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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Cold Weather and Winter Safety Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} has an effective and proactive approach to managing risks associated with cold weather and winter conditions, safeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of both service users and employees.

Cold weather presents serious risks, particularly to vulnerable individuals such as older adults, people with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses. Risks include hypothermia, slips and falls, respiratory infections, seasonal flu, and disruptions to domiciliary care services.

This policy supports compliance with the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended, the statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the 2016 Act, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other applicable health and safety legislation. The service provider and Responsible Individual must have regard to the applicable statutory guidance and must ensure that this policy is consistent with the service’s statement of purpose, current legislation, national guidance and the assessed needs of individuals receiving the service.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All service users receiving domiciliary care, particularly those who are at risk during winter.
• All employees of {{org_field_name}}, including care staff, administrative staff, and managers.
• Third-party service providers, including external healthcare professionals, local authorities, and emergency services involved in winter safety planning.

This policy covers:

• Managing cold weather risks for service users.
• Ensuring staff safety during winter conditions.
• Emergency procedures for severe weather and service disruptions.
• Collaboration with local authorities and healthcare providers to maintain safe care delivery.

3. Identifying Service Users at Risk

3.1 Service User Risk Assessment

Cold-weather and winter-related risks must be considered as part of the individual’s provider assessment, personal plan and ongoing risk-management arrangements. Before the winter period, and whenever severe weather is forecast or an individual’s circumstances change, the service must determine whether a specific Winter Risk Assessment is required. The assessment must be proportionate to the individual’s needs and must include, where relevant:

• Health conditions that may worsen in cold weather (e.g., respiratory diseases, arthritis, heart disease, dementia).
• Home heating situation (e.g., availability of heating, insulation, boiler maintenance).
• Mobility and fall risks (e.g., whether they require additional walking aids, winter footwear).
• Access to warm clothing, blankets, and hot meals.
• Social isolation risks (e.g., whether they have family support or if they live alone).

• Risks associated with interruption of electricity, gas, water, telephone, digital alarm, telecare, oxygen, specialist equipment or other essential services.
• The individual’s access to prescribed medicines, continence products, dressings, food, fluids and other essential supplies during severe weather.
• Whether the individual relies on electrically powered medical or mobility equipment and what contingency arrangements apply during a power failure.
• The individual’s ability to recognise and report deterioration, cold-related illness, heating failure or an emergency.
• Communication requirements, including the individual’s preferred language and any sensory, cognitive or communication impairment that could affect emergency contact.
• The person or organisation to be contacted if a scheduled visit is delayed, shortened, rearranged or cannot be completed.
• Any essential visit that must not be omitted or delayed without clinical or commissioner escalation.
• Risks from carbon monoxide, unsafe temporary heaters, poorly ventilated appliances or defective heating equipment.

The assessment must be reviewed immediately where there is a significant change in the individual’s health, mobility, heating, home environment, support network, access to food or medicines, or ability to receive scheduled care. Any change affecting the delivery of care or the management of risk must be recorded in the individual’s provider assessment and personal plan, and communicated promptly to the staff responsible for providing care.

3.2 Supporting Vulnerable Service Users

Care workers will ensure that service users are dressed appropriately for cold weather, including warm clothing, socks, and gloves.

During scheduled visits, staff must remain alert to signs that the home is inadequately heated or that heating, electricity, gas, water, telecare or essential equipment has failed. Staff must record and report concerns without delay in accordance with the individual’s personal plan and the service’s escalation procedure. Where there is an immediate risk to life or serious harm, staff must contact the emergency services. In other cases, the Registered Manager or designated on-call manager must determine what immediate action is required and, where relevant, contact the individual’s representative, commissioner, local authority, health professional, housing provider or utility supplier.

Staff will encourage hot drinks and warm meals to help maintain body temperature.

Where the individual’s home cannot be made safe and temporary relocation may be necessary, the service must immediately involve the individual, the relevant commissioner or local authority, any representative and appropriate health or emergency professionals. Relocation must not be arranged or imposed without the individual’s valid consent or other lawful authority. Where the individual may lack capacity to decide, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 must be followed, including assessment of capacity, consultation and a recorded best-interests decision. The least restrictive safe option must be used.

4. Managing Staff Safety in Winter Conditions

4.1 Winter Travel Safety for Care Staff

Care staff are at increased risk of road accidents, falls, and travel disruptions during winter. To minimise risks:

• All staff must follow the company’s winter travel safety procedures before setting out on their journeys.
• Any vehicle used for work must be roadworthy, legally compliant, appropriately insured for its use and suitable for the forecast conditions. Staff using their own vehicles must complete the checks required by the organisation’s driving-at-work procedure. Any additional equipment identified by the driving risk assessment, such as warm clothing, a charged telephone, torch, blanket, ice scraper or first-aid equipment, must be available. Staff must not be instructed to drive where the journey cannot be undertaken safely.
• Alternative travel plans must be in place for staff unable to drive due to severe weather conditions.
• Staff must report road closures, ice hazards, or unsafe conditions to management, who will reassess routes accordingly.

The Registered Manager or designated on-call manager must review staffing, staff skill mix, geographical coverage, travel conditions and the needs of individuals before changing visit schedules. The service must continue to deploy sufficient suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff to meet individuals’ assessed needs.

Each domiciliary care worker must be provided with an updated schedule of visits. The schedule must separately identify care time, travel time and, where applicable, rest breaks. Travel time must be realistic and must take account of road conditions, road closures, congestion, parking restrictions and other foreseeable winter disruption.

Visit duration must remain sufficient to deliver the individual’s personal plan safely. Travel delays must not be managed by routinely shortening care visits, omitting essential tasks or expecting staff to travel unsafely.

4.2 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Cold Weather

The organisation must assess risks to staff arising from cold, rain, snow, ice, darkness, poor visibility and other winter conditions. Where a risk cannot be adequately controlled by other means, suitable personal protective equipment or protective clothing must be provided to affected employees and workers free of charge. Selection must be based on the risk assessment and the work undertaken and may include, where required:

• slip-resistant safety footwear;
• waterproof or thermal protective clothing;
• gloves suitable for the work being undertaken; and
• high-visibility clothing where staff may be exposed to moving vehicles or poor visibility.

Personal protective equipment must be suitable, compatible with other equipment, maintained, stored appropriately and replaced when defective. Staff must receive appropriate information, instruction and training and must report loss, damage or defects promptly.

Care workers must report any injuries, falls, or accidents immediately using the Accident and Incident Reporting Procedures.

5. Preventing Seasonal Illnesses

5.1 Flu and Respiratory Infection Prevention

Winter increases the risk of influenza, pneumonia, COVID-19, and other respiratory infections. To protect both staff and service users:

• All staff are encouraged to have the annual flu vaccine.
• Service users will be supported in accessing flu and COVID-19 vaccinations through their GP or local pharmacy.
• Infection prevention and control measures must be implemented in accordance with the organisation’s Infection Prevention and Control Policy, the individual’s assessed needs and current Public Health Wales and Welsh Government guidance. Staff must undertake hand hygiene, use personal protective equipment following the relevant risk assessment and apply any additional precautions required when an individual or staff member has symptoms of an acute respiratory infection. Face masks must be used where required by the current national guidance, an outbreak or incident risk assessment, clinical advice or the individual’s personal plan.
• If a service user shows signs of illness, staff must report it immediately and assist in seeking medical advice.

Where an outbreak of infectious disease is suspected or confirmed, the Registered Manager must implement the Infection Prevention and Control Policy, obtain appropriate public health or clinical advice, maintain required records and notify CIW without delay in writing in accordance with regulation 60 and Schedule 3 of the Regulated Services Regulations.

5.2 Managing Cold-Related Health Conditions

Staff will monitor service users for cold-related illnesses such as:

• Hypothermia: Shivering, confusion, slow breathing, and drowsiness.
• Frostbite: Numbness, pale or blue-tinted skin, pain in extremities.
• Winter asthma or COPD flare-ups: Increased breathlessness or wheezing.

Staff must follow the individual’s personal plan and emergency escalation instructions. Where there are signs of severe hypothermia, significant breathing difficulty, altered consciousness, collapse, chest pain, suspected stroke or another life-threatening condition, staff must call 999 immediately, provide assistance within the limits of their training and inform the Registered Manager or on-call manager as soon as practicable. For non-life-threatening deterioration, staff must promptly obtain appropriate advice through the person’s GP, NHS 111 Wales or the relevant clinical professional and must record the symptoms, advice received and action taken.

6. Emergency Planning for Severe Weather Disruptions

6.1 Continuity of Care During Snow, Ice, or Storms

In the event of severe winter weather, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Implement the Emergency Business Continuity Plan (DCW19).
• Prioritise visits to high-risk service users, ensuring essential care continues.
• Arrange for emergency carers or backup staff to cover absences.
• Communicate with local authorities and emergency services to coordinate assistance if needed.
• Provide staff with updated emergency contact details for support during severe weather.

Prioritisation must be based on a documented, individual risk assessment and personal plan. The prioritisation system must identify visits involving essential medicines, food or fluid support, continence care, repositioning, skin integrity, insulin or other delegated healthcare tasks, oxygen or respiratory support, end-of-life care, safeguarding monitoring and any other intervention where delay or omission could cause harm.

Prioritisation does not authorise the service to cancel, shorten or materially delay care without assessing the effect on the individual. Any proposed change must be authorised by the Registered Manager or designated on-call manager and recorded.

Where a visit is likely to be late, shortened, rearranged or missed, the service must:

• assess the immediate risk to the individual;
• contact the individual using their preferred communication method;
• contact their representative where authorised and appropriate;
• arrange alternative safe support where required;
• inform the commissioner or relevant health professional where the change may affect assessed care or clinical safety;
• record the reason, risk assessment, persons contacted, decisions made and outcome; and
• review the personal plan where the disruption identifies an ongoing or changed risk.

6.1.1 Notification of Serious Service Disruption

The service provider must notify CIW without delay and in writing of any severe-weather event or associated disruption that prevents, or could prevent, the provider from continuing to provide the service safely. This includes, where relevant:

• loss of sufficient staff to deliver essential care;
• widespread inability to reach individuals;
• serious failure of scheduling, telephone or electronic care-record systems;
• loss of the principal office or operational base;
• prolonged loss of electricity, heating, communications or essential supplies;
• inability to deliver essential medicines or delegated healthcare tasks;
• multiple missed visits creating a risk of harm; or
• any other event that materially compromises safe service delivery.

The notification must contain details of the event, its actual or potential impact, actions taken to protect individuals, contingency arrangements and any continuing risks. The Registered Manager must ensure that the Responsible Individual is informed and that the notification is submitted through the current CIW notification process.

6.2 Service User Emergency Support

If a service user is at risk due to heating failure, isolation, or severe weather conditions, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Arrange emergency fuel or heating assistance through the local authority or energy provider.
• Coordinate food deliveries if they are unable to leave their home.
• Liaise with family members, social workers, or volunteers to provide additional support.
• Immediately escalate to the commissioner, local authority, emergency services or relevant health professional where the individual’s home is unsafe and safe care cannot continue there. Any temporary relocation must be arranged by, or agreed with, the appropriate responsible body and must be undertaken with the individual’s valid consent or other lawful authority. Where the individual may lack capacity to decide, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the service’s Consent and Mental Capacity Policy must be followed and the decision-making process must be recorded.

Emergency support actions must be proportionate to the service’s role and contractual responsibilities. Staff must not make commitments on behalf of a local authority, utility provider, housing provider or emergency service. Where another organisation is responsible for arranging accommodation, heating assistance, food, medicines or welfare support, the provider must make and record the appropriate referral and continue reasonable safeguarding and continuity arrangements until responsibility has been safely transferred.

7. Staff Training and Awareness

To ensure all employees are prepared for winter risks:

• Winter safety training is provided annually, covering:
  • Identifying and responding to hypothermia and cold-related illnesses.
  • Safe travel in icy or snowy conditions.
  • Infection prevention and flu vaccination benefits.
• Regular updates and weather alerts will be communicated via email, text, or staff meetings.
• Emergency contact lists for staff, service users, and local support agencies will be readily available.

Staff must receive information, instruction and training appropriate to their role before being expected to implement winter contingency arrangements. Training must include:

• the service’s severe-weather escalation and on-call arrangements;
• identifying which visits and care interventions are essential;
• action to take when a visit is delayed, shortened or cannot be completed;
• recording and reporting missed or disrupted care;
• when to contact emergency services, NHS 111 Wales, a GP, commissioner or local authority;
• the current CIW notification requirements;
• consent, mental capacity and lawful decision-making during emergencies;
• safe lone working and work-related driving;
• use, care and reporting of defects in personal protective equipment;
• management of acute respiratory infection risks in accordance with current Welsh guidance; and
• use of the service’s business continuity and communication systems.

Completion of training must be recorded. Staff competence and understanding must be checked through supervision, exercises, audits or other suitable means. Additional instruction must be provided when procedures, national guidance or identified risks change.

8. Monitoring and Compliance

The Registered Manager is operationally responsible for implementing this policy and must:

• Ensuring compliance with CIW safety regulations related to cold weather preparedness.
• Conducting winter safety audits to review staff preparedness and service user risks.
• Reviewing and updating this policy annually, incorporating feedback from staff and service users.
• Investigating and reporting any weather-related incidents, ensuring continuous improvement in winter safety measures.

• ensuring that severe-weather decisions, delayed or missed visits, incidents, risk assessments, communications and actions are accurately recorded;
• ensuring that changes affecting an individual’s care are reflected in the provider assessment and personal plan;
• ensuring that required notifications and referrals are made without delay;
• reviewing each significant disruption or incident to identify immediate action and lessons learned; and
• escalating any matter that prevents or could prevent safe service delivery to the service provider and Responsible Individual.

8.1 Service Provider and Responsible Individual Oversight

The service provider must ensure that sufficient resources, staffing, supplies, governance arrangements and contingency measures are available to provide the service safely and in accordance with the statement of purpose.

The Responsible Individual must maintain effective oversight of the service’s winter preparedness and response. This includes:

• ensuring that this policy and related procedures are kept up to date;
• ensuring that staff have access to and understand the policy;
• reviewing the effectiveness of the business continuity and severe-weather arrangements;
• monitoring incidents, missed or delayed visits, complaints, safeguarding concerns and CIW notifications associated with winter disruption;
• ensuring that required notifications have been made;
• identifying trends, recurring risks and required improvements; and
• incorporating relevant findings into the six-monthly quality-of-care review.

8.2 Records

The service must maintain complete, accurate and contemporaneous records of:

• individual winter risk assessments and reviews;
• changes made to provider assessments and personal plans;
• weather alerts and management decisions affecting service delivery;
• amended staff rotas and schedules of visits;
• actual care time, travel time and rest breaks;
• delayed, shortened, rearranged or missed visits;
• attempted and completed contacts with individuals, representatives, commissioners and professionals;
• welfare checks and alternative arrangements;
• accidents, injuries, falls, illness and other incidents;
• infectious disease outbreaks;
• heating, utility or equipment failures affecting care;
• referrals, escalation and advice received;
• CIW notifications and associated correspondence;
• actions arising from incident reviews and audits; and
• winter training, exercises and staff competency checks.

Records must be stored securely and retained in accordance with the service’s records-management arrangements and the applicable statutory retention requirements.

9. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Health and Safety at Work Policy (DCW16)
• Risk Management and Assessment Policy (DCW18)
• Emergency and Business Continuity Plan (DCW19)
• Infection Prevention and Control Policy (DCW17)
• Safeguarding Adults from Abuse and Improper Treatment Policy (DCW13)

• Consent and Mental Capacity Policy
• Lone Working Policy
• Driving at Work Policy
• Personal Protective Equipment Policy
• Accident and Incident Reporting Policy
• CIW Notification Procedure
• Missed and Late Visits Procedure
• Staff Scheduling and Travel Time Procedure
• Records Management and Data Protection Policy
• Duty of Candour Policy
• Delegated Healthcare Tasks Policy, where applicable
• Communication and Welsh Language Policy

10. Policy Review

This policy must be formally reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

changes are made to local authority, health board, utility or emergency planning arrangements.

legislation, regulations, statutory guidance or relevant national guidance changes;

CIW issues relevant guidance or identifies required improvement;

the service’s statement of purpose changes;

an incident, near miss, complaint, safeguarding concern or service disruption identifies a weakness;

an audit or business continuity exercise identifies required improvement;

there is a significant change in the needs of individuals using the service; or

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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