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Building and Refurbishment of Care Homes (Wales) Policy

This care provider considers that its residents have a right to live in premises that are kept in a safe, well-maintained and comfortable condition at all times, and which provides a high standard of accommodation. The home considers that the quality of the physical environment is a key factor in its provision of a high-quality, safe and effective service. This policy is written in line with Regulations 43 and 44 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 and relevant guidance, including HSG220 Health and Safety in Care Homes, published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Definitions

{{org_field_name}} understands “buildings refurbishment” to refer to the regular upgrade and improvement of buildings, fabrics, fittings and equipment. Such projects can be small in scale, such as the redecoration of a resident’s room or bathroom, or large scale, such as the rebuilding or extending of part of the home.

In addition to the fabric of the building, services such as water, lighting, heating and air-conditioning systems will be subject to a planned programme of renewal to ensure that the building is comfortable and safe to use and that energy is not wasted.

Procedures

1. The overall responsibility for buildings maintenance and refurbishment lies with the registered person, who will ensure that a programme of routine planned preventive maintenance and renewal of the fabric and decoration of the premises is in place and that records are kept of all maintenance activity. A buildings improvement plan will be used to record a rolling programme of planned improvements.
2. All material parts of the premises, including fixtures and fittings, will be well maintained and incorporated within the rolling programme of buildings improvement.
3. Any service user accommodation that becomes vacant will be redecorated and reviewed for physical improvement and upgrade. Communal areas will be regularly refurbished in a way that causes as little disruption and inconvenience to residents and their visitors as possible.
4. The buildings improvement plan or schedule will include checklists completed during regular inspection which will specify the condition of the fabric of the building, its fittings and equipment, and will identify any repairs, remedial work or action to be taken. The plan will be regularly reviewed and will include routine maintenance and redecorating as well as larger scale refurbishment.
5. Where building, refurbishment or construction works are taking place on the site, the manager will:
   a. ensure that contractors are competent for the activities being carried out
   b. provide all contractors with relevant health and safety information
   c. ensure that there are adequate arrangements for protecting care home residents, visitors and employees from construction activities
   d. ensure that there are adequate liaison arrangements between the contractors and the organisation
   e. have regular meetings with contractors, to discuss the progress of the works and any health and safety issues identified
   f. ensure that the organisation agrees with the contractor a timescale within which any health and safety matters should be remedied
   g. put in place a system for regularly inspecting the site while construction works are being carried out, to make sure there are no dangers to residents, visitors or staff
   h. have in place a chain of responsibility for people to report dangers to
   i. ensure that any construction works are effectively separated from the rest of the premises by the erection of appropriate fences and barriers and that these are marked with appropriate signs warning against unauthorised entrance and alerting people to any danger.
6. All premises maintenance and building construction or adaptation projects will be conducted in full compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM Regulations). Where major building or refurbishment projects are notifiable under the CDM Regulations, {{org_field_name}} manager should:
   a. notify the HSE of the project
   b. appoint a competent principal designer early in the project and ensure that they are provided with adequate pre-construction information
   c. ensure that a principal contractor is appointed and that they make suitable arrangements for welfare, and indeed for the safety management of the whole project
   d. take reasonable steps to ensure that, at no stage during construction, work is carried out on the project without someone fulfilling the role of principal contractor
   e. ensure that designs, where relevant, comply with the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
   f. prevent the construction phase from starting without a suitable health and safety plan and suitable welfare facilities ready to be used
   g. provide a health and safety file at the end of the contract, keep it up to date and make it available for any future construction work.

Implementation

All staff are responsible for the implementation of this policy. Overall responsibility for ensuring the policy is implemented, monitored and reviewed rests with the registered person. Information on the policy will be:

• circulated to all staff
• provided to all new employees
• included in the planned preventive maintenance, construction work and working with contractors policies.

Training

All new staff should be encouraged to read this policy as part of their induction process. Those with specific duties and responsibilities under the policy will be offered additional training.

All maintenance staff will be offered training to ensure that they are able to work safely and effectively. All new staff will receive induction training which will include a thorough tour of the premises and thorough guidance on fire systems and escape routes and procedures.

Employees should be trained in:

• their responsibilities of safeguarding residents from construction or refurbishment activities
• their role in the managing or control of contractor’s activities
• how to report concerns over construction or refurbishment activities
• what to do in emergencies.

Where large-scale construction works are planned or projected, {{org_field_name}} manager should be trained in:

• the requirements of the CDM Regulations and in particular, {{org_field_name}}’s role as the client
• the requirements of relevant health and safety regulations for construction projects that they have control over
• the requirements of the Work at Height Regulations
• {{org_field_name}}’s policy and arrangements for the employment and control of contractors
• what information they are required to give to contractors to ensure their health and safety.

Records

Records will be kept of all buildings and refurbishment activities.

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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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