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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}} protects the health, safety, welfare and wellbeing of residents, staff and others who may be affected by cold weather, snow, ice and other adverse winter conditions.

Cold weather can present significant risks to residents of a care home, particularly older people and people who are frail, have reduced mobility, cognitive impairment, sensory impairment, respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, neurological conditions, diabetes or other long-term health conditions, or who are unable to recognise or communicate that they are cold.

{{org_field_name}} will take all reasonably practicable steps to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate foreseeable winter-related risks. This includes risks associated with cold indoor temperatures, hypothermia and deterioration in health, heating or boiler failure, loss of electricity or hot water, snow and ice, slips and falls, disruption to staffing or essential deliveries, interruptions to medicines or clinical supplies and any other circumstances that may affect the safe continuity of the regulated service.

This policy supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, including:

• Regulation 9 – Person-centred care;
• Regulation 12 – Safe care and treatment;
• Regulation 14 – Meeting nutritional and hydration needs;
• Regulation 15 – Premises and equipment;
• Regulation 17 – Good governance; and
• Regulation 18 – Staffing.

{{org_field_name}} will also have regard to current national cold-weather guidance applicable to adult social care providers in England, including UK Health Security Agency Cold-Health Alerts and associated guidance.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all staff, agency workers, contractors, volunteers and managers working at or on behalf of {{org_field_name}}, insofar as their duties relate to the safe operation of the care home during cold weather or adverse winter conditions.

The policy applies to all residents accommodated at the care home and covers all areas of the premises for which {{org_field_name}} is responsible, including residents’ bedrooms, lounges, dining areas, bathrooms, corridors, entrances, gardens, paths, car parks and other internal or external areas used by residents, staff or visitors.

The policy covers:

• individual resident risk assessment and care planning;
• maintenance of safe and comfortable indoor temperatures;
• heating, hot water, electricity and other essential utilities;
• safe use and maintenance of premises and equipment;
• prevention of slips, trips and falls associated with snow, ice or wet conditions;
• continuity of medicines, food, hydration and essential supplies;
• staffing arrangements during severe weather;
• management of Cold-Health Alerts;
• emergency arrangements for heating or power failure;
• deterioration in a resident’s health due to cold exposure;
• business continuity and emergency escalation; and
• communication with residents, representatives, healthcare professionals, commissioners, local authorities, emergency services and other relevant organisations where necessary.

Responsibility for implementation of this policy rests with the Registered Manager on behalf of the registered provider. Duties may be delegated to appropriately competent members of staff, but overall accountability remains with the registered provider and Registered Manager.

3. Related Policies

• CH11 – Safe Care and Treatment Policy
• CH16 – Health and Safety at Work Policy
• CH18 – Risk Management and Assessment Policy
• CH19 – Emergency and Business Continuity Plan
• CH27 – Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy
• CH40 – Assisting with Personal Care Policy

4. Winter Risk Assessment and Planning

{{org_field_name}} will maintain effective arrangements for identifying, assessing and mitigating foreseeable risks associated with cold weather and adverse winter conditions.

Before the start of each winter period, and thereafter whenever circumstances materially change, the Registered Manager or an appropriately competent person will review the care home’s winter preparedness and relevant risk assessments.

The assessment will consider, where applicable:

• residents who are particularly vulnerable to cold-related illness;
• residents who may be unable to recognise, communicate or respond appropriately to feeling cold;
• residents with respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological or other conditions that may be aggravated by cold weather;
• residents with reduced mobility or increased falls risk;
• residents who use equipment that depends upon electricity;
• the reliability and maintenance of heating and hot-water systems;
• arrangements for responding to boiler, heating, electricity, water or other utility failures;
• availability of safe contingency heating where appropriate;
• areas of the building that may be particularly difficult to keep warm;
• windows, doors, insulation and draughts that could affect residents’ comfort and safety;
• snow, ice and other hazards affecting external access routes;
• the availability of medicines, continence products, clinical supplies, food, drinking water and other essential supplies;
• staffing arrangements and the effect that severe weather may have on staff availability or travel;
• arrangements for maintaining safe staffing levels;
• emergency transport and evacuation arrangements where relevant;
• communication systems and emergency contact details; and
• the care home’s business continuity and emergency plans.

Individual assessments must be reflected in residents’ care plans where cold weather creates a particular risk to their health, safety or wellbeing.

Risk assessments and care plans must be reviewed when there is a significant change in a resident’s health or needs, following a cold-related incident, following significant heating or utility failure, when information identifies a previously unrecognised risk, or when required in response to a Cold-Health Alert.

Any actions identified through risk assessment must be allocated to an appropriate person, completed within a timescale proportionate to the risk and recorded.

5. Keeping Residents Safe and Warm

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that residents are provided with a safe and appropriately heated environment throughout cold weather.

Indoor temperatures will be monitored in appropriate areas of the care home, particularly areas where residents spend significant periods of time. During cold weather, the care home will aim to maintain indoor temperatures of at least 18°C, in line with current national cold-weather guidance, unless an individual resident requires a warmer environment because of their assessed health needs, vulnerability, preferences or clinical advice.

A temperature of 18°C must not be treated as an absolute maximum or as suitable for every resident. Staff must consider residents individually and take prompt action where a resident appears cold or where their assessed needs indicate that a higher temperature is required.

Staff will:

• monitor residents for signs that they are becoming cold or unwell;
• ensure residents have access to suitable warm clothing, bedding and blankets according to their needs and preferences;
• support residents to remain appropriately active where this forms part of their care plan;
• ensure residents have access to appropriate food and drinks, including warm drinks where desired;
• report unexpectedly low room temperatures or heating problems immediately;
• ensure windows and doors do not create avoidable cold draughts while maintaining ventilation appropriate to residents’ needs and infection prevention requirements;
• ensure any portable or supplementary heating equipment authorised for use by the care home is risk assessed, maintained and used safely;
• take account of residents who cannot independently recognise, report or respond to cold; and
• record and escalate concerns about a resident’s physical condition in accordance with the resident’s care plan and the home’s clinical escalation procedures.

Where a resident develops signs or symptoms that may indicate hypothermia or other significant cold-related illness, staff must treat this as a medical concern, provide appropriate immediate assistance within their competence and seek urgent medical advice or emergency assistance according to the severity of the person’s condition.

6. Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention

{{org_field_name}} will take reasonable steps to keep areas of the care-home premises used by residents, staff and visitors safe during snow, frost, ice and other adverse winter conditions.

The Registered Manager will ensure that responsibility is clearly allocated for inspecting and managing external access routes and other areas where winter weather may create a foreseeable risk.

Arrangements will include, where appropriate:

• monitoring weather conditions and warnings;
• identifying external areas at particular risk of ice or snow;
• gritting, salting or otherwise treating priority pedestrian routes where reasonably practicable;
• maintaining safe access to the main entrance and emergency exits;
• displaying warnings or restricting access to areas that cannot immediately be made safe;
• removing accumulated snow where this can be undertaken safely;
• ensuring adequate external and internal lighting;
• promptly dealing with water, mud or snow brought into entrance areas;
• using suitable entrance matting and warning signage where appropriate;
• checking that mobility equipment used by residents remains safe and suitable;
• supporting residents assessed as requiring assistance when accessing outdoor areas; and
• recording and responding to environmental hazards, accidents and near misses.

Residents’ individual mobility and falls risks must continue to be managed in accordance with their care plans and risk assessments.

7. Staff Safety, Staffing and Adverse Weather

{{org_field_name}} will maintain sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to meet residents’ needs safely during adverse winter weather.

The Registered Manager will consider foreseeable disruption to staff travel and availability as part of the care home’s winter and business continuity planning.

Arrangements will include:

• identifying potential staffing risks before forecast severe weather;
• maintaining accurate staff contact information;
• establishing arrangements for contacting staff where weather conditions may affect attendance;
• using suitably trained and competent existing, bank or agency staff where additional cover is required;
• considering staff skills and competencies, as well as numbers, when arranging emergency cover;
• making reasonable adjustments to duties and deployment where necessary to maintain safe care;
• ensuring staff do not undertake duties for which they are not trained or competent;
• ensuring staff are aware of the home’s adverse-weather and business-continuity procedures; and
• escalating any actual or anticipated inability to maintain safe staffing immediately to the Registered Manager or person in charge.

Volunteers must not be used as substitutes for the number, competencies or roles of staff required to provide safe regulated care.

If adverse weather creates a risk that safe staffing cannot be maintained, the Registered Manager must activate the relevant business continuity arrangements and take prompt action to protect residents. This may include seeking additional staffing support, contacting relevant commissioners or other agencies where necessary and implementing other contingency measures appropriate to the circumstances.

Staff who travel to or from work during adverse weather are expected to consider official travel advice and their own safety. No member of staff should be instructed to undertake travel that would expose them to an unreasonable and avoidable risk.

8. Medicines, Food, Hydration and Essential Supplies

{{org_field_name}} will maintain arrangements to ensure that residents continue to have access to necessary medicines, food, fluids, continence products, clinical supplies and other essential items during adverse winter weather.

The Registered Manager and relevant staff will assess the potential impact of severe weather on deliveries and supplies and will implement contingency arrangements where disruption is reasonably foreseeable.

Medicines arrangements will include:

• maintaining appropriate stock levels in accordance with residents’ prescriptions and the home’s medicines-management procedures;
• ordering medicines within appropriate timescales;
• monitoring medicines that are running low;
• ensuring medicines requiring particular storage conditions continue to be stored safely during power or heating disruption;
• having arrangements for contacting supplying pharmacies and prescribers where supply problems occur;
• ensuring medicines are administered only by staff who are appropriately trained and competent; and
• maintaining complete and accurate medicines records.

The home will also maintain sufficient food, drinking water and other essential supplies to enable residents’ assessed nutritional, hydration and care needs to continue to be met during reasonably foreseeable short-term disruption.

Where severe weather affects the normal supply chain, the Registered Manager or person in charge will implement contingency arrangements promptly and escalate any situation that may place residents at risk.

9. Power Cuts, Heating Failure and Loss of Essential Utilities

Failure of heating, electricity, hot water or another essential utility must be treated according to the risk it presents to residents.

The care home will maintain contingency arrangements for foreseeable utility failures as part of its emergency and business continuity planning.

When a failure occurs, the person in charge must promptly assess:

• the cause and likely duration of the failure, where known;
• indoor temperatures and the rate at which temperatures are changing;
• the health, vulnerability and individual needs of residents;
• whether residents require additional observation or monitoring;
• whether electrically powered care or medical equipment is affected;
• the impact on lighting, call systems, fire safety systems, lifts, kitchen facilities, medicines storage, water supplies and other essential systems;
• the availability and safety of contingency arrangements; and
• whether the home can continue to meet residents’ needs safely.

The home will:

• contact the relevant utility provider, engineer, landlord or emergency contractor as appropriate;
• activate business continuity arrangements where required;
• monitor temperatures in affected areas;
• prioritise residents who are particularly vulnerable to cold;
• provide additional suitable clothing, bedding and blankets where required;
• move residents to safely heated areas of the home where appropriate;
• use only contingency heating equipment that has been assessed as suitable and safe;
• ensure portable heaters, generators or other emergency equipment are used only in accordance with fire, electrical and manufacturer safety requirements;
• use battery-powered torches rather than candles wherever practicable;
• ensure residents continue to receive necessary medicines, food, fluids and personal care;
• monitor residents for deterioration in health;
• seek clinical or emergency assistance promptly where a resident shows signs of significant cold-related illness; and
• maintain a record of significant decisions, actions, observations and escalation.

If safe temperatures or essential care cannot be maintained within the home, the Registered Manager or person in charge must urgently consider whether residents need to be moved temporarily to another safe part of the premises or, where necessary, transferred to appropriate alternative accommodation.

Any transfer or evacuation must be undertaken in accordance with the home’s emergency and business continuity arrangements and must take account of residents’ individual care, mobility, communication, medicines and clinical needs.

The fire and rescue service, ambulance service, local authority, commissioners, utility provider or other relevant organisations must be contacted where their assistance is required by the circumstances.

10. Communication and Emergency Contacts

{{org_field_name}} will maintain accessible and up-to-date contact information necessary to manage foreseeable winter emergencies.

This will include, where applicable:

• residents’ representatives or next of kin;
• GPs and relevant community healthcare professionals;
• supplying pharmacies;
• emergency services;
• utility suppliers and emergency contact numbers;
• heating, electrical and other relevant maintenance contractors;
• the local authority;
• commissioners or placing authorities where relevant; and
• other organisations required by the home’s emergency and business continuity arrangements.

Staff must know how to contact the Registered Manager or other responsible manager when urgent management advice or escalation is required.

Significant disruptions or incidents affecting residents must be communicated appropriately to residents and, where appropriate and lawful, to their representatives.

Where an incident is notifiable to the Care Quality Commission or another statutory body, the Registered Manager or provider must ensure that the required notification is made in accordance with the applicable statutory requirements and within the required timescale.

Communication during an emergency must be clear, timely, appropriately recorded and proportionate to the circumstances.

11. Staff Training and Awareness

Staff will receive information, instruction, training and support appropriate to their role so that they can carry out their responsibilities safely during cold weather and winter conditions.

Relevant staff will be made aware of:

• the health risks associated with cold weather;
• residents who are particularly vulnerable to cold-related harm;
• signs and symptoms of hypothermia and other cold-related deterioration;
• how and when to escalate concerns about a resident’s health;
• arrangements for monitoring room temperatures;
• the home’s heating and utility-failure procedures;
• safe use of any authorised contingency heating equipment relevant to their role;
• slips, trips and falls risks associated with snow and ice;
• staffing and business-continuity arrangements;
• Cold-Health Alerts and the actions expected at different alert levels;
• emergency communication and escalation arrangements; and
• the location of relevant emergency and business-continuity information.

Staff must work within the limits of their training, competence and role.

Where a member of staff is expected to undertake a winter-related duty requiring particular knowledge or competence, the Registered Manager must ensure that the person is appropriately prepared and competent to undertake that duty.

The Registered Manager will ensure that important changes in national cold-weather guidance or local emergency arrangements are communicated to relevant staff.

Training, briefings and competency requirements will be documented in accordance with the home’s training and governance arrangements.

12. Partnership Working and External Support

{{org_field_name}} will work with relevant health, social care and emergency organisations where necessary to maintain residents’ health, safety and continuity of care during adverse winter weather.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include communication and co-operation with:

• residents’ GPs;
• community nursing and other healthcare teams;
• pharmacies;
• ambulance and other emergency services;
• the local authority;
• commissioners and placing authorities;
• utility providers;
• heating, electrical and building-maintenance contractors; and
• other appropriate health, social care or emergency-planning organisations.

Where responsibility for a resident’s care or treatment is shared with or transferred to another provider or professional, relevant information must be communicated in a timely manner to support safe continuity of care.

The home must not rely upon relatives, neighbours, volunteers or community organisations to discharge responsibilities that legally or contractually rest with the registered provider.

13. Winter Management, Monitoring and Governance

The Registered Manager is responsible for ensuring that effective arrangements are in place to prepare for and respond to cold weather and winter-related risks.

The Registered Manager may nominate an appropriately competent member of staff to co-ordinate specified winter-preparedness activities. Any such delegation does not remove the accountability of the registered provider or Registered Manager.

Winter governance arrangements will include, as appropriate:

• reviewing winter-related risk assessments;
• monitoring significant weather warnings and Cold-Health Alerts;
• checking heating and other essential systems;
• reviewing emergency and business continuity arrangements;
• checking arrangements for medicines, food and other essential supplies;
• reviewing staffing resilience;
• ensuring staff receive relevant information and instructions;
• monitoring incidents, accidents, near misses, heating failures and other winter-related events;
• ensuring identified actions are completed;
• recording significant decisions and actions;
• identifying lessons following incidents or disruptions; and
• making improvements where monitoring identifies a risk or shortfall.

Records relating to winter safety must be complete, accurate, accessible to authorised staff and retained in accordance with the home’s records-management arrangements.

Where monitoring identifies a risk to residents’ health, safety or welfare, the Registered Manager must ensure that appropriate action is taken without unnecessary delay.

14. Cold-Health Alerts and Escalation

{{org_field_name}} will monitor relevant Cold-Health Alerts issued for England and ensure that staff understand the actions required by the care home when the risk from cold weather increases.

The Registered Manager, person in charge or other appropriately designated member of staff will ensure that relevant alerts are identified, communicated and acted upon.

Green – Cold Weather Preparedness

During routine preparedness periods, the home will:

• maintain and review winter risk assessments and business continuity arrangements;
• identify residents at increased risk from cold;
• ensure heating and temperature-monitoring arrangements are operational;
• maintain appropriate stocks of essential supplies;
• maintain staffing contingency arrangements;
• ensure relevant staff know how winter risks will be escalated; and
• ensure emergency contact details remain current.

Yellow Cold-Health Alert

When a yellow Cold-Health Alert applies to the area, the home will review current risks and increase preparedness as necessary.

Actions will include, as appropriate:

• confirming that relevant staff are aware of the alert;
• checking residents identified as particularly vulnerable to cold;
• checking indoor temperatures and heating arrangements;
• confirming stocks of medicines, food and essential supplies;
• reviewing staffing risks and expected travel disruption;
• ensuring external areas are assessed for snow and ice;
• checking that emergency and maintenance contacts are available; and
• taking any additional action indicated by the nature and expected duration of the alert.

Amber Cold-Health Alert

When an amber Cold-Health Alert applies, the Registered Manager or person in charge will increase monitoring and activate relevant elements of the home’s business continuity or emergency arrangements where necessary.

Particular attention will be given to:

• residents at highest risk of cold-related harm;
• temperature monitoring;
• evidence of deterioration in residents’ health;
• heating and utility resilience;
• staffing availability;
• medicines, food and other essential supplies;
• access to the premises; and
• communication with relevant external services.

Red Cold-Health Alert

A red Cold-Health Alert will be treated as a significant risk requiring immediate senior management oversight.

The Registered Manager or responsible senior manager will assess whether extraordinary measures are required to maintain residents’ safety and continuity of care and will liaise with relevant emergency, health, social care, local authority, utility or commissioning organisations as necessary.

The home will activate its emergency and business continuity arrangements where indicated by the circumstances.

All significant actions and decisions taken in response to an amber or red Cold-Health Alert must be appropriately recorded.

15. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and in sufficient time to support winter preparedness.

It will also be reviewed sooner where necessary following:

• a significant cold-weather incident;
• a significant heating, power, water or other utility failure;
• an incident involving hypothermia or other cold-related harm;
• significant disruption to staffing or essential supplies;
• activation of the care home’s emergency or business continuity arrangements;
• learning arising from an accident, incident, near miss, safeguarding concern or complaint;
• changes to applicable legislation or regulations;
• changes to Care Quality Commission requirements or guidance;
• changes to relevant UK Health Security Agency cold-weather guidance or alert arrangements; or
• evidence from audit, monitoring or risk assessment indicating that the policy is no longer effective.

The Registered Manager will ensure that changes arising from a policy review are communicated to relevant staff and incorporated into associated procedures, risk assessments, care plans, training or business continuity arrangements where required.

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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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