Care Home Risk Assessment Example

What is a risk assessment in health and social care?

A risk assessment in health and social care is an assessment that assesses any hazards that could pose a risk to both employees and people in your care home. During the assessment you should record hazards, the likelihood of them causing harm to someone, and the implementation of safety control measures.

Why are risk assessments important in health and social care?

There are many hazards and potential risks that can occur within care setting, all of which you must be aware of - making a risk assessment vitally important in a care home. Such as:

Moving and handling.
Slips, trips, or falls.
Medication handling.
Food risks, such as allergies.
Aggressive patients.
Infection prevention.
Bedrail equipment.
Not having enough staff, or poorly trained staff.

Is a risk assessment in care a legal requirement?

Yes if you run a care home, carrying out a risk assessment in construction is a legal requirement and as an employer, one must be conducted. Once completed, a copy of the risk assessment in care should be made available to your employees.

Download our free risk assessment in a care home example today and learn how to keep your employees from harm.

How often should a risk assessment in care be reviewed?

A risk assessment in the health and social care sector should be carried out any time a new risk is identified, and at least once a year. With your employees being made aware of the risk assessment being carried out and its findings.

For example, a risk assessment in care should be conducted every time a new resident is moved into the home. This is because there

Download our free risk assessment in care home example today to avoid harm coming to your employees or people in you care. Once you have an example risk assessment, you will know how to perform them in the future, ensuring total legal compliance.

How to perform a risk assessment in health and social care?

For your risk assessment in care to be effective and manage all risks, you should follow the below steps:

Gather information and identify hazards:

The first stage is to gather information and identify hazards within the care home, so you can implement the correct control measures.

Carry out the following to ensure you're fully identifying hazards:

Observation: walk around the care home and spot any potential hazards, such as slippery floors, blocked fire exits, and chemicals that have been poorly stored.
Speak with current staff: ask them if they have any ongoing concerns with their Health & Safety.
Review current and former safety records: look for patterns, such as a particular walkway that's regularly slippery

Assess who may be at risk from harm

The second stage is to assess who may be at most at risk from any hazards found within the care home.

For example:

Residents: this is especially the case for elderly people or any children.
Certain groups of staff: for example any pregnant employees you have, or employees who work in dangerous areas with harmful substances.

Evaluate the risks and implement the correct control measures

The third stage is implementing control measures, but only after you've considered the level of risk posed.

For example:

Provide staff training, including refresher training as well as for new starters.
Improve the cleaning process.
Improve your fire evacuation plan.

Review and record your results

The next stage is to record the results of your risk assessment, this is a legal requirement if you employ over five staff. This is especially vital in a care home setting where the safety of the patients is crucial.

Your risk assessment records should include:

Who is at risk from hazards.
How you've addressed and controlled these risks.
Who was involved in the risk assessment process.

Regularly review your assessment

The final stage is to regularly review your care home risk assessment, a good timeframe is annually or every time a new process is introduced into the care home.

The following should be reviewed (including but not limited to):

Are the control measures effective?
Do any new staff require training?
Have any new tasks been introduced since the last assessment?

Our experts have put together a care home risk assessment template ready for you to download and use when needed. Access your nursing home risk assessment example and keep your patients safe.

Different types of risk assessment in care

There are many different types of risk assessments in care that you may need to conduct in your business. Each of which are vitally important to the care of your patients. Such as:

Fall risk assessment: This type of risk assessment will identify hazards such as loose rugs or poor lighting that may lead to a patient with mobility issues falling over. Control measures may be installing handrails or mobility aids.
Medication safety assessment: The type of risk assessment will identify hazards involving medication errors. For example ensuring the right medication is given to the right patient. Control measures may be providing extra training and regular reviews.

FAQs: Care Home Risk Assessment

Who conducts a risk assessment?

Generally, managers are responsible. However, staff who work directly with residents should be involved. Certain areas, like fire safety or electrical systems, may require specialists.

What are the different types of risk assessments?

In addition to a general assessment, other types include resident assessments, fire safety assessments, COSHH assessments, and electrical safety checks.

What are common risks?

Slips, trips and falls are frequent in care homes; typically caused by wet floors, uneven surfaces, loose cables or low visibility. Also, poor manual handling technique can injure residents and staff. Other risks could be medication errors, infection control, fire safety, and hot surfaces.

Download your free care home risk assessment example

It's vital you maintain the Health & Safety of all your employees and people in your care by performing a care home risk assessment. This involves risk analysis, assessing existing precautions and ultimately, controlling hazards.

Failure to carry out a risk assessment could lead to serious or fatal accidents in your workplace. Consequently, this might lead to financial and reputational damages.

Peninsula offers expert advice on your risk assessment in care, as well as a free risk care home risk assessment example for you to download.

Our teams provide 24/7 Health & Safety advice which is available 365 days a year. We take care of your business needs when you work with our Health & Safety experts. Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with a qualified Health & Safety consultant today.