Lone working in housing associations

Introduction to housing associations

Housing associations are not-for-profit social landlords that provide homes and support for around six million people all around England. They build a quarter of England’s new homes, including almost all new social and affordable homes.

Home maintenance

Housing associations employ thousands of people in the UK, many of whom are lone workers delivering essential services, carrying out maintenance, and conducting housing visits. Employees of housing associations are among those most at risk of being exposed to aggression from residents or members of the public, accidents, or attacks. This is due to the public-facing nature of the role.

Lone working in housing associations

Housing associations offer a variety of different positions, but lone working is more prevalent among some of them. Some roles which may include lone working are: 

  • Anti-social behaviour officer
  • Housing officer
  • Tenancy officer
  • Plumbers 
  • Customer liaison manager
  • Community safety officer

The above workers are likely to attend to tasks on their own. Therefore, they are more likely to face risk. Having a GPS enabled device will help to overcome the risks.

What are the risks?

Often, housing association tenants are vulnerable and have complex needs, which can sometimes result in behavioural problems, or substance misuse issues. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but having a lone worker solution in place will protect both the lone worker and the tenant. Some risks that lone workers employed by housing associations might face are: 

  • Physical or verbal aggression from residents or other members of the public
  • Slips, trips, and falls
  • Injury from maintenance tools

How to protect your lone workers

Home owners

Choosing a lone worker device is not always easy for those responsible for the safety of their employees. You need a device that is reliable and discreet. It is also important to ensure that the response will be swift if your employees seek help.

For lone workers in housing associations, we would recommend the ID Badge or KIT Device. Both are fully certified to BS8484: 2016, and have the following functions: 

  • Amber Alert
  • Red alert at the push of a button
  • Man Down
  • Two-way audio
  • GPS tracking
  • Roaming SIM cards for better coverage

First2HelpYou recognises the difficulties employees of housing associations face every day. For more information about our lone worker device portfolio, get in touch.