Women's Views on News |
| New safety code to help estate agents Posted: 14 Oct 2016 11:12 AM PDT
It is 30 years since 25 year-old estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared while on a house viewing. 1986 was in the days before smart phones, and personal safety procedures have improved a lot since Suzy disappeared, but those working in the housing sector – estate agents, letting agents, housing association workers – can often feel vulnerable when at work. In new research carried out by the Trust set up in her memory, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a quarter of consumers surveyed said they felt house viewing should be safer – and almost three quarters feel it should be down to estate agents to make it safer. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of female estate agents surveyed by the charity said they have felt unsafe at a house viewing – that equates to one in three working in the role. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust teamed up with leading estate agents Knight Frank and Savills, and with SoloProtect and The Guild of Letting and Management to research risks in the housing sector and produced "Suzy's Code" for all UK estate/letting agents and housing associations. The National Association of Estate Agents has signed up to the initiative. #SuzysCode is a number of basic personal safety guidelines for any organisation that sends its staff out to visit properties to list and follow. Here is #SuzysCode in full: 1 – Implement a buddy system so colleagues always know each other's whereabouts and contact details. This should include checking in and out when meeting arriving at and leaving the property, including out of normal office hours. 2 – Have a system in place for colleagues to raise the alarm back at the office in case of an emergency while working alone. 3 – Have a clear procedure to follow if someone does not return or check in when they were expected. 4 – Where possible, arrange for viewers to visit the office before meeting them at the property so that colleagues have also seen them. 5 – Offer all staff a personal safety alarm and have discreet lone worker devices available. 6 – Before conducting a viewing, find out who else will be present in the property – current tenant, contractors etc – when you visit. 7 – Make sure all staff are aware of and have access to the personal safety measures available. "When Suzy went missing, it was in the days before smart phones – the only clue her company had to whereabouts was an entry in the diary," Lara Wilks Sloan, of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said. "We know from the work we carry out with companies that things have changed since 1986, but we've carried out new research that indicates that 30 years on, safety in the housing sector is still a concern for estate agents – and consumers too."  |
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