SFG20 launches new packaged maintenance solution for the Care Home sector

SFG20, the unique software tool for facilities managers and building maintenance teams, has introduced a new dedicated package for the care home sector.

Launched in 1990 by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), SFG20 is the recognised industry standard for building maintenance specifications. It is a web-based service, with a growing library of maintenance schedules, covering an increasing number of building equipment types for sectors from offices and hotels to prisons.

The SFG20 Residential Care Home Functional Set is an online resource of tasks and schedules written by BESA’s dedicated SFG20 technical team specifically for the residential care home sector. This set provides guidance and advice on the operation and maintenance of these properties, including the specialised equipment used within them.

There are around 20,000 care homes in the UK and they pose specific maintenance challenges for FMs and their owners. Steve Tomkins, Head of Business Development for SFG20, says: “These buildings are not only places of work, but are also homes for their residents.”

In recent months, the links between buildings and occupant health has been made very clear. At the November 2020 BESA conference, Dr Stephanie Taylor of Yale University spoke about the significant role that buildings play in protecting occupants from ill-health.

Tomkins comments: “Dr Taylor referred to building engineers as the physicians of the built environment. And we feel that this is very true in the case of maintenance teams in care homes, where well-maintained buildings can support good health for occupants and the people who work there.”

The SFG20 Residential Care Home Functional Set is built on the core elements of the SFG20 solution and combines all current statutory requirements, industry guidance and best practice. It features over 560 schedules across 22 categories, including specialist equipment found in care homes such as: window restrictors; bath hoists; and lifting slings.

The schedules are fully customisable, to reflect that each building will have unique priorities for maintenance teams. Specific tasks for the care home sector can be easily scheduled, highlighting expected service times. The schedules are also colour coded to help subscribers project manage priorities more effectively – saving time and money.

Tomkins says: “Our aim is to provide an easy-to-access package of scheduled tasks that will help facilities teams ensure these buildings are maintained to current legislation. The SFG20 team includes experts who oversee all of the information, so users know they are always working to the most up-to-date regulations.”

Building owners benefit from working with facilities professionals who use the SFG20 standard. They know that their building maintenance will always comply with the latest legislation and that they are operating their buildings in an energy- and cost-efficient way.

Anyone interested in learning more about the SFG20 Residential Care Home Functional Set can find full details at: https://bit.ly/SFG20-carehomes  or contact the SFG20 team on info@sfg20.co.uk