Residential Care Premises

Residential care settings house vulnerable individuals, many of whom require assistance to evacuate. A tailored fire risk assessment and effective evacuation strategy are essential to protect residents, staff, and visitors.

To DO’s

• All care settings require a comprehensive, site-specific fire risk assessment and may benefit from person-centred risk assessments
  
• Establish emergency plans with appropriate fire evacuation strategies and practice them with subsequent drills, these are essential for protecting vulnerable residents
  
• Consider additional facilities/equipment (with appropriate training) for residents unable to self-evacuate

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Premises Types Covered

This guidance applies to:

• Residential Care and nursing homes
• Rehabilitation premises offering residential treatment
• Care homes with or without nursing (as defined in the Care Act 2014)(gov.uk)

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Fire Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment must:

• Identify hazards and who is at risk
• Evaluate risks and implement control measures
• Be reviewed regularly, especially after any changes to the layout or occupancy

It should address:

• Sleeping areas
• Staffed 24/7 supervision
• Residents unable to evacuate independently (PEEP)
• Shared use of spaces and escape routes

Fire Risk Assessment Guide for Residential Care (gov.uk)

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Emergency Planning

Your emergency plan must:

• Reflect your fire risk assessment
• Ensure staff know their roles and evacuation procedures
• Include regular evacuation drills
• Consider staff-to-resident ratio and night-time staffing

Evacuation Strategies
PEEPs: Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

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Additional Fire Safety Measures

Install and maintain appropriate fire extinguishers

• Use Premises/Secure Information Boxes to aid fire crews
• Signage must be accessible and clearly indicate escape routes (please refer to Fire Safety Signage and Wayfinding)

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Further Guidance

• Your Fire Safety Responsibilities in the Workplace (gov.uk)