Meet the team:
Tucked away in our head office in Baglan is a dedicated team of experts whose work often goes unnoticed but is critical to keeping people safe in their homes. They are our compliance team.

The 18-strong team is responsible for organising and recording safety checks across all our homes. These checks include heating systems, electrical installations, fire safety,  ventilation equipment and water systems. They also carry out safety checks on lifts in our flats.

We spoke to senior supervisor Paul, electrical officer Jason and planner Elle to find out more about their work:
As experienced electricians, Paul and Jason focus on the electrical safety side of the team’s responsibilities.
“By law, our homes must have an electrical safety inspection every five years. As you can imagine, with more than 9,500 properties in our care, that is quite a task. On average, around 36 properties have to be tested every week.

“Following the test, we issue a report and certificate confirming everything has been checked and is safe.”

Jason explains why tenant access is so important:
“We will get in touch when a test is due and offer a date and time. If that’s not convenient, tenants can contact us to rearrange.

“However, it is vitally important that we do get access to carry out these checks. We do sometimes have problems gaining access, but the tests are there to help keep people safe in their homes.”

Keeping track of the testing programme, reports and certification falls to Elle.
“There is a lot of paperwork involved. I have to keep track of what properties have been tested and which ones are coming up.

“Once testing is complete, I organise the reports and certificates and get them sent to tenants.

“If we complete electrical work between the five-year inspections, that also needs to be tested, approved, recorded and certified. It’s all vital for people’s safety.”

A growing area of the team’s work is the installation of additional smoke detectors, as Jason explains: 
“We know that early warning of a fire is key to keeping people safe, so installing smoke detectors in more rooms increases the chances of people getting out safely in the event of a fire.

“Under the new regulations we need to install them in places such as living rooms, landings and hallways, as well as a heat alarm in kitchens. The alarms will all be linked, so if one activates, you’ll hear it throughout the home.”

The role has become increasingly complex in recent years, according to Paul:
“It’s a job where you have to keep up with changes in legislation and technology. We are testing more and more green technology these days, such as solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. That means it is more important than ever to make sure installations are safe and operating correctly.”

Elle concludes with a simple message for tenants:
“We know it can be inconvenient having people in your home carrying out tests, but they are all there for a reason. 

“Whether it’s your annual gas boiler check, electrical testing or ventilation systems, these inspections are carried out to keep you, your family and your home as safe as possible.”