Care Home Health and Safety Audits

At Lanahan Risk Management Services, we can help to make sure your care home is legally compliant when it comes to health and safety legislation, providing you with the peace of mind that all your residents and staff are safe.

Who is responsible for health and safety auditing in a care home?

Health and safety in care homes is the responsibility of the care home owner and/or the manager.

Care home owners must ensure that the correct procedures are in place for care home residents, but for employees too. Since employees have a duty of care to make sure health and safety protocols are followed, it is also the owner's responsibility to ensure employers are trained correctly.

What is included in a care home health and safety audit?

A care home health and safety audit is much like any other and although the specific details may differ, the standard checklist will include:

  • Identifying Hazards - The first step is to identify individual hazards in the care home.
  • Establishing Risks - Once each hazard has been identified, the next step is to calculate the level of risk they present in order to prioritise the areas which need immediate attention.
  • Implementing Controls - The next step is to outline how the hazards will be managed, controlled or reduced. For example, implementing new procedures and rules for all members of staff to adhere to.
  • Sharing Information and Training Staff - All members of staff should be made aware of any changes to health and safety policies and procedures and the appropriate training should be implemented for those who it applies to.
  • Regular Reviews - Regularly reviewing and evaluating your health and safety audit is the best way to ensure everything is up to date and aligned with the law. If necessary, you can amend your policy and provide additional training where appropriate.

How often should health and safety audits be carried out in a care home?


For best practice, a health and safety audit in care homes should be carried out at least once a year as a minimum. This aligns in accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards

The IPC service has also produced a rapid self-service tool which is recommended to be completed every 3-6 months to help ensure you are regularly reviewing and amending your policies where necessary. 

Why health and safety audits are important for care homes

Health and safety audits in care homes are extremely important for a wide number of reasons, including:

  • Uncovering and identifying areas in the care home that could be improved 
  • Ensuring compliance with standards set by the Care Quality Commission 
  • Ensuring the care home is a safe place for residents to live and for employees to work
  • Helping to improve the overall experience and quality of life for residents by making the overall experience more comfortable and safe
  • Helping to reduce the risk of work-related injuries such as illness or trips, slips and falls
  • Maintaining and upgrading equipment where necessary by checking the safety and age
  • Reducing the risk of cross contamination through correct food safety procedures by adhering to the Food Safety Act 1990
  • Keeping records and data private and confidential
  • Improving incident reporting to help maintain a high standard of patient safety


Health and safety hazards in a care home


As within any specialised environment, there are specific hazards that need to be effectively reduced or controlled. 

In a care home environment, these hazards can include but are not limited to:

  • Spread of infection
  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Old or faulty medical equipment, such as motorised beds and blood pressure monitors
  • Food safety
  • Medication errors
  • Abuse or neglect
  • Security
  • Emergency procedures

Care Home Health and Safety Audits from Lanahan Risk Management Services

At Lanahan Risk Management Services, we have a range of different care establishments, meaning we know how important it is to have the right health and safety procedures in place.

Conducting a health and safety audit on your own can be daunting and an additional stress to what you may experience anyway working in a care home. This is where we can help with our health and safety audits and inspections

We can spend time updating your care home’s policies and complete a risk assessment to ensure your team, residents and visitors are safe the whole time they are in the premises.

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