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Emergency Contacts and Responsible Persons in {{org_field_name}} Policy

Policy statement

It is important that responsible persons are appointed to take control of any incidents and emergencies that may occur within or around the home, and that these people are aware of their roles and corresponding duties. When deciding on whom to appoint, it is necessary to take into account work patterns, holidays and sick leave, so that a nominated responsible person for dealing with identified matters and incidents is available at all times. When external personnel, organisations or specialists are the best candidates for responsibility, it is necessary to consider the level of support they can provide during normal work times and unsociable hours, including nights and bank holidays.

Emergency contact details of organisations who deal with problems such as water or gas leaks need to be defined and included in any emergency procedures documentation.

Aim of the Policy

This policy is intended to set out the values, principles and policies underpinning the home’s approach to emergency contacts.

Policy

Details of responsible persons and contact details should be compiled in an easy-to-read format and made readily accessible to all staff in {{org_field_name}}. Emergency contact details should be prominently displayed throughout the home, to minimise delay and panic when immediate assistance is required in the event of an emergency.

The type of organisations and people from outside the home that should be included in the “Responsible Persons” list includes:

• doctors, dentists and other medical professionals (include out of hours details)
• local hospital, GP surgery, pharmacist
• funeral director, mortuary, coroner
• support workers, counsellors, therapists, key workers, social workers
• health authority, council, environmental health department
• fire authority, local fire brigade, police
• service engineers (eg electrical, mechanical, gas, water, heating, maintenance, etc).

The types of employees within {{org_field_name}} that should be appointed as responsible persons and added to the contact list include:

• first aiders
• fire marshals
• the incident control officer
• the owner/proprietor
• the care manager and duty managers
• those with designated responsibility for specific tasks, eg safety officer, purchasing manager, etc.

Routine inspections of incident report documentation will help to identify any areas where responsible persons were needed, and whether they acted in an appropriate manner. Placing the issue on the agenda of regular staff meetings will assist in identifying any areas of concern experienced by workers when contacting or attempting to contact responsible persons.

Regular scrutiny of accident/incident reports will identify whether responsible persons have been identified or appointed, or where there is a need for appointment. Review of new service users’ care plans should identify the contact details of persons to refer to regarding individual care, as well as contact details of friends and family members.

Reviews of control systems in relation to the appointment of responsible persons should be undertaken:

• following any incident in which a defined responsible person has been used
• after an emergency involving a service user, contractor, visitor or staff member
• following reported faults to plant or services to the home (eg water leaks, etc)
• after emergency evacuation drills
• annually, as part of an annual management auditing system
• following any change in legislation.

Training

All staff should be instructed about and be aware of:

• the identities and contact details of responsible persons and organisations for dealing with various situations, as defined in {{org_field_name}}’s health and safety policy
• where details of responsible persons are held
• who to contact if an incident occurs, including out-of-hours information
• how to use emergency equipment, eg fire extinguishers
• the identity of the overall responsible person within the home during each shift and how to contact them
• the identity, location and performance of any warning devices, alarms, etc installed to alert a responsible person to a specific hazard (eg carbon monoxide build-up).

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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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