Midland Heart housing association partners with TIS on £1 million-plus CCTV upgrade to help improve community safety

Midland Heart’s ongoing drive to improve community safety for residents has been boosted thanks to the design and installation of a new, state-of-the-art IP CCTV system across its estate by TIS. The new CCTV system provides enhanced building coverage, better-quality images and live CCTV monitoring to improve safety, security and resident peace-of-mind.

After a highly competitive tender process, TIS was awarded a five-year contract worth in excess of £1 million in October 2023 to completely replace the existing analogue CCTV system at 73 sites across Midland Heart’s housing association portfolio.

TIS, the independent life safety, security and communications systems integrator, designed and installed a new end-to-end IP CCTV system using Hanwha Vision equipment, as well as providing an extended warranty period followed by service and maintenance. Properties range from small, multi-dwelling units, to high and low-rise purpose-built blocks, with multiple sites requiring upwards of 50 cameras. The systems cover communal areas such as entrances, exits, lift lobbies, circulation spaces and stairwells, plus provide coverage of car parks.

The installation of the new CCTV system has revolutionised the way Midland Heart manages its security operations. The enhanced video quality and coverage has improved the ability to monitor activities across all sites, leading to quicker responses to security incidents and greater overall resident safety. The edge-based recording solution has streamlined the process of accessing and managing video evidence, allowing multiple operators in Midland Heart’s newly constructed control room to access any of the sites and cameras in live format, or download recorded footage for possible evidential submission.

Vicki Brownhill, Director of Housing at Midland Heart, said:

“Throughout the tender and installation process we were impressed with TIS’s truly collaborative approach and willingness to be flexible with our brief by helping with alternative solutions. I’m happy to say that TIS has achieved in a short timescale what others deemed unachievable.

The new system offers residents value for money as well as enhanced safety and security. Midland Heart will benefit from the significantly reduced time required to operate the system and the streamlined, cost-effective approach to maintenance across such a large portfolio of buildings.”

James Twigg, CEO at TIS, said:

“Our engagement with Midland Heart is a perfect example of how innovative technology solutions can address complex challenges in community safety. The new CCTV system not only enhances security but also brings efficiency and sustainability to Midland Heart’s operations, allowing them to provide a better service to their residents.”

ENDS

About TIS

TIS is an independent systems integrator, specialising in driving digital transformation and integration across the life safety, security and communications industry. It designs, installs and maintains smart, reliable and highly-compliant life safety, security and communications solutions for retirement villages, care homes, universities, public spaces and the Ministry of Defence. It delivers smart protection for people, places and spaces.

About Midland Heart

Midland Heart is a housing association, that delivers homes and services across the Midlands. They own and manage over 35,000 homes and are dedicated to providing high quality, safe and affordable homes, combined with excellent services to over 70,000 customers.

The organisation is committed to making its contribution to the national housing shortage by developing homes that are energy efficient, are affordable to rent or enable a foot on the housing ladder through shared ownership.

For more information, visit www.midlandheartgroup.org.uk.