Building Safer Communities Together: Aico and EPIC Housing’s Partnership
As Aico’s Relationship Manager for the West Midlands, my role is all about building strong, lasting partnerships with electricians, wholesalers, and housing providers, so together, we can make homes and communities safer.
EPIC Housing, a Staffordshire-based community-focused housing association that aims to empower their tenants with resources and support, has been a particularly rewarding partnership. Earlier this year, the Regulator of Social Housing in England awarded EPIC Housing with a G1 for governance, V2 for financial viability, and C1 for consumer standards in their regulatory review. These ratings reflect their commitment to excellence in resident safety, governance, and service delivery. For me, it’s been a privilege to support their journey and work alongside such a dedicated team.
Shared Values and a Common Goal
From the outset, Aico’s work with EPIC Housing has been rooted in shared priorities: safety, wellbeing, and community engagement. This is a collaborative effort to deliver real, measurable benefits for residents.
One key initiative was the rollout of 150 Grade D1, Category LD2 fire detection systems across EPIC’s housing stock in April 2023. By 2025, this number had increased to 576, with the programme ongoing until full stock coverage is achieved. The systems feature both single-sensor and multi-sensor 3000 Series alarms, equipped with Ei3000MRF SmartLINK Modules to enable wireless radio-frequency interconnection. Fully compliant with BS 5839-6 and BS EN 50292 standards, they provide reliable, interlinked smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide (CO) detection with minimal installation disruption.
Alongside fire and CO detection, we also introduced the Ei1000G Gateway and Ei1025 Environmental Sensors, which monitor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. This approach enhances safety, supports healthier, more energy-efficient homes by providing actionable insights on the HomeLINK Portal, such as opening the window or turning the heating up. This is in line with BS 40101 guidance and national housing recommendations.
Knowledge Sharing and Skills Development
A central part of my role as a Relationship Manager is providing training and support. Throughout our partnership, I’ve delivered CPD-certified training sessions to EPIC’s staff and contractors, including Expert Installer for staff and contractors, Smart Social Homes, and An Introduction to Managing Damp and Mould for Residential Landlords. These sessions ensure participants remain confident and up to date with the latest safety technologies and best practices.
Two of EPIC’s contractors, Town and Country Gas and Brendon Fern, have also completed our City & Guilds assured training. The course explores domestic fire and CO alarm systems, covering system design, installation, testing, maintenance and more. This aims to raise the standard of safety compliance and resident service even further.
Our collaboration goes beyond training sessions. EPIC have been an active attendee at Aico’s Social Housing Professionals Network Roadshow and has hosted multiple round table discussions at their offices. These events have become valuable opportunities for sector-wide knowledge exchange and the development of practical solutions that put residents first.
Connecting with Residents
Technology is important, but it only has its full impact when residents understand and trust it. In 2024, we brought our Mobile Demonstration Unit to EPIC communities, giving residents a hands-on experience of fire safety systems and guidance on testing and maintaining their alarms.
We also organised Safety Awareness Days, where I led in-person sessions to explain how fire alarms and environmental monitoring devices work. These events have been instrumental in building resident confidence and awareness.
In addition, Aico has supported EPIC’s summer fairs in both 2024 and 2025 through charitable contributions. These community events bring people together and serve as a platform to promote safety and wellbeing in an approachable, family-friendly way.
Looking Ahead
Working alongside Jonathon Parkes, EPIC’s Director of Asset Management and Building Compliance, and the wider EPIC team has shown what can be achieved through genuine collaboration. Our shared focus on innovation, education, and community engagement has already delivered meaningful results, but we’re far from finished.
Together, we will continue to invest in people and technology, ensuring that safety, trust, and social value remain at the heart of everything we do.
