Improving safety and security in your neighbourhood

A repaired bin store door and new flooring laid on the stairs in a building

We know that feeling safe and secure in your home is important to you, and your safety is ISHA’s number one priority. We sat down with Teslim, who leads our Neighbourhood Services Team, to learn how he and his team have been improving safety and security where you live.

You’ve probably noticed your Neighbourhood Services Officer (NSO) out and about during their regular visits. Each Officer will walk around every estate they cover at least once a week. As well as meeting residents and checking in on people, their visits are crucial to helping us quickly identify any communal maintenance or repair issues that need addressing.

Fob systems for communal entrances

Preventing unauthorised access by non-ISHA residents is important to maintaining the safety and security of where you live. That’s why we’ve replaced a broken intercom in Islington (N7) and have begun installing new entry systems controlled by key fobs across several estates.

In August, we installed the new entry system on two estates in Islington (N19) and Hackney (E9), and we’ll continue to upgrade other estates in the coming months. The new system means residents now have secure access to the floor where they live, their building, bin store and bike shed (if there is one) through a single key fob.

For more information on the planned upgrades, call 0300 131 7300 or email neighbourhoods@isha.co.uk.

CCTV

In the last few months, we’ve installed or upgraded CCTV across several estates in Islington (N1 and N19) and Hackney (E9).

We’ve found that having CCTV installed improves security, reassures residents, can act as an effective deterrent and assists us in gathering vital evidence to support the work of the Police.

Securing bin stores

During their quarterly inspections, our Neighbourhood Officers identified three estates in Islington (N19), Hackney (E9) and Waltham Forest (E17), where the old wooden doors to the bin stores were damaged and needed replacing.

New strong, durable metal doors were ordered, and after waiting a few weeks for them to be manufactured and delivered, we’re pleased to report they have now been installed alongside better locks.

The new doors will help to keep the bin stores secure, reduce fly-tipping and ensure they’re only used by residents.

Doing your bit

Of course, we need residents to play their part to keep the stores clean, tidy and secure. This includes keeping the doors locked shut and making sure rubbish bags are properly secured and put in the bins provided, not on the floor.

If you have bulky waste and can’t take it to a refuse and recycling centre, you must contact the council to arrange a collection.

Replacing communal flooring

Where possible, the Neighbourhood Services Team have consulted with residents about replacing the flooring in communal hallways and stairwells.

Residents were shown options for the type of flooring and the different colours available and then voted on their preference. To get feedback from as many residents as possible, the team sent letters and visited residents with flooring samples they could see and touch before casting their vote.

In the last couple of months, new communal flooring has been laid at two estates in Hackney (E8), with planning underway to relay the flooring at 16 further sites.

Decorating and maintenance

During a visit by our Neighbourhood Officers to an estate in Islington (N1), we spotted that some of the walls in communal halls had become heavily marked and damaged, so we arranged for the holes to be filled and the walls repainted.

After trialling the installation of brushed steel corner guards in some communal hallways and getting feedback from residents, we’ve found they’ve really helped in protecting the walls from knocks and damage, especially around lifts. As a result, we’re looking to install them in more buildings and our Development Team (they build our new homes) is looking into making the corner guards a standard fixture in all future developments.

New parking bays and repainting existing bays

Along with colleagues in our Customer Services Team, Teslim and our Neighbourhood Officers reviewed the parking facilities on six estates in Waltham Forest (3), Hackney (2) and Islington (1). Where there was space to do so, we’ve added new parking bays and repainted the markings for the existing bays to clarify where the boundaries are.

We also completed a parking consultation with several residents and are using the feedback to update our parking policy, which we’ll publish on our website.

More information

For more information on the work of our Neighbourhood Officers, call 0300 131 7300 or email neighbourhoods@isha.co.uk.

To report repairs or maintenance issues to us, call 0300 131 7300 or email repairsandmaintenance@isha.co.uk.

If you’d like to be involved in our work and help us deliver a better service to all residents, email involvement@isha.co.uk or visit the get involved section of our website.