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Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedures Policy

1. Introduction

We are committed to effective fire safety arrangements and emergency preparedness that protect individuals, staff and others. This policy supports compliance with the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, and the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (as amended) and associated statutory guidance for domiciliary support services.

For premises owned or used by the service provider (e.g., our office), fire safety is also managed in line with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and wider health and safety requirements. The Fire Safety Order does not apply to domestic premises (people’s private homes), but it can apply to communal parts of some buildings (e.g., blocks of flats).

This policy applies to all staff and managers. It explains:

• how we identify and reduce fire risk within our control,
• how we assess and manage fire-related risks as part of care planning in an individual’s home, and
• how we record, review and (where required) notify CIW of relevant incidents and service disruptions.

2. Key Principles of Fire Safety and Evacuation

We adhere to the following fire safety principles:

• Fire Prevention: Identifying and reducing fire risks in service users’ homes and office premises.
• Fire Risk Assessments (FRA): Conducting regular assessments to identify potential fire hazards.
• Fire Safety Training: Ensuring all staff are trained in fire safety and evacuation procedures.
• Emergency Evacuation Plans: Establishing clear evacuation procedures for different service settings.
• Fire Drills and Testing: Ensuring fire safety equipment is functional and regularly tested.
• Safe Use of Equipment: Following guidelines for handling electrical appliances and hazardous materials.
• Incident Reporting: Documenting and reviewing all fire-related incidents for continuous improvement.

2.1 Regulatory expectations (CIW) – notifications and openness

We follow CIW’s requirements for notifications and record keeping, including using CIW Online for notifiable events and changes (with delegated “online assistants” where applicable).

We also act with candour: being open and transparent when things go wrong, sharing information about incidents and outcomes of any reviews/investigations, and offering an apology where appropriate.

3. How We Manage Fire Safety and Evacuation Efficiently

A. Fire Prevention and Hazard Control

Fire prevention is the first step in ensuring safety. We proactively identify and minimise fire hazards in service users’ homes and office environments.

For Staff:

• As part of the individual’s personal plan and risk management, complete and record a Home Fire Safety risk check (what increases risk, what mitigations are in place, what actions are needed).
• Check and record whether smoke alarms and (where relevant) carbon monoxide alarms appear present and working (e.g., test button only if the individual agrees and it is safe to do so). If alarms are missing/defective, report to the office the same day and agree an action plan with the individual/representative (e.g., contact landlord/family, request a Fire and Rescue Service home safety visit).
• Where the individual is in rented accommodation, note that legal duties for smoke/CO alarms may sit with the landlord (Fitness for Human Habitation requirements); we support the individual to raise issues promptly.
• Reduce controllable hazards during visits (e.g., keep exits clear, do not overload sockets, keep ignition sources away from oxygen, ensure safe charging of devices/e-cigarettes where used).
• If immediate danger is identified, stop the task, move to safety, and follow escalation procedures (999 if needed).

For CIW Inspectors:

• Fire risk assessments are documented in care plans.
• Inspection records confirm smoke alarms and fire safety equipment are checked regularly.

B. Home fire safety risk management (as part of assessment and personal planning)

We identify and manage fire-related risks in an individual’s home as part of our provider assessment, personal plan, and ongoing reviews. Actions are proportionate, recorded, and reviewed whenever needs/circumstances change (e.g., new oxygen use, reduced mobility, new smoking risks, hoarding, change of address).

For Staff:

• Complete an initial home fire safety risk check at assessment/commencement and update it at each personal plan review or sooner if risks change.
• Record agreed mitigation steps (e.g., safe storage of oxygen, safe smoking plans, exit routes, who to call, and any referral actions).
• Where risks cannot be reduced to a safe level within our remit, escalate to the Registered Manager for a decision about service delivery and additional controls.

For CIW Inspectors:

• FRA documents confirm risk evaluations and mitigation strategies.
• Records show that risk assessments are updated regularly.

C. Fire Safety Training for Staff

All staff receive mandatory fire safety training to ensure they are prepared to prevent and respond to fire emergencies.

For Staff:

• Complete Fire Safety Training (FST) during induction and annually thereafter.
• Learn how to use fire extinguishers and identify fire exit routes.
• Follow the PASS technique when using a fire extinguisher (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).
• Understand the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” method if clothing catches fire.
• Training includes: lone working emergency actions; responding to fire/CO alarm activation in a person’s home; oxygen safety; safe smoking/e-cig charging risks; and how to escalate and document concerns.
• Managers/senior staff receive additional training on CIW notifications, thresholds, and using CIW Online, including delegation to online assistants.
• We use scenario-based exercises (table-top) at least annually to evidence learning for domiciliary situations (where traditional building fire drills may not be feasible for lone workers).

For CIW Inspectors:

• Training logs confirm staff completion of fire safety training.
• Fire drill reports demonstrate practical preparedness.

D. Emergency actions and individual contingency planning

In domiciliary support, we do not control the building layout. We therefore focus on clear emergency actions for staff and individual contingency planning within the personal plan for people who may struggle to self-evacuate.

For Staff:

• Develop individual evacuation plans for service users with limited mobility or cognitive impairments.
• Identify safe evacuation routes and assembly points in service users’ homes.
• Ensure that service users who cannot self-evacuate have an Assisted Evacuation Plan (AEP) in place.
• Never use lifts during an evacuation.
• Call 999 immediately in case of a fire emergency.
• Contingency planning (within the personal plan): Record the individual’s likely evacuation barriers (mobility/cognition/sensory issues) and agreed practical steps (who to contact, preferred exit route, key safe locations, equipment needed).

For CIW Inspectors:

• EEPs are included in care plans for high-risk individuals.
• Emergency response procedures are documented and tested.

E. Testing, checks and records (office premises and service delivery)

Office / premises owned or used by the provider: We maintain fire safety equipment checks and drills appropriate to the premises and keep records of tests, defects and actions taken. (This aligns with expectations that providers keep records of fire safety testing/drills and actions to remedy issues.)

Service users’ homes: Staff may encourage and support individuals to test alarms where appropriate, but we record and escalate concerns (missing/defective alarms, blocked exits, high fire-load/hoarding, unsafe heating/cooking) through our risk management and reporting processes.

F. Safe Use of Electrical Equipment and Flammable Materials

Electrical faults and improper use of flammable materials are common causes of fires. We enforce strict safety protocols regarding their use.

For Staff:

• Ensure provider-owned electrical equipment used in service delivery is maintained and, where required, PAT tested.
• Do not test/repair the individual’s electrical appliances. If damage/overheating/unsafe wiring is observed, make the area safe if possible, report immediately to the office, and advise the individual/representative to contact an electrician/landlord.
• Do not use damaged wiring, overloaded sockets, or faulty plugs.
• Store oxygen tanks safely away from heat sources and open flames.
• Dispose of flammable materials according to waste management regulations.

For CIW Inspectors:

• Records confirm compliance with electrical safety checks.
• Risk assessments highlight proper storage of hazardous materials.

G. Incident Reporting and Post-Fire Reviews

All fire incidents, near-misses, or safety concerns must be reported immediately.

For Staff:

• Report any fire incidents or hazards via the Incident Reporting System (IRS).
• Participate in Post-Fire Reviews (PFR) to learn from past incidents and improve safety measures.
• Follow CIW reporting requirements for notifiable fire incidents.

For CIW Inspectors:

• Fire incident logs document actions taken.
• Risk mitigation measures show continuous improvement.

CIW notifications (service provider):

The Registered Manager/Responsible Individual (or delegated CIW Online assistant) must notify CIW without delay via CIW Online where the incident meets Schedule 3 / Regulation 60 thresholds, including (relevant examples):

• Serious accident or injury to an individual (including where fire/smoke/CO exposure results in injury/medical treatment).
• Any incident reported to the police (e.g., arson, serious fire incident).
• Events that prevent or could prevent the provider from continuing to provide the service safely, including (office/premises): physical damage affecting care delivery or failure/malfunction of fire alarms or other safety devices lasting longer than 24 hours.

Notifications are made using CIW Online and can be delegated by the Responsible Individual to designated “online assistants” in line with CIW’s process.

Duty of candour: Where an incident affects an individual, we will be open and transparent, provide information about what happened and any review/investigation outcomes, and offer an apology where appropriate.

4. Governance, oversight and continuous improvement

Fire safety risk management is overseen through supervision, audit and learning from incidents/near misses. The Responsible Individual ensures:

• policies and procedures are kept up to date and staff can access and understand them;
• records are accurate and complete;
• a quality of care review is completed at least every six months and includes analysing aggregated incident/notifiable incident data and actions taken.

We maintain an action plan for improvements (training, practice guidance, referral routes, equipment, and auditing outcomes).

5. Compliance Monitoring and Audit Procedures

• Internal Audits: Conducted quarterly to assess fire safety compliance.
• Annual Reviews: Full compliance check against fire safety regulations.
• Staff Supervisions & Appraisals: Conducted every six months to ensure competency.

Audits will include checks of:

• staff training completion and competency evidence;
• personal plan documentation showing fire-risk mitigations and review updates;
• office fire drill/alarm test records and actions taken;
• incident reports, post-incident learning, and where required, CIW notifications evidence (CIW Online reference).

6. Conclusion

We are committed to fire safety, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance in all aspects of our domiciliary care service. This policy ensures staff and service users are protected from fire risks through robust prevention, training, risk assessments, and evacuation planning in line with CIW requirements.

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