingham Interiors, you’re tapping into 30 years of experience in design-led furnishings. We’re all about combining comfort, style, and practicality to create living spaces that people love to be in.

 

We are Furniture Flex and we’re here to help landlords tackle the challenges of providing furnished tenancies.

We offer everything needed to turn a house into a home—from furnishings and white goods to appliances and everyday essentials like utensils and bedding—all through flexible, cost-neutral options. Our innovative packages let you choose between rental, purchase, or a mix of both.

Offering furnished tenancies can deliver many benefits, including:

• Lower tenant turnover
• Reduced void losses from vacant properties
• Reduced rent arrears
• Better tenant engagement
• Increased demand for hard-to-let properties

Furniture Flex also partners with End Furniture Poverty, using their extensive research to create solutions that help landlords set up furnished tenancies and help tenants escape furniture poverty.

 

We are End Furniture Poverty, and we are the campaigning and social research arm of FRC Group.

Launched in 2015, the initiative was created to raise national awareness of the issue of furniture poverty and to develop scaled solutions to drive change.

Our research helps us dig deep into the causes and impacts of furniture poverty, so we can create evidence-based solutions. We use these insights to fuel campaigns across the social housing sector and lobby local and central governments to improve furniture provision.

Some of our current campaigns include Make a House a Home, which calls for at least 10% of social homes to be furnished, and our ongoing efforts to secure long-term, ring-fenced funding for local authority crisis schemes.

We work closely with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to ensure furniture provision is widespread and accessible. We’re also key players in broader efforts to tackle poverty. We provide ongoing support to social landlords, charities, local authorities, and others to help them set up furniture schemes, making sure everyone has access to the essential items they need for a secure life.

Together, we can End Furniture Poverty.

For more information visit https://frcgroup.co.uk

In August 2022, specialist procurement consultancy Prosper launched the first-to-market decarbonisation retrofit and investment work framework.

Fast forward two years and Prosper has now facilitated over 50 contracts with housing providers and local authorities across the UK, unlocking more than £200 million worth of construction opportunities.

The Decarbonisation Retrofit Framework (including refurbishment works) is an all-encompassing procurement solution that covers a range of decarbonisation retrofit works with the option to include standard investment works.

The innovative solution provides the delivery mechanism for a range of retrofit works aimed at insulating fabric-first elements of homes through Principal Contractors who will be able to deliver component schemes or whole-house approaches to include typical cyclical investment works, for example, kitchen and bathroom instalments.

It compliments the works supported through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (SDF) and ECO4 works, meaning contractors have to be compliant with PAS 2035 installer accreditation requirements and hold Trustmark certification.

Prosper’s staff have extensive experience and have facilitated contracts on properties ranging from 1-bedroom flats and bedsits in rural communities to 4-bedroom homes and multiple 18-storey tower blocks in urban towns and cities.

North Devon Homes are committed to improving the energy efficiency of their homes whilst helping customers to lower their energy bills and keep them warm during the colder, winter months.

Last year, our client was successful in securing funding from SHDF wave 2 to enable them to upgrade 120 properties to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of band C or above.

They engaged Prosper to facilitate the procurement of this 2-year project, accessing the Decarbonisation Retrofit Framework – Lot 8 South West, offering a direct award to supply chain partner, LivGreen.

Works have now been successfully completed on the first site at Tewsley Close in Bickington, which involved upgrading four blocks of flats and eleven bungalows, all of which had night-storage heating.

Improvements have included the installation of PV panels to the flats which will provide free electricity and can be diverted to high heat retention storage heaters which are more economical to run and can be boosted by the PV panels during the day.

The properties have also benefitted from having external mineral wall cavity insulation removed and replaced with better performing thermal bead. Upgrades have been made to windows and doors and assessments indicate that the properties are now performing above EPC C rating, with some achieving a rating of band B.

Earlier this year, Golden Lane Housing accessed Prosper’s Decarbonisation Retrofit Framework and has successfully completed the retrofit of 36 homes across the North West.

Our client provides safe, supported housing for people with a learning disability and autistic people and worked in partnership with RE:GEN North West to deliver the improvements, focussing on upgrading homes with energy-efficient measures and modernising key facilities.

The works included external, cavity wall, loft and roof insulation, the fitting of air source heat pumps, insulated external doors and A+ windows and upgrading of heating controls. Prior to the works, the EPC rating of these properties were D, E and F but are now performing at EPC C and B.

The retrofit project plays a critical role in helping Golden Lane Housing meet its long-term sustainability commitments. By focusing on energy efficiency, the project supports the organisation’s goal to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 2030, as part of its broader sustainability strategy. The successful completion of the retrofit is a key step in fulfilling these ambitious targets while enhancing the value and quality of its housing portfolio.

 

Melissa O’Donnell, Director of Property and Sustainability, said:

“Golden Lane Housing is delighted with the success of the retrofit works completed on 36 of our properties across the North West of England. By incorporating innovative energy-efficient measures such as air source heat pumps, enhanced insulation, and A+ rated windows and doors, we’ve significantly improved the energy performance of these homes, with EPC ratings rising from D, E, and F to C and B. These improvements not only help us meet our long-term sustainability goals but demonstrate our commitment to enhancing the comfort and affordability of our tenants’ homes.”

Rod Brasington, Chief Executive of Prosper, said:

“At Prosper, we support our local authority, housing association and supply chain partners with end-to-end solutions that achieve scale, compliance and cost-efficiency.

“We are delighted to have played a significant part in the successful procurement of contracts on behalf of North Devon Homes and Golden Lane Housing and to hear about the positive impact these works have had on their housing stock and their tenants. These two projects demonstrate the scale and complexity of the contracts we can facilitate.

“The successful implementation and delivery of our first decarbonisation retrofit and investment work framework has proved to be extremely popular with over 50 decarbonisation contracts to the value of £200 million placed through it.

“The experience we have gained from the delivery of this framework, has helped to further strengthen our position in the market with the forthcoming rollout of a new Decarbonisation and Investment Installation Works framework, which will coincide with Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 applications.

“The initial decarbonisation retrofit framework will still run concurrently with the new framework and landlords will be able to utilise either framework. Applications to return tenders closed in October 2024 and we received over 60 submissions, which demonstrates Prosper’s market-leading position in the Decarbonisation market and the appetite for contractors to be awarded a place on this framework.”

 

The framework covers regional lots across the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber, North West, East Midlands, East of England, South East, South West, London, West Midlands, and Wales.

The new framework will provide landlords with an innovative and compliant ‘one-stop-shop’ solution route to delivery through appointed Principal Contractors and coincides with Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 applications, offering traditional investment works to deliver component schemes or whole house approaches.

Typical works covered under the framework will include internal and external wall insulation, ground source and air source heat pumps, electric heating solutions, PV systems, ventilation systems, roofing works as well as traditional works such as the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms, replacement of windows and doors and solutions to tackle damp and mould.

The digital switchover has already begun, but what does it mean for social landlords and supported living providers?

As a social housing provider, you’re likely aware of the critical shift from analogue to digital (A2D) telecare. This change offers unparalleled advantages but requires thoughtful planning to ensure smooth, beneficial implementation. Here are some ways Taking Care can support you in your digital journey, ensuring you meet your residents’ needs now and in the future.

Transitioning from A2D telecare schemes can be a significant undertaking for social and supported living providers. It can particularly impact those responsible for sheltered or supported housing, where hard-wired alarms, warden intercom or dispersed alarm units will be much harder to support by 2027.

But despite the challenges, a switch to digital offers numerous benefits, such as improved efficiency, enhanced service delivery, and increased resident (and employee) satisfaction.

Wherever you are on your digital journey we can help. Here are our top 7 tips to successfully navigating your A2D transition:

1. Outline a clear strategy and plan. Include the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of transitioning to digital care. Taking time to develop a clear and cohesive Digital Transformation Plan that’s right for your organisation will ensure that all your team are on board.
2. Conduct a thorough assessment. Before changing anything, conduct a comprehensive assessment of your existing analogue telecare system. Identifying its strengths, weaknesses, and any potential challenges that may arise during the transition will help you develop a well-informed plan.
3. Engage all stakeholders. Engaging stakeholders early on, particularly those who may be resistant to change, ensures their buy-in and helps identify valuable insights.
4. Choose the right technology partner. Look for a reputable provider with a proven track record in digital telecare solutions. Evaluate their expertise, reliability, scalability, and compatibility with your existing infrastructure. Consider a technology agnostic supplier that isn’t tied to any single manufacturer and can work with you collaboratively to select the right technology to fit with your current estate.
5. Ensure data security and privacy. Digital telecare involves the collection and storage of sensitive resident data. Implement robust data security measures to protect personal information and comply with relevant data protection regulations. Conduct regular audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities. Again, look at suppliers that value both you and your service user’s data security and privacy and are willing to put this at the highest level in their service agreements.
6. Test and pilot programs. Before fully implementing digital telecare across your organisation, consider conducting small-scale tests or pilot programmes. This will allow you to identify and address any issues or limitations before scaling up and gather feedback to refine the system and ensure it meets users’ needs.
7. Monitor and evaluate. Establish metrics and performance indicators to track the success of the digital telecare implementation. Regularly monitor and evaluate the system’s performance, resident satisfaction, and staff efficiency. Use this data to make informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and continuously optimise the schemes.

By following these tips, social housing providers can effectively transition from analogue to digital telecare schemes, providing enhanced care and services to their residents while embracing the advantages of digital technology.

Wherever you are in your digital switch, we can help.

At Taking Care, we specialise in Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and offer comprehensive support for social housing providers transitioning to digital telecare with our digitally resilient 24/7 Emergency Resolution monitoring services, supporting over 120,000 people throughout the UK.

If you would like to understand how we can support you with any of the above tips, or would just like to discover more about our services, please get in touch with our Business Development Team at corporate@ppptakingcare.co.uk or call 0800 085 8037. You can download the full 7 Tips Guide here.

Government institutions provide critical services to citizens, including healthcare, public safety, transportation, and utilities and as such are prime targets for ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks can disrupt these services, causing delays, shutdowns, and potentially putting lives at risk. In some cases, ransomware attacks on government institutions may have broader national security implications. For example, if critical infrastructure or sensitive government systems are compromised, it could impact national defense, intelligence operations, and diplomatic relations.

What is Ransomware?

Before we look at the impact of ransomware of government organizations, lets define what ransomware is. Ransomware is a type of malware that holds the victim’s data or device hostage until the ransom is paid. However, once the ransom is paid there is no guaranty that the files will be returned. An increasing trend is to use a double extortion tactic, where an organization is asked to pay a second ransom to prevent exfiltrated data from being publicly leaked or sold to other criminal enterprises.

Ransomware attacks can be carried out through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or exploiting vulnerabilities in software. Preventative solutions and measures such as IT security awareness training go some way to reducing the threat, but ransomware is now the number one cryptocurrency crime.

Impact of Ransomware on Government Organizations

Ransomware attacks on government institutions have increased significantly making them a tier 1 national security threat that affects, schools, local authorities, hospitals and even the military. Due to the high value of data held by government organizations and the disruption that attacks can cause, it puts them at the very forefront of the ransomware threat.

A ransomware attack can not only disrupt public services such as water and electricity, but can cause significant and wide spread damage across all departments including public pensions, organising land searches for people wanting to move house, delays in the judicial system, waste pickup, impacted military operations, cancelled medical procedures and a host of other essential everyday services we rely on.

As well as the disruption that ransomware attacks cause, the resulting loss of data can result in severe financial setbacks and legislative fines. In many cases, the attackers threaten to publicly release the stolen information if the ransom is not paid, and there is no guarantee that the attackers will provide the decryption key even if the ransom is paid. This leaves the institution with no choice but to rebuild their systems and data from scratch which is a considerable investment in both time and money.

Steps to Protect Government Organizations from Ransomware

Given the significant impact that ransomware attacks can have on government organizations, it is crucial to take steps to prevent these attacks. Here are a few steps that organizations can take to protect themselves: 

1. Implement robust cybersecurity measures:
   Government organizations should implement robust cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-malware software. Regularly updating software and operating systems can also help reduce the risk of attacks.
2. Conduct regular employee training:
   Regular training for employees can help reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks, which are a common method of ransomware delivery.
3. Regularly backup data:
   Regularly backing up critical data and storing backups in a secure location can help ensure that data is recoverable in the event of a ransomware attack.
4. Implement multi-factor authentication:
   Multi-factor authentication can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access to systems and data, even if credentials are stolen.
5. Develop an incident response plan:
   Developing an incident response plan can help organizations respond to a ransomware attack quickly and effectively, minimizing the impact on the organization. A ransomware containment solution is a critical component of such a plan.

Learn More

BullWall offers a ransomware penetration test to help you assess how your current tools respond to various ransomware variants. Or you can schedule a demo of our containment solution.