Healthier Homes initiative seeks thoughts from social landlords on use of digital technology to support heat in homes

The Healthier Homes initiative,which is part of the Tec in Housing programme and therefore open to all housing providers, is seeking social landlords who are interested in working with other partners, tenants and homeowners to explore how digital technologies could support tenant health and wellbeing by enabling prevention and early intervention relating to heat in homes. 

It has been developed in response to the themes covered in Housing to 2040 around Energy efficiency, digital participation, proactive approaches and tenant engagement. It also links with the Independent Review of Adult Social Care and the National Health and wellbeing outcomes framework and the Digital Strategy for Scotland. 

Healthier Homes is supported by TPAS, Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government Digital Directorate, Changeworks, Energy Saving Trust, The Data Lab and CENSIS. 

Tenant Engagement, including future opportunities to trial equipment and shape recommendations about the use of technology in homes, is at the core of this initiative.  

At the recent SFHA engagement event Michael Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator, said: “Tenant participation is an essential core service.”  

“It is incumbent on landlords to support skills and confidence building around digital amongst their tenants.” 

The Healthier Homes initiative will support housing providers to meet these duties by offering to deliver engagement sessions to tenants and homeowners or by providing training to your own Tenant Participation Officers so that they can carry out the engagement. 

Through the engagement, we want to establish:  

• People’s understanding of the relationship between home, heat and health and share some insights into it. 
• Explore their use of and views on the use of digital technologies in their homes to support a warm, affordable, healthy home. 
• Provide information about various technologies, including smart devices like Smart Thermostats, Environmental sensors etc. and how they could support a healthy home and sense check the attitudes and appetites towards these. 

Engagement work will kick off in August with TPO training at the end of July.  

If you are interested in finding out more, please click see below 

If you would like to chat about getting involved, contact SFHA Technology Enabled Care in Housing (TECH) Programme Co-ordinator, Geraldine Begg.