A brand new US$9.7 million retirement complex in Congleton, Cheshire, U.K. has created a totally keyless environment for residents and staff. Salto Systems were awarded the contract to supply their fully integrated access control solution which includes perimeter on-line door controllers, and more than 90 stand-alone proximity apartment doors all using a mix of RFID fobs and cards.
A brand new US$9.7 million retirement complex in Congleton, Cheshire, U.K. has created a totally keyless environment for residents and staff. Salto Systems were awarded the contract to supply their fully integrated access control solution which includes perimeter on-line door controllers, and more than 90 stand-alone proximity apartment doors all using a mix of RFID fobs and cards.
The complex is owned by the Plus Dane Group, a Neighbourhood Investor (Ni) and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) with more than 15,000 homes with an asset value in excess of $772.9 million in ownership and management across Merseyside and Cheshire. Heath View, which was named by the residents, contains 45 self-contained apartments and provides on-site domiciliary care on a 24-7 basis.
The development also boasts an excellent range of communal facilities including a hair salon, IT suite, craft room and a bistro. There is a facility for local general practitioners and district nurses to hold surgeries. Plus Dane Group will also be working in partnership with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) on a range of healthy living activities for residents.
"As the premier assisted living access control system, the Salto solution was ideal for Heath View," said Darren Wetton from Aspex UK, Salto's local Independent Business Partner.
"Working in consultation with Michael Watson, Development Manager of the Plus Dane Group, we designed and then installed a highly secure and flexible access control solution that was perfectly tailored to both the client and end user's needs," Wetton said. "Given the age of residents and the fact that some of them suffer from visual impairments, secure key control was one of the primary requirements, so right from the start the design specification called for mixed use keying, with staff using Mifare cards and residents using Mifare fobs."
"Backing this up was the equally important need to have full audit trail capability and provide everything that a secure hard wired system would provide but more cost effectively and in a mix of on-line and off-line stand alone wire free formats," Wetton said.
"Using SQL software we needed to have ‘exit on lever leaves outside handle unlocked' functionality," Wetton said. "This was required to comply with building control and fire officer requirements so that the door could not relock behind the resident, ensuring they could get back into their apartment without their key fob should they need to do so in case of fire. We also needed to have the ability to have 'audit on exit inside handle' controllability so that if a resident paid for 'external services' such as a cleaner etc, any subsequent complaints bought to Plus Dane's attention over the number of hours worked by the external service provider could be addressed by the audit trail on the inside handle lever."
"An international reputation for fitting out retirement developments made ours an easy decision in placing our faith in Salto," Watson said. "Their tried and tested solutions for such developments means we are able to manage the security needs of the apartments in a controlled and reliable way. We also like the flexibility of system, as we can get maximum benefit from the technology while providing a secure environment for both residents and staff."