CQC Outcome 10, Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 Safety and suitability of premises Notes on use: For most effective use of the document the user should personalise the text to suit their organisation. To do so, search the text for three asterisks ***, as all fields marked *** are to be replaced accordingly with name of organisation/relevant individual/relevant group. *** may indicate fields that require personalisation, based on the characteristics of your organisation. We refers to your organisation, unless stated otherwise. In addition we recommend the training statement found on the final page of this document is to be completed once the text has been read and fully understood. This page can be discarded. Disclaimer: The user is aware that in no event will Excelacare Ltd be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of products, materials or services (used in their original form or otherwise altered), purchased or otherwise acquired from Excelacare Ltd.
Safety and suitability of premises Content summary 1. Introduction 2. Policy on the safety and suitability of premises 3. Control of substances hazardous to health 4. Fire evacuation 4.1 Fire risk assessment 4.2 Fire drill and evacuation from the premises 5. Five steps for risk assessing the safety and suitability of premises 6. Minimising the risk of falls 7. Training statement Appendix 1: Risk assessment proforma for the safety and suitability of premises Appendix 2: Falls prevention checklist & action plan for service users identified as at risk of falls Appendix 3: Risk assessment for falls 1. Introduction This guidance is cross-referenced to Outcome 10 of the Care Quality Commission s Essential Standards of Quality and Safety, and to Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. The organisation is committed to ensuring that service users and other people are protected against the risks associated with unsafe or unsuitable premises. Therefore, the organisation maintains a suitable design and layout of the buildings used by service users. The security of service users is paramount to the organisation and alongside the maintenance of the premises and equipment we ensure the safety of all that use the building. 2. Policy on the safety and suitability of premises ***(organisation name) aims to ensure that the design and layout of the building minimises risk to service users.
Within the organisation, service user accommodation is reserved for their exclusive use. The organisation takes very seriously the task of restricting access to it by unsupervised and potentially inappropriate individuals. Suitable and adequate security measures are in place to prevent unauthorised access by the public to service user living areas. These include the following protocols and practices: An identified member of staff is delegated the responsibility of locking all external doors and windows into the organisation before handing over to the waking night staff. This is usually the shift leader; however the head of the organisation will occasionally delegate this responsibility to other staff. An identified senior member of the care staff concludes the final locking up and security check before setting any alarms. This provides cover for the whole of the service users accommodation. All emergency fire evacuation doors are checked to ensure that they are closed. This ensures that access is only possible for service users and staff who wish to evacuate the building from the inside. 3. Control of substances hazardous to health The organisation follows the guidance on the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) as detailed from the Health and Safety Executive. The responsibility for compliance with the COSHH assessment rests with the designated organisation manager who may delegate responsibility for carrying out the assessment to other staff. COSHH data sheets are kept in a designated Health and Safety file within the organisation. Substances that are covered by COSHH are classed as: Very toxic Toxic Harmful Irritant and/or Corrosive
Such substances may be found in: Cleaning materials Battery electrolyte Medicines Cigarette smoke Bodily fluids, eg vomit, faeces, blood, urine Sharps 4. Fire evacuation Outcome 10e of the CQC s Essential Standards of Quality and Safety identifies the need for organisations to ensure that staff and service users understand what to do in an emergency, e.g. fire evacuation. The organisation ensures that service users and staff are aware of emergency evacuation procedures. The CQC also requires that the organisation should comply with recommendations of the fire service. The organisation should regularly carry out and record risk assessments in relation to fire, together with fire drills and any routine tests recommended by the fire service. 4.1 Fire risk assessment: Content not available in sample 4.2 Fire drill and evacuation from the premises Content not available in sample 5. Five steps for risk assessing the safety and suitability of premises The organisation uses the 5 steps to Risk Assessment format issued by the Health and Safety Executive for risk assessing the safety and suitability of the organisations premises. Please use this guidance to complete the risk assessment found in appendix 1. The 5 steps are:
Step 1: Identify the hazard The first step is to identify the situation, hazard or activity that poses an inherent risk. There may me more than one hazard in an activity, in this case write down all the hazards and number them. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how Decide who might be harmed and how. These might be staff, service users, visitors, general public or other identified persons or groups of people. Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or whether more could be done to minimise risk. Think how dangerous the risk or hazard is: significant, slight, urgent etc. then decide if existing precautions are adequate or whether more could be done. Enter these briefly into step 3. 6. Minimising the risk of falls Falls are a major cause of disability in the UK and the leading cause of service user death in those aged 75 and over. Service users who are admitted into the organisation should be assessed with respect to the risk of falls - see appendix 3: Risk assessment for falls. The organisation will refer service users to the local NHS agencies for specialist support and assessment with respect to the prevention of falls. 7. Training statement All staff will be encouraged to read this policy, and will be provided with adequate training at all suitable stages of their employment at ***(organisation name).
I declare that I have read the text above and understand the document in its entirety, and the implications of my actions with respect to the safety and suitability of premises. Trainee Supervisor Date Print Sign Print Sign