Challenge
More than 70 education premises in Renfrewshire, Scotland, were relying on a complex master-key system which was time-consuming to manage. Renfrewshire Council faced multiple challenges with their mechanical system, including consistency of approach across sites; knowing who had access to keys; and understanding how access was being managed on a day-to-day basis.
A flexible, secure upgrade has now been installed at 76 different sites around the county, covering primary and secondary schools, as well as early learning centres.
Key requirements for their new access control solution included:
Solution
Renfrewshire Council chose CLIQ Remote, an electromechanical solution based on programmable keys and cylinders. The success of this project was affirmed with the award of “Security Project of the Year” at the 2022 Fire & Security Matters Awards.
Schools can now update each programmable key remotely, removing or granting access privileges in real time. This ensures only authorized keyholders can enter an area, eliminating risks associated with lost or stolen keys. In the case of a school janitor being ill, an alternative trusted facilities team member can unlock the school.
CLIQ Remote aligns with Renfrewshire Council’s sustainability ambitions, too. CLIQ keys are powered by standard batteries, which typically last many years between replacement. Access rights may be updated remotely, which eliminates car journeys for key handover.
“Spare keys are kept in a secure key cabinet in each of the five geographical clusters,” explains Facilities Manager, Scot Fraser. “All of our team leaders have access to keys and a programming device so they can update key permissions on the go, without having to visit an administrator." “CLIQ allows us to react quickly to sudden changes in access needs. We are investigating rolling it out for our community centres,” he adds.