Risk Assessment for Care Homes

Health and Safety in a care home setting is more complex than in almost any other environment. Your staff carry out physically demanding personal care tasks around the clock. Residents may have mobility, cognitive or medical conditions that affect both their own safety and the risks staff face in supporting them. The regulatory landscape involves not just the Health and Safety Executive but also the Care Quality Commission — and the two overlap significantly.

Key Risk Assessment Areas in Care Homes

Every care setting is different, but the following areas require formal Risk Assessments in almost every residential care environment:

• Moving and handling — individual moving and handling risk assessments for every resident who requires physical assistance, covering equipment, techniques and handling plans
• Falls prevention — environmental Risk Assessment covering flooring, lighting, furniture layout, handrails, bed heights and call system adequacy
• Legionella and water safety — written Water Safety Risk Assessment (L8), TMV records, temperature monitoring, showerhead cleaning schedules
• COSHH — assessments for all cleaning products, disinfectants and medicinal substances used in the home
• Infection prevention and control — PPE provision and use, waste management, environmental cleaning standards, outbreak management
• Medication management — safe storage, controlled drugs procedures, self-medication risk for residents with dementia
• Kitchen and catering — burns, cuts, slips, allergen management for residents with dietary requirements including texture-modified diets
• Lone working and night shifts — check-in procedures, escalation protocols, fatigue management
• Contractor management — permit to work, asbestos information, resident safeguarding during building works

Staff Health and Wellbeing

Moving and handling injuries are one of the most common causes of staff absence in the care sector. A well-structured Risk Assessment programme not only protects residents — it protects staff too, reducing costly absences, agency staff reliance and staff turnover. We always consider staff health and wellbeing alongside resident safety.

What We Deliver

• On-site assessment of your premises, activities and workforce
• Written Risk Assessment covering all key care home risk areas
• Prioritised action plan — immediate, short-term and longer-term recommendations
• Individual moving and handling assessment template for resident care plans
• Water Safety (Legionella) Risk Assessment framework
• COSHH inventory and assessment structure
• CQC-ready documentation you can present at inspection

Areas We Cover

We work with residential care homes, nursing homes and supported living providers across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, North London and Essex.