A little bit of water can go a long way – as can the damage it causes. Are your tenants “escape of water ready”?

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Escape of water damage is one of the most common types of domestic property damage claims, with insurers paying out almost £2million for it every day*.  These claims are one of the biggest concerns for insurers as well as causing considerable upheaval, inconvenience, and financial and emotional distress to your tenants when their personal property is damaged. 

Whilst some of these claims may be unavoidable due to storm or failed pipes, many can be prevented with care taken by occupiers. By actively looking to prevent water damage losses through a promoted programme of house-proud diligence (risk management vigilance), you can help safeguard against worry, inconvenient repairs, and escalating insurance premiums. 

Where to start?

It is crucial that your tenants know the location of their stopcock and other isolation values so that the water supply can be quickly turned off in the event of a leak. Location labels should be used to highlight where they are. And don’t forget to regularly check them to ensure they operate properly when they are needed most. 

Tenants should also be encouraged to check washing machine and drainage pipes as they can become loose overtime. One of these pipes becoming disconnected or incorrectly fitted could cause significant water damage to several properties. So, encourage tenants to check around the base of appliances to ensure there are no visible signs of water as small dips can quickly escalate into something more serious. 

A number of organisations are now looking to provide very competitively priced washing machine installation services to their tenants to encourage them to make sure appliances are installed safely and correctly. Alternatively, you may wish to build a panel of approved plumbers and installers to fit appliances – helping to prevent those DIY failures.

One of the most preventable and often the costliest causes of water damage losses is failure of bath and shower seals, and old, badly fitted or miss-aligned waste pipes. This damage can go unnoticed for long periods of time and sometimes the leak only becomes apparent when the bathroom floor collapses into the flat below. Is it possible to have a system of preventative checks and proactive replacement of sealants around sinks, baths and showers, along with hairline cracks in shower trays? Regular visual checks will help you identify unseen leaks and act before it’s too late.

Slow draining sinks and baths can often be a warning sign that there is a blockage that needs to be cleared. Do you take the opportunity to remind tenants that discarded nappies, wet wipes, or cotton buds should not be flushed down the toilet?

Such reminders and increased awareness will help make your tenants “escape of water ready”!

If you would like guidance or suggestions on risk prevention steps suitable for inclusion in tenant handbooks/information packs or details of contents insurance schemes specifically designed for Local Authority and Housing Association tenants, please contact XXX 

 

* https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/choosing-the-right-insurance/home-insurance/burst-pipes-and-water-leaks/

Taking Care’s top 7 tips to successfully navigating your digital transition.

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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.

The North will rise again: seizing opportunities for housing-led regeneration

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Maggie Rafalowicz, Director, Campbell Tickell

Guest blog by NHC supporter member Campbell Tickell

The election of a new government has put housebuilding front and centre of economic growth with the ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament and the promise of a long-term housing strategy to be published next Spring.

We have seen many policy announcements already, including proposals for mandatory housing targets, a New Towns Taskforce, concerted action to accelerate stalled sites, £3 billion of guarantees to support SME housebuilders, half a billion of extra investment into the Affordable Homes Programme and the focus on devolution and combined authorities. Meanwhile, for existing homes the Government has committed further funds to remediate unsafe cladding, launched a rebranded ‘warm homes’ programme, and published the Renters Rights Bill to improve standards in the private rented sector.

Much of growth in housing is aimed at the North as demonstrated by the increased housing targets. Such growth is seen as being a key driver of economic productivity, closing the longstanding gap between regions, with benefits for health and living standards. It dovetails with plans for the further devolution of powers and investment to regional mayors, with combined authorities already covering most of the North’s population.

Planning for the homes the North needs

A critical component of the government’s plans to increase housing supply lies in reform of the National Planning Policy Framework. Proposals to introduce a new standard method for assessing local housing needs translate to over 77,000 new homes in the North each year. This represents an increase of 67% compared with the current method, and contrasts with an average increase of 22% across England as a whole.

Delivery demands that local areas have a clear plan and strategy for working with partners to accommodate growth. Cross-boundary co-operation and spatial planning at the regional level is crucial, with the greatest increase in housing targets proposed outside of the core cities. There will also be debates about the trade-offs, such as the circumstances in which Green Belt (or even ‘Grey Belt’) land is released to meet housing need.

Delivering new homes in the North

Targets and plans alone do not build homes and there is a need to increase delivery output. This presents a challenge at a time when confidence in the construction sector remains low, registered providers are diverting their attention to investment in their existing homes, and local authority planning capacity is overstretched.

We know the challenges of housing delivery can be greater in the North, where lower values can threaten viability. This is particularly true on brownfield sites which require remediation and may have other infrastructure requirements. The Northern Housing Consortium have identified capacity for an additional 320,000 new homes on brownfield sites across the North, which could make a huge contribution but are likely to require significant upfront investment to deliver.

Existing homes could also provide a huge opportunity across the North, with approximately 89,000 long-term vacant homes that could be brought back into use and be a solution for households living in temporary accommodation. Stronger CPO powers and more flexible grant funding could allow such homes to be purchased, repaired and remodelled, or where appropriate enabling land assembly for regeneration schemes offering higher density and more diverse housing mixes.

Looking forward – strategy to deliver

A renewed political focus on housing and devolution stands to offer considerable benefits. It will be essential for areas to have a clear vision and strategy for housing, which takes account of local housing needs, is supported by partners and communities, and identifies the priorities for regeneration. Having such a strategy will be crucial in making the case for devolved funding and to signal opportunities for the external investment needed to deliver the homes the North needs.

Campbell Tickell’s support with housing strategies

At Campbell Tickell we have a wealth of experience of working across the North on local housing strategies. To speak to us about how we can support you, please contact Maggie Rafalowicz (Director):

Further reading: Housing strategy – what’s in it for residents? Read Maggie Rafalowicz’s recent article featured in the MJ and New Start.

Bullwall: How Ransomware Impacts Government Organizations

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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.

Budget briefing letter from Angela Rayner MP

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Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner MP has asked the NHC to share a letter outlining the key housing announcements in the budget.

The letter covers:

  • Affordable Homes Programme £500m top-up
  • Rent settlement – proposal for 5-year CPI plus 1% settlement with a consultation which looks at longer term options.
  • Right to Buy changes – including reducing discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels and enabling councils to keep all the receipts
  • Building safety – £1 billion fund for the remediation of unsafe housing.

NHC Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison, said:

“We appreciate the Deputy Prime Minister taking the time to write this letter. It’s another welcome indication of the importance she places on housing, and a desire to work in partnership with the sector.

“There are lots of positives to take away from this Budget. We strongly advocated for a top-up to the Affordable Homes Programme in the run up to the Budget. The rent settlement will give housing providers more certainty to plan investment and changes to Right to Buy should help stem the loss of social homes.

“These are all great first steps, but there’s lots of work to do to in the run-up to the Spending Review and through the rent consultation. We know our members need long-term financial certainty to improve the quality of existing homes, including making them warmer and greener, and to deliver new homes on the scale required to meet government ambitions.

“We will continue to engage with the Government so the housing sector in the North can work in partnership with Government to deliver real change on the ground.”

The NHC On-the-Day Budget briefing gives more detailed information about what the budget means for housing in the North. Please contact Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs Patrick Murray(patrick.murray@northern-consortium.org.uk)  if you would like to discuss the Budget.