The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well

Feeling safe and secure where we live is essential to ageing well. There are several factors that influence our ability to feel safe in our homes and neighbourhoods; from the location of our homes and sense of community to design features and specific security measures in the home. This section brings these together.  

93% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home feels safe and secure 

Location and community 

A safe and secure external environment is in part determined by the location of our homes. It is important, as far as practicable, that where our homes are located: 

• Provides well-planned communities with natural surveillance through layout and design. 
• Enables us to feel a sense of community. 
• Avoid areas with high crime and anti-social behaviour. 
• Are in well-maintained local areas. 

Whilst the research indicated that some people want to live in age-designated housing, the majority of people are seeking to live in areas with a mixture of ages, even if they live in age-designated housing. 

"I want to mix with local community whilst feeling safe and secure" - Gateshead resident 

Design features 

There are design features within our homes that can support us to feel safe and secure within our internal environments, including: 

• Natural surveillance - increasing the number of ground floor openings, windows and doors maximises natural surveillance. Spaces around buildings should be open to view from adjoining occupied properties. Front entrances should be clearly visible from the street. 
• Well-lit external areas to deter criminal activity and enhance visibility. 
• The design and selection of materials for boundaries should be sensitive to their context and the potential visual and physical impact on the local environment. 
• Places should be designed to foster a sense of ownership, mutual protection and belonging. 
• Accessible design considerations can support us to feel safe and secure in our homes as they support us to navigate our homes safely (these are considered in more detail in section 3).

"We need good street lighting so we can feel safe. This is about being able to see where we are going but also about deterring criminal activity" - Gateshead resident 

Case study: Bensham Court, Gateshead 

Gateshead Council's Bensham Court provides sheltered housing for residents aged 60+ in a large block of 125 apartments that was built in 1963. Whilst the scheme might not first appear to be a contemporary design example, the community service offer is innovative and provides key services that promote health and wellbeing that could be replicated elsewhere. 
A key strength of the community service offer is that it supports residents to feel more safe and secure as they feel a stronger sense of community within the scheme and local area. The communal lounge located adjacent to the scheme hosts a breakfast club, social activities, safe space women's group and is a Warm Space for the community. Within the main block, two ground floor flats are being used to host a community food bank as well as a wellbeing flat with mindfulness room and meeting room. The two scheme managers are dedicated to creating a sense of community and providing services that are required for residents and local people, adding to the safe and secure environment.  

Application to specialist housing 

Within specialist housing such as sheltered/retirement housing or extra care housing there are additional security measures that should be in place to enable people to feel safe: 

• A fob-controlled door-entry system, for staff or residents. 
• Clearly defined and appropriate security measures should be provided where transitioning from public to private space. For example, private residential spaces that are not accessible by the public.
• Motion-activated lighting in outdoor or communal spaces. 
• Security arrangements such as CCTV strategically placed to monitor key areas. 
• Clearly defined defensible outside space. 
• Provision of staff that makes people feel safe. i.e. scheme manager in sheltered housing and the addition of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week onsite care in extra care housing. 
• Provision of technology to support independence (see section 5 on Independent Living). 
• Living in a supportive community with a greater sense of community. 

Infection control 

With Coronavirus in mind, an environment that can enable social distancing and infection control should: 

• Ensure the main entrance and foyer can only be used for residents and their visitors. 
• Hand washing facilities should be located close to the entrance and well signposted. 
• Staff changing, lockers and showering facilities could be provided immediately inside a secondary staff entrance so that staff can wash and/or change when entering or leaving the building. 
• Access to the catering kitchen directly from the outside is essential with dedicated staff hand washing and changing space located immediately adjacent to the entrance. 

Fire safety 

In ensuring fire safety and evacuation measures for specialised housing, it is recommended to: 

• Integrate the alarm system with the warden call system, incorporating both audible and visual signals for residents with hearing or visual impairments. 
• Fire doors, especially entrance doors to apartments, should have 'free-swing' door closures linked to the fire alarm to ensure they are not too heavy for residents. 
• Cross-corridor fire doors should be equipped with 'hold open' magnetic fittings, connected to the fire alarm, to prevent visual and physical barriers. 
• Additional smoke and heat detectors in specific locations, such as kitchens, are advised. 
• Mobility scooters or buggies should not be parked or charged in communal corridors or escape routes to maintain clear evacuation paths. 
• Create personal evacuation plans for residents. 

Case study: Wood Green, Gateshead 

Wood Green is a sheltered housing scheme in Gateshead comprising 65 bungalows that was built in 1938. Whilst the building isn't HAPPI compliant, its inclusion in the standard is due to its community feel which makes residents feel safe and secure. Its comprehensive and inclusive range of activities gives it a welcoming atmosphere with engaged residents. It also provides an enclosed private courtyard which creates a sense of privacy for residents and is an area where people often gather. Because of the design of the communal garden the scheme is able to take part in HenPower, a project run by Equal Arts, a charity that involves older people in creative activities. Caring for hens is a big part of people's lives at Wood Green, and it's helping to combat loneliness and isolation. 

"I would like to be able to live in an area that has a community feeling. Safety, security and wellbeing should be priority when looking at a general housing standard." - Gateshead resident