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Here you will find all the articles, Toolkit items and Q&As relating to Premises and equipment.
Scroll down to see the articles, supporting Toolkit documents and Q&As in this section. You will find the most recent ones listed at the top.
Articles
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Promoting a healthy workplace environment
Angela Vincent talks about the benefit of promoting a healthy workplace environment, for both employer and employee.
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Free article: Keeping your care home clean
Martin Hodgson gives guidance on cleaning your care home; especially important during the coronavirus pandemic.
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COVID-19: Using PPE in care settings
Martin Hodgson looks at Public Health England’s new guidance on using PPE in care settings.
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Re-use of medicines in care homes and hospices
Susan Hunneyball examines the new guidance on the re-use of medicines in care homes and hospices.
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Free article: Safety incidents in care homes
Errol Archer looks at the recent CQC update on safety incidents in care homes.
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Electrical safety in care homes
Martin Hodgson looks at the legal requirements and potential risks relating to electrical safety.
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Free article: How should your care home tackle fire safety?
Stuart Collyer of Fire Protection Online talks about the safety challenges that care homes face and how to protect service users from fire.
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Premises and equipment safety
Martin Hodgson looks at the CQC’s key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) and rating characteristics for premises and equipment safety.
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Winter preparedness
Martin Hodgson gives advice on how care providers can prepare for winter weather in order to protect service users.
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Free access: Disabled access to care home premises
Martin Hodgson looks at the requirements for making buildings accessible for disabled people.
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Equipment checks
Martin Hodgson looks at how to prevent the common CQC failing of poor checks on equipment.
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A vision of residential care in the twenty-first century
Martin Hodgson looks at the key findings of a recent report on adult residential care.
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Evacuation chairs and mattresses
Martin Hodgson looks at how to ensure your emergency evacuation equipment is fit for purpose.
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Person-centred care planning
Dr Daniel Nightingale explains why person-centred care planning involves more than just identifying a person’s needs.
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Security in social care settings
Martin Hodgson explains how to ensure the safety of staff and service users in your care setting.
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Free article: Fire Safety
Martin Hodgson explains how to ensure that your fire safety arrangements comply with the law.
Toolkit
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Form – Ideas to promote a healthy workplace environment
To download this document, click the link below:
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Handout – Additional care home cleaning procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic (care homes)
To download this document, click the link below:
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Handout – COVID-19: PPE donning and doffing procedure (all providers)
To download this document, click the link below:
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Form – Hot surfaces inspection and maintenance record (all providers)
To download this document click on the link:
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Form – Windows safety inspection and maintenance record (all providers)
To download this document click on the link:
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Checklist – Bed rails safety (care homes, nursing homes, hospitals, hospices)
To download this document click on the link:
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Form – Choosing the correct fire extinguishers (care homes and nursing homes)
To download this document click on the link:
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Questions and answers – Flood risks and winter safety (all providers)
To download this document click on the link:
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Form – Equipment maintenance/inspection record (all providers)
To download this document click on the link:
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Form - Audit for compliance with fundamental standards: Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment (all providers)
To download this document click on the link:
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Form - Recommended evidence checklist for 'is the service safe?'
To download this toolkit, click on the link:
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Policy - Windows safety (care homes)
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Policy - Disability access policy (care homes) (worked example)
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Checklist - Security (domiciliary care)
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Checklist - Premises access assessment (care homes, nursing homes, hospitals, hospices)
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Checklist - Slips, trips and falls
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Factsheet - Helping care home residents to evacuate
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Form - Personal emergency evacuation form
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
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Form - Hoist pre-use operator safety checklist
To download the toolkit, select 'read more' and click the link:
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Form - Hoist servicing and maintenance record
To download this toolkit, select 'read more' and click on the link:
Q&A
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Q. I attended a webinar recently and the term ‘PPE breach’ was mentioned in passing by one of the delegates. What does this mean and how does it affect our infection control precautions?
A. PPE breach occurs when PPE is not used correctly, or becomes damaged or dislodged during use. Examples that are unlikely to be considered breaches include if a health or social care worker was not wearing gloves for a short period of time or their gloves tore, and they washed their hands immediately, or if their apron tore while caring for a resident and this was replaced promptly.
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Q. When the coronavirus pandemic is over, how should we revise our visitors policy for our care home in order to minimise the risk of an infection being brought into the home?
A. It is certainly true that care homes have had a wake-up call to the risks that visitors pose in relation to infections. Previous systems relied on the goodwill of visitors to sanitise their hands and it took only one person who did not do so to contaminate every door handle, key pad, handrail etc on their way into the building. And that was before they sneezed, coughed or breathed! One would hope that the government agencies provide specific guidance on this issue for the care sector, and this is likely to be consistent with the new social norms based on social distancing.
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Q. Do we need to report an outbreak of COVID-19 under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)?
A. At first glance the answer to this question appears to be a resounding YES. Surely an outbreak of a potentially deadly infection is reportable under RIDDOR? However, this is not necessarily so.
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Q. I've heard that domiciliary care agencies should be registered with the LA as a food business, and that staff should have food safety training and should keep records of food prepared and temperatures of cooking and reheating. Is this true?
A. The Food Standards Agency produced a guide in 2017 which covers this subject: The application of food hygiene legislation to domiciliary care, assisted living and care homes.
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Q. When we have contractors working in the care home, how can we ensure that the safety of the service users is maintained?
A. Contractors on site present a major risk to care homes. There are several potential hazards, including materials, works in progress, interruption to essential utility supplies, equipment and tools and many more. Yet it is essential that works are undertaken to service, maintain and repair the equipment and premises.
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Q. The training company we use tells us that it is HSE-approved. What does this mean?
A. As of 1 October 2013, the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 were amended, removing the requirement for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to approve first aid training and qualifications – see http://bit.ly/HSEFirstAid.
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Q According to the smoke free legislation operating in England, can our care home let our residents smoke in their bedrooms? And if we do what precautions must we take?
A There is provision in the law for designated bedrooms used as accommodation in care homes to be exempt under the Smoke-Free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006.
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