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Unifying Security for Safer, Smarter Housing Management
Published:
August 2025
Author:
Brett Longley, Key Account and Business Development Manager
Whether you manage social housing, assisted living, or student accommodation, here's how a unified security and surveillance solution can help you streamline operations and strengthen oversight.
Rising tenant expectations. Crime and anti-social behaviour. Multi-site operations that stretch you thin. Complex coordination with external agencies.
Sound familiar? These issues are persistent, whether you manage social housing, assisted living, or student accommodation.
Here's how a unified security and surveillance solution can help you streamline operations and strengthen oversight.
Simplify multi-site management
Today’s solutions allow multiple estates or buildings to be monitored through a single, unified platform. Live camera feeds, emergency systems, analytics alerts, and access control permissions can all be integrated for centralised oversight. This capability is particularly beneficial for centralising concierge services.
A unified solution removes the need for frequent site visits, eliminates risk from siloed system monitoring, and avoids time-consuming manual handovers. The result? Less duplication, better use of staff time, and greater efficiency – especially important when working within tight budgets.
Open-architecture security and surveillance software allows you to adapt and scale your solution – whether expanding camera coverage, integrating new sensors, or incorporating more third-party systems like fire alarms and ANPR/LPR.
Detect risks, prevent incidents
AI-powered analytics can automatically alert for behaviours or conditions that pose a risk, from loitering or crowd formation (a possible anti-social behaviour indicator) to object abandonment or fire exit obstructions.
These alerts trigger instant notifications for security or management teams. Footage can be accessed remotely, and on-screen guidance ensures the correct response, such as contacting emergency services or dispatching trained personnel. This ensures fast, consistent, and fully auditable responses, improving safety and supporting accountability.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the year ending September 2023, UK police recorded over 1 million anti-social behaviour incidents. Research suggests 26% of social housing tenants have been affected by it¹.
Streamline property maintenance
Security and surveillance solutions that support mobile apps can streamline maintenance management. When issues like blocked exits, broken lights, parking barrier malfunctions, or graffiti are detected, tasks can be automatically generated and sent to relevant team members in the field.
Staff can update the status, add photos, and confirm when work is complete, giving managers real-time visibility into what’s been fixed, what still needs attention, and where to escalate. This also makes it easier to keep residents informed and reassured.
Collaborate seamlessly
Housing teams often need to work closely with police, fire services, and healthcare providers. Security and surveillance platforms can support this through integrated communications, incident logging, and secure cloud-based footage sharing.
This simplifies the process of providing verified video evidence during criminal investigations or compliance checks and supports faster emergency response. For example, suppose AI detects a fall in an assisted living accommodation. In that case, the system can trigger a welfare check, capturing footage, alerting staff, logging the location, and securely sharing information with medical responders so they know exactly what to expect.
Protect Tenant Privacy
Sharing surveillance footage internally between teams or with external agencies doesn’t have to compromise privacy. Look for solutions that offer:
- Automatic face/body blurring for anonymisation
- Audit trails showing who accessed or shared footage
- Time and access-limited sharing
- Specific permission settings by role or case type
These tools help ensure footage is only seen by those who need it, and only for as long as necessary, supporting GDPR compliance and resident trust. Our webinar "Synergy's Privacy Features" demonstrates how privacy can be protected.
How AI Can Better Protect Busy Public Space Environments
This guide covers everything from the tech you’ll need to real-world applications. It will help you understand how AI can become a valuable part of your security and surveillance.
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