Dave Knowles’ sector experience signals the group’s commitment to delivering integrated compliance solutions for housing providers
Premier Technical Services Group (PTSG) has appointed Dave Knowles as Business Director for social housing, marking a significant step in the organisation’s strategy to become the go-to partner for housing associations and social landlords across the UK.
Dave brings years of hands-on experience from within the social housing sector itself. He understands the language housing providers speak, the frameworks they work within and crucially, the mounting pressures they face to maintain compliance across vast portfolios with increasingly constrained budgets.
Dave explains: “The challenges that housing providers face are significant. The financial pressures, the regulatory demands, the sheer scale of managing thousands of properties – it’s relentless. What they need are partners who can genuinely support them, take away some of that pain and deliver solutions that work. Because ultimately, this is all about tenant safety. That’s what matters.”
It’s this deep sector knowledge that PTSG is now harnessing to transform how it serves one of the most demanding markets in facilities management.
A powerhouse already serving the sector
PTSG is no newcomer to social housing. Through its five specialist divisions and constituent businesses, the group already delivers critical compliance services to some of the sector’s biggest names.
Neo, the group’s fire safety specialist, maintains long-standing relationships with major housing providers, delivering fire door installations and passive fire protection services worth millions annually. Platform Housing alone accounts for over £1 million in fire door contracts.
ECS, PTSG’s electrical compliance business, has completed more than 200,000 electrical installation condition reports (EICRs) with an industry-leading 98% first-time fix rate. The company has delivered electrical testing and remedial works across thousands of properties for organisations including Your Housing Group, Sanctuary Housing Association and Stonewater.
TEC (Total Environmental Compliance), part of PTSG’s water treatment division, brings over three decades of expertise in Legionella risk management and water hygiene services. The company provides water hygiene auditing and risk assessments for housing associations including BHPA, which operates across the Oxford to Cambridge arc.
The group holds positions on the sector’s key procurement frameworks including Fusion 21, CHIC, PfH and Procure Plus, which serve the social housing landlord community across England. These frameworks provide housing associations with access to pre-qualified specialist contractors, streamlining procurement and ensuring quality standards.
The integrated proposition
What makes PTSG unique in the market is breadth. The group operates five divisions delivering over 170 specialist services across electrical, water, fire, access and safety, and building maintenance. For social housing providers, this means access to comprehensive compliance solutions through a single organisational relationship.
PTSG Electrical Services delivers everything from fixed wire testing and EICRs to lightning protection and surge protection solutions. PTSG Fire Solutions provides fire detection and alarm systems, sprinkler systems, passive fire services including fire doors and compartmentation, and security systems. PTSG Water Treatment covers water hygiene, water treatment, mains water services and environmental compliance.
The practical advantage for housing providers is significant. Rather than managing separate contractors for electrical testing, water hygiene audits, fire safety inspections and building maintenance, they can work with specialist teams who operate under one umbrella, share information and coordinate service delivery.
“Housing providers are telling us that managing multiple contractors for different compliance areas creates a massive administrative burden,” Dave continues. “When you’re coordinating electrical testing, water hygiene audits and fire safety inspections across thousands of properties, having teams who work together and understand each other’s work makes a real difference to efficiency and outcomes.”
PTSG also recognises the critical role that repairs and maintenance contractors play in delivering services to housing providers. The group actively supports R&M contractors by providing specialist compliance services that complement their core delivery. Whether acting as a trusted subcontractor partner for electrical testing, fire safety works or water hygiene services, PTSG helps R&M contractors meet their compliance obligations to housing clients whilst maintaining their prime contractor relationships. This partnership approach means R&M contractors can focus on their core competencies whilst accessing PTSG’s specialist expertise and compliance management capabilities, ultimately delivering better outcomes for the housing providers they serve.
Technology-driven compliance management
PTSG has invested significantly in technology platforms that address one of social housing’s biggest challenges: demonstrating compliance clearly and efficiently to residents, regulators and stakeholders.
ECS’s ARC Hub compliance management software provides real-time visibility of electrical safety status across entire portfolios. Housing providers gain immediate access to testing schedules, certificates and remedial work tracking, with clear audit trails and reporting capabilities. The platform has been developed specifically to meet the needs of organisations managing thousands of properties.
TEC uses advanced monitoring technology and client portals to provide transparency in water safety management. Their systems capture and store inspection data in real time, backed up continuously, creating comprehensive audit trails that demonstrate regulatory compliance. Housing associations receive access to dedicated client portals where they can review compliance status, access certificates and monitor ongoing works.
“The sector has moved beyond spreadsheets and paper certificates,” Dave observes. “Housing providers need partners who can provide clear, accessible data that helps them make informed decisions, plan maintenance effectively and demonstrate to residents and regulators that properties are safe.”
With over 3,000 employees operating from service centres across the UK, PTSG provides national coverage with local delivery. The group’s scale means it can respond quickly to urgent compliance issues whilst maintaining consistency of service across vast geographical areas.
Addressing sector-specific challenges
The social housing sector faces unique pressures. Following the Grenfell tragedy and subsequent regulatory reforms, fire safety has become paramount. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act has strengthened tenant safety requirements. Awaab’s Law has focused attention on damp and mould. Housing providers must meet these requirements whilst managing legacy building stock, dealing with funding constraints and maintaining affordability for residents.
PTSG’s proposition directly addresses these challenges. The group’s fire safety capabilities span active systems (detection, alarms, suppression) and passive protection (fire doors, compartmentation, cavity barriers). Electrical testing services ensure properties meet the latest BS7671 standards. Water treatment services manage Legionella risks and ensure compliance with HSG274 guidance.
Recent acquisitions have strengthened PTSG’s position further. The purchase of UK Safety Management expanded the group’s electrical compliance capabilities, whilst the acquisition of HD Sharman Group added market-leading expertise in roof maintenance and refurbishment systems – crucial for preventing water ingress issues that lead to damp and mould.
Building the future of integrated compliance
Dave’s appointment represents PTSG’s recognition that social housing requires dedicated focus and sector-specific expertise. His role centres on developing and delivering integrated compliance solutions that genuinely meet housing providers’ needs.
“When I speak to contacts in the sector and explain what PTSG can deliver, the response is consistently positive,” Dave says. “They immediately see the value of having one partner who understands their world, can handle multiple compliance areas, and can help them manage portfolios more efficiently.”
The vision is ambitious: a comprehensive compliance partnership where housing providers access electrical, water, fire and building maintenance services through coordinated delivery, supported by integrated technology platforms and managed through dedicated account teams who understand social housing inside out.
PTSG is uniquely positioned to deliver this. The constituent businesses bring proven track records – Neo’s fire safety expertise, ECS’s electrical compliance capabilities, TEC’s water treatment specialism. The group has the frameworks in place, the technology platforms deployed, and crucially, existing relationships with major housing associations.
“For the first time, we’re bringing all these capabilities together with someone who speaks the sector’s language at the centre,” Dave explains. “The individual businesses have always delivered excellent work. Now we’re creating something bigger – a truly integrated offer where housing providers get the full benefit of PTSG’s scale, expertise and resources.”
The group is actively working with housing providers to demonstrate this integrated approach in practice. Where PTSG businesses are already working with the same housing association on different services, the team are connecting those relationships, identifying opportunities for better coordination and showing how an integrated partnership delivers better outcomes.
“This is about taking really strong businesses with excellent reputations and helping housing providers understand that they’re all part of one organisation. Many housing providers know Neo, ECS or TEC individually. Now they’re discovering they can access all of them through PTSG, with the coordination and efficiency benefits that brings.
For example, recognising the sector’s focus on damp and mould following Awaab’s Law, PTSG has trained all its engineers to identify potential issues during electrical installation condition reports. When conducting EICRs in social housing properties, engineers are equipped to spot signs of damp and mould and include these observations in their reports. This means housing providers gain additional value from electrical safety inspections, receiving early warnings about potential property condition issues that could affect tenant health and wellbeing without needing separate inspections.
A strategic commitment to social housing
PTSG’s move to appoint a dedicated Business Director for social housing reflects the strategic importance the group places on the sector. With over 4 million social housing properties in the UK requiring ongoing compliance management, the market opportunity is substantial.
More importantly, the sector’s needs align perfectly with PTSG’s capabilities. Housing providers require reliable, professional partners who can deliver multiple compliance services with consistency and quality. They need technology platforms that provide visibility and audit trails. They need national coverage with local delivery. They need organisations that understand the regulatory environment and can adapt to changing requirements.
PTSG delivers all of this. The group’s five divisions provide comprehensive coverage of building compliance requirements. Its constituent businesses bring specialist expertise and established reputations. The technology platforms provide transparency and efficiency. And now, with Dave’s appointment, PTSG has someone dedicated to ensuring the social housing sector understands and can access everything the group offers.
“The potential here is significant,” Dave reflects. “PTSG has brilliant businesses, strong technology platforms, established framework positions, and relationships with major housing providers. The opportunity is to bring it all together in a way that makes sense for our clients and demonstrates what we’re truly capable of delivering.”
For housing providers navigating increasingly complex compliance requirements, managing constrained budgets, and seeking partners who genuinely understand their challenges, PTSG’s enhanced focus on social housing offers a compelling proposition. The capabilities are proven, the commitment is clear, and the vision for integrated compliance management addresses real sector needs.
With Dave’s sector expertise guiding strategy and PTSG’s operational strength delivering services, the group is positioning itself as the partner of choice for social housing organisations across the UK.
About PTSG
Premier Technical Services Group is a multinational building compliance business with over 3,000 specialists delivering more than 170 services across five divisions: electrical services, water treatment, fire solutions, access and safety and building maintenance. The group serves over 30,000 customers throughout the UK and overseas, including major social housing providers, with established positions on key sector frameworks.
