Building work by Falkirk Council teams is helping to free up vital hospital beds in the area.
Our Building Maintenance Division (BMD) team is carrying out important work to support the response to COVID-19 emergency, including work on empty houses which can be used to accommodate homeless people and hospital discharges.
So far this has assisted in discharging seven people from hospital, freeing up essential hospital beds.
This work has also provided 17 people or families with safe and secure temporary accommodation during the COVID-19 situation.
While all routine work has stopped, services are still being provided to tenants and include:
- Emergency repairs e.g.: a serious water pipe leak; no heating or hot water; total failure of electrical supply or insecure property
- Gas servicing and safety checks
- Provision of temporary accommodation for homeless and support hospital discharges and free up essential hospital beds
- Provision of property adaptations to support hospital discharges and free up essential hospital beds.
Council Leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: “The safety of our staff and tenants is priority. We are only carrying out essential services and following government guidance on social distancing and working practices.
“The building maintenance team are doing a grand job in very challenging circumstances. They continue to carry out emergency repairs and are bringing empty homes up to a standard for temporary accommodation for homeless people and for hospital discharge.
“As this crisis continues we aim to have 80 additional temporary properties available for those who need them and have completed work on 28 houses so far.”
Measures to protect staff and tenants have been put in place in line with Government advice and includes:
- Application of social distancing for employees, including one person vehicles where possible; maximum of two persons in a property at any one time
- Application of social distancing for tenants, including staying in another room, while staff are working in a property or maintaining a minimum 2m distance from employees
- Provision of PPE