fire risk assessment for care homes: What Providers Must Get Right

A fire risk assessment for a care home is not the same as assessing an office or a shops-evacuation Order 2005 the registered provider or manager is the responsible person, with personal legal duties to assess risk, plan evacuation, train staff and maintain systems. Failures in this sector are treated with particular seriousness, and prosecution can bring an unlimited fine and up to two years' imprisonment on indictment. This guide explains what a care-home fire risk assessment must cover, the specific duties that apply, and how to evidence compliance to inspectors and the Care Quality Commission.

Why care homes Are High Risk

care homes sit at the top of the fire-risk register for one simple reason: the people inside cannot reliably save themselves. Many residents are elderly, living with dementia, or physically unable to mobilise quickly. Some are bed-bound and wholly dependent on staff to move them. A fire at night, when the home is at its quietest and residents are asleep, is the scenario every assessment must plan for.

The building itself often compounds the risk. Older care homes may have been converted from houses, with complicated layouts, staircases and compartmentation that do not meet modern standards. Oxygen use, hoists, mobility aids and medical equipment add ignition and fuel loads that a domestic setting would not have.

This is why care homes fall into the Enhanced assessment tier rather than the Micro or Standard bands. The work involved — detailed person-centred evacuation planning, liaison over building design, and a far more thorough report — reflects the genuine stakes. A fire risk assessment care home providers commission has to be competent, current and specific to the residents who live there.

Who Is the responsible person?

In a care home the responsible person is ordinarily the registered provider — the organisation or individual registered with the Care Quality Commission — and, on a day-to-day basis, the registered manager. Where the provider and the landlord Order 2005, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. It is not formal legal advice — for a definitive view on your premises, book a HawkSwift fire risk assessment.*

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Your duties under the RRO 2005 for care homes

• care homes must plan for residents who cannot self-evacuate — 'stay put' or assisted evacuation must be documented.
• CQC regulates care; fire safety is a CQC line of enquiry and must evidence RRO 2005 compliance.
• fire doors, detection and staff fire training are inspected routinely (Art. 17, Art. 21).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a written fire risk assessment? Yes, if you employ 5+ people, are a licensable or higher-risk premises, or the building is not a private home (Art. 9). How often should I review it? At least annually and immediately after any significant change. Can I do my own? Only if you are competent; many use a qualified NEBOSH-assessed assessor for a court-defensible report. Where do I start? Book a HawkSwift assessment — general guidance, not formal legal advice.

*General guidance, not formal legal advice — book a HawkSwift assessment for your premises.*