This seminar discussed social housing, healthy living environments, and maintaining social housing properties. It covered: - The importance of the home to health and standards for social housing in Scotland. - Key factors that make housing healthy like being warm, dry, ventilated and well-maintained. - Achievements and challenges in social housing, including meeting quality standards and new population needs. - Managing legionella risks in domestic water systems through competent risk assessment, maintenance and temperature monitoring. - Ensuring good fire safety and air quality through properly functioning ventilation systems and planned maintenance of ducts and components.

1. Social Housing
Seminar
The University of Stirling
School of Applied Social Sciences
with Swiftclean (UK) Ltd
Friday 4th April 2014

2. Context
• Council and RSLs social housing in Scotland =
600,000 units - 24% of Scotland’s housing
stock
• Scottish Social Housing Charter (2012)
− ... “Social landlords [must] manage their businesses so that
tenants’ homes, as a minimum, meet the Scottish Housing
Quality Standard (SHQS) by April 2015 and continue to meet
it thereafter, and when they are allocated, are always
clean, tidy and in a good state of repair: tenants’ homes are
well maintained, with repairs and improvements carried out
when required, and tenants are given reasonable choices
about when work is done”.
• 2012, 66% of council homes and 82% of RSL
homes had met the SHQS

3. Context
• But ... Shelter estimates that 348,000 homes in
Scotland are affected by dampness or
condensation and that only 48% of Scotland's
social housing currently meets the SHQS
• …..still work to be done……

4. Isobel Anderson
Professor of Housing Studies, University of Stirling
• BSc (Hons) in Geography
• DPhil in Social Policy & Social Work
• Lecturer at the University of Stirling
• Chair in Applied Social Science (Housing Studies)
since 2009
• Recent publications
− Anderson I (2012) Policies to Address Homelessness:
Rights-Based Approaches. International Encyclopaedia of Housing
and Home, Vol 5.
− Anderson I & Ytrehus S (2012) Re-conceptualising
Approaches to Meeting the Health Needs of Homeless
People. Journal of Social Policy
− Anderson I & Sim D (2011) Introduction: inequality and
housing. Housing and inequality. Practice studies, Coventry:
Chartered Institute of Housing

5. Isobel Anderson
Professor of Housing Studies,
University of Stirling
Social housing and healthy living:
sustaining achievements and meeting new
challenges

6. Professor Isobel Anderson

7. Aims
 Key Questions
 How important is the home to a person’s health and well-
being?
 What constitutes a healthy living environment?
 Who takes responsibility for the tenants’ living
 How is a healthy environment and well-being in the home
achieved?
 What are the benefits?
 Achievements in social housing
 New challenges

8. Before social housing

9. 1919 - 1944
• Social reconstruction and
public health
• Slum clearance
• Build high quality housing
for the higher working
classes
• 2 in 3 homes built were
council housing

10. 1945 - 1964
• No housing
programmes from 1939
to 1945
• 1936: half of Scotland’s
homes ‘inadequate’
• new council homes for
working people

11. Planned communities – 1950s/60s

12. 1960s tower blocks – now demolition
programmes

13. 1970s/80s

15. What makes healthy housing?
• Warm
• Dry
• Well ventilated
• Designed to prevent accidents/lifetime homes
• Well maintained
• Good lighting
• Adequate space

16. Concept of sustainable housing

17. Model of sustainability

18. Accepted links between housing and health
Overcrowding
Cold
Hygrothermal conditions, Ventilation – temperature
and humidity.
Overheating
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Poor internal arrangements
 Homelessness – most extreme impact on health

19. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
owner-occupier
LA/other public
HA/co-op
private-rented
Poor
Moderate
Good
single adult
small adult
single parent
small family
large family
large adult
older smaller
single pensioner
Pre-1919
1919-1944
1945-1964
1965-1982
Post-1982
urban
rural
Tenure
NHER
bandHouseholdTypeDwellingAgeLocale
percentage in fuel poverty
2010 % fuel poor
Jul-11 % fuel poor
Oct-11 % fuel poor

20. UK Tenure Change
30%
43%
50%
57%
66%
69%
65%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Owner occupied
Private rent
Social rent

21. Future Challenges
Changing environmental challenges
Changing population & health challenges
Meeting specific housing needs
Changing housing stock challenges
Meeting Quality Standard
Maintaining quality

22. New research
Sustainable homes in contrasting contexts
 Integrating environmental and social concepts
of housing sustainability
Home not Housing: Engaging with wellbeing
outcomes

23. Social Housing
Seminar

24. Anthony Hoare
Head of Surveying, Swiftclean
• BSc (Hons) Applied Geography
• Joined Swiftclean as Head of Surveying in
2006
• Runs a team of 9 Compliance Risk Assessors
across the UK
• Has trained thousands of FMs since 2006
• Over 250 FMs from BHS (Arcadia Group)
• UK guidance on water management in multiple
occupancy buildings: HSG 70, L8:2000, ACOP

25. Anthony Hoare
Swiftclean , Head of Surveying
UK guidance on water management
in multiple occupancy buildings: HSG
70, L8:2000, ACOP

26. Water quality
• Wholesome water is an essential requirement
for quality of life
• UK Water Quality is considered one of the best
in the world
• Supply into a building is the responsibility of
the local Water Authority – Scottish Water

27. Legionella – A brief History
• Initial outbreak in
1976
• Bacteria causes a
serious pneumonia
• Fatal in 12% of
cases
• 30 -40 cases each
year in Scotland

28. Domestic
Water
Systems

29. History of UK Legionella Guidance
• HSG 70 1993
• ACOP L8 2000
• ACOP L8 2013
• Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland)
Regulations 2001
• Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations
1999

30. Importance of Management
• Requirement under the Health and Safety at
Work Act 1974 as well as the COSHH
Regulations 2002
• Active management may highlight other
potential issues

33. ACOP L8 2013 - Legionnaires’ disease
The control of legionella bacteria in
water systems
Three separate documents:
• ACOP is a stand alone document
• Guidance Part 1: Evaporative
Cooling Systems
• Guidance Part 2: Domestic water
systems
• Guidance Part 3: Other risk
systems

34. Main Changes
Clarification on responsibilities:
• Statutory Duty Holder
• Appointed Responsible Person
• Deputy Responsible Person
• The Importance of competence

35. Competence
• Essential for any Health and Safety Task
• Legionella Control Association
• Water Management Society Training

36. Changes to Domestic Water
System Management
• No appointed time frame for risk assessment
review
• A risk assessment should be reviewed when
there are changes made to the system and/or
when there are changes to the management
team

37. Requirements of Landlords
• “Organisations, or self-employed
individuals, who provide residential
accommodation or who are responsible for the
water system(s) in their premises, are
responsible for ensuring that the risk of
exposure to legionella in those premises is
properly controlled.”

38. Case Study – ASRA Housing
Group
• Over 70 properties
• Ranging from 28 storey apartment blocks to
managed bungalow/houses
• Many occupants are considered high risk

39. Case Study – ASRA Housing
Group
• Swiftclean have managed the ASRA contract
for 8 years
• No legionella outbreaks in this time
• Successfully re-bid and re-won the 2013 tender
process for a 5 year extension

40. Case Study – ASRA Housing
Group
• Risk Assessment Review every 2 years
• Monthly Temperature Checks
• Quarterly Shower cleaning
• 6 Monthly Tank Inspections
• Annual Calorifier/Hot water cylinder
Inspections

41. Case Study – ASRA Housing
Group
• Difficulties with Management:
− Access
− Safeguarding susceptible persons
• Interpreting the guidance for tenanted buildings
− Where does the responsibility lie?

42. Summary
• Legionella is a waterborne bacteria present in
Mains water
• UK Guidance clearly outlines the need for an
effective management structure of competent
persons
• A risk assessment is essential as a starting
point
• On-going planned preventative maintenance
will ensure good future water quality
• Good water quality is essential for health and
well being

43. Social Housing
Seminar

44. Ed Swift
Head of Social Housing, Swiftclean
• Joined Swiftclean in 2002
• Sole responsibility for social housing sector
sales 2010
• Has run 5 seminars on air, water and fire
prevention in social housing with around 150
building and facilities managers trained
• Improving fire protection and air quality
management in Social Housing

45. Ed Swift
Head of Social Housing
Improving fire protection and air
quality management in Social
Housing

47. What happens when these systems
do not work properly?
• Increase in humidity
• Condensation
• Mould
• Odours

48. Which in turn leads to:
• Structural and fabric issues with the building
• Health issues for residents
• Unpleasant smells and unsightly environment
in the home

50. And can also result in:
• Increased risk of smoke and fire spread
throughout the building

52. Legislation & Building Standards
Increased risk of smoke and fire spread throughout the
building
Scottish Social Housing Charter
• “Tenants’ homes, as a minimum, meet the Scottish Housing Quality
Standard (SHQS) by April 2015 and continue to meet it thereafter, and
when they are allocated, are always clean, tidy and in a good state of
repair”.
Scottish Building Standards
• Intermittent ventilation systems should extract at 15 litres per second
• Continuous running ventilation systems: at least 0.5 air changes per
hour based on the volume of the whole dwelling
Scottish Fire Act 2005
• Risk assessment for care homes to include common ventilation
ductwork

53. Good Practice - Swiftclean
document provides guidance

54. Competence
• Contractors should be reputable companies that
understand the requirements of the building
services hygiene sector
• B&ES member organisations are subject to both
quality and H&S assessment
• High rise housing project experience is essential
• Favourable if contractors have registration with:
− ISO9001 and ISO14001: quality and environmental
management of businesses
− OHSAS 8001: health and safety management
• Asbestos awareness training – a minimum
requirement

55. Why do systems fail?
• There are a number of reasons:
−Age
−Inadequate maintenance
−Build up of dust deposits
−Blockages
−Damage
−Balance

56. Main riser duct

57. Duct behind grille

58. Duct behind grille

59. Project examples
• Example 1: St Giles House
Estate consisting of eight low rise, and three
tower blocks
− Client was receiving complaints from residents
living in the tower blocks:
− Excessive noise from ventilation fans on roof
− Poor extraction from grilles in WC resulting in damp
and mould issues

60. St Giles House Main Riser (CCTV)

61. St Giles House Main Riser (CCTV)

62. St Giles House conclusions
• The existing fire protection was inadequate for
the safety of residents
• Damage to the system prevented the system
from functioning properly
• Lack of understanding of the system
components resulted in increased risk of fire
spread throughout the building

63. Project examples
• Example 2: Walsh Point
Sheltered housing block consisting of 24
individual apartments for the elderly.
− Client had existing concerns regarding fire safety
and was receiving complaints from residents about:
− Poor extraction from grilles in WC
− Excessive smells in flats

64. Walsh Point Bathroom Duct

65. Walsh Point Bathroom Grille

66. Walsh Point conclusions
• The existing fire protection was inadequate for
the safety of residents
• The original installation of fire blocks prevented
ventilation systems from ever functioning
properly
• Lack of planned maintenance had never
highlighted problems

67. Summary
• Planned maintenance should include:
−Fans and all mechanical electrical
components
−Ductwork inspections
−Inspection or installation of fire protection
−Ductwork cleaning
−Air flow checks
−Balancing
−Reports

68. A properly functioning ventilation
system maintains:
• The building fabric
• The home environment
• The health and well being of residents

69. Social Housing
Seminar
Thank you