Based in Warrington, Your Housing Group manages more than 28,000 homes in the north west, from affordable housing to private rentals. Previously, facilities managers had to manage a physical set of keys and log who had taken them, at what time and for what purpose. Keys might never be returned.
The housing association upgraded a number of properties within its portfolio to fob access, but the original system wasn’t properly managed: almost 100 fobs were issued to one block of six flats, for example, without being properly controlled and without being able to trace who had them. To address this issue, Intratone proximity readers were fitted during refurbishment works at the front and rear entrances of 34 apartment blocks in Liverpool and Manchester by Merseyside-based Maintec Ltd.
Trevor Hill, Senior Compliance Manager at Your Housing says: “One of the main objectives for installing the new system was to simplify key management, especially when granting access to contractors. With our old system, one of our team had to escort any contractors on site which was very time consuming. The new system also benefits the residents. If a user loses their fob, the operator is able to immediately establish its identity and disable it for future use. A new fob is subsequently activated and then dispatched. Every time a fob is used, the data is sent back to the remote operating platform, giving operators an overview of that particular gate or secured door’s activity. Any unusual activity is therefore easily identified and monitored.”
Contractors can also be granted access using their mobile phone. Authorised users with access to the management platform can add the phone number and specify a time limit; the number can be dialled into the entry panel to gain entry. Your Housing doesn’t have to approach a third party whenever a resident has lost a fob, or someone moves out. Your Housing has started a gradual roll out across more of its sites.
Steve Cranshaw, Director at Maintec, says if a resident loses a fob, the property manager or housing association can establish the identity of the fob and disable it remotely. Steve says: “A new fob can be easily activated on the Intratone cloud-based management site and sent out to that individual. This saves time and money and enhances the security of each property.”
