Does a care home need one risk assessment or many?

Both. A general assessment like this one covers the workplace and the work. Each resident then needs their own assessments for moving and handling, falls and any specific risk in their care plan. CQC inspectors expect to see both layers.

Who is responsible for the risk assessment in a care home?

The registered provider, in practice the registered manager. They can delegate the work but not the responsibility. Staff should be involved because they know what actually happens on shift.

Care home risk assessment: completed example for residential care

Why these controls

Moving and handling is the hazard that injures care staff most. The controls are a written plan for every resident who needs help to move, the right equipment for that person, practical training refreshed every year, and a rule that nobody is lifted manually except in an emergency.

Violence and aggression from residents living with dementia is common and is not the resident's fault. The assessment records that incidents are reported, that staff are trained to recognise triggers and step back, and that care plans say what works for each person.

Night staff are lone workers in the sense that matters: two staff for thirty residents, on separate floors. The controls are the call system, the check in with the on call manager and a clear rule about what to do if someone becomes unwell.

Hazard descriptions and controls follow HSE guidance: HSE, Moving and handling in health and social care; HSE, Health and social care; HSE, Legionella and Legionnaires' disease; HSE, Slips and trips; HSE INDG163, Risk assessment: a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace; HSE, Violence at work; HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers; HSE, Catering and hospitality; HSE, COSHH basics; HSE, Fire safety; GOV.UK, Fire safety in the workplace. Checked 15 September 2026.

This document is a starting point. The employer must check it against the actual workplace, the product safety data sheet and current HSE guidance before relying on it. It is not an HSE approved document.

Risk assessment

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3

Assessment numberRA-003

Revision1

Date of assessment15 September 2026

Last reviewed15 September 2026

Next review15 September 2027

Company or site	Meadow View Care Home
Activity	Residential care home
Location	Meadow View, all floors, kitchen, laundry, sluice rooms, gardens and car park
Assessor	Priya Nair
Reviewed by	Priya Nair
Approved by	—

1. The activity

What is done	Residential care for 30 older residents, some living with dementia: personal care, moving and handling, meals, medication, laundry, cleaning and activities. Day team of eight care staff plus kitchen, domestic and maintenance; night team of two.
Who does it, and who else could be affected	Care, kitchen, domestic and maintenance staff; 30 residents; relatives and visiting professionals; agency staff at short notice. Employees, Residents, pupils or service users, Visitors, Contractors, Lone workers

2. Hazards at a glance

Hazard	Before controls	With controls
1. Moving and handling people	High 16	Low 6
2. Infection and biological hazards	High 16	Low 6
3. Slips, trips and falls on the same level	High 16	Medium 8
4. Violence, aggression and abuse	Medium 12	Low 6
5. Lone working	Medium 12	Low 6
6. Burns and scalds from hot surfaces, liquids and steam	Medium 12	Low 4
7. Hazardous substances	Medium 12	Low 4
8. Fire	Medium 10	Low 5

3. Hazards, who could be harmed and the controls in place

1. Moving and handling people

What could happen	Back injury and strains to carers from lifting, transferring and repositioning people; injury to the person being moved from a poor technique or the wrong equipment.
Who could be harmed	Care staff, and the 18 residents who need help to move
Controls in place	Each person who needs help to move has a written moving and handling plan that says what equipment and how many staff are needed Hoists, slide sheets, stand aids and slings are available, matched to the person, and inspected every six months All care staff have moving and handling training with practical sessions, refreshed yearly Staff do not lift a person manually except in an emergency, and know how to respond to a fall Plans are reviewed when a person's condition changes and after any incident Staff report near misses, pain and equipment faults, and reports are acted on
Risk before controls	High, 16 out of 25 (likelihood 4 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Low, 6 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 3)

Follows HSE, Moving and handling in health and social care.

2. Infection and biological hazards

What could happen	Infections caught from people, body fluids, soiled laundry, clinical waste, animals or contaminated water, including norovirus, flu, hepatitis and Legionella.
Who could be harmed	All staff, all residents, and visitors during an outbreak
Controls in place	Hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser are provided and staff wash their hands at the right times Gloves, aprons and, where needed, masks and eye protection are provided and worn for contact with body fluids Clinical waste and sharps go in the correct containers and are collected by a licensed contractor Cleaning schedules cover the areas and equipment that spread infection, with a procedure for body fluid spills Staff are offered the vaccinations relevant to their work, such as flu and hepatitis B There is an outbreak plan that says when to exclude staff and residents and who to tell Water systems are assessed for Legionella and the control scheme is followed
Risk before controls	High, 16 out of 25 (likelihood 4 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Low, 6 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 3)

Follows HSE, Health and social care; HSE, Legionella and Legionnaires' disease.

3. Slips, trips and falls on the same level

What could happen	Sprains, fractures and head injuries from slipping on wet or contaminated floors, or tripping over cables, uneven surfaces, boxes and trailing leads. Slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work.
Who could be harmed	Residents most of all, then staff and visitors: bathrooms, corridors after cleaning, the garden path
Controls in place	Spills are cleaned up straight away and the wet area is signed or cordoned until it is dry Floors are cleaned when the area is quiet, and the method leaves them dry, not wet Walkways are kept clear of boxes, stock and equipment, and cables are routed away from walkways or covered Lighting is good enough to see the floor, including on stairs and outside at night Damaged flooring, loose mats and worn steps are reported and repaired Stairs have a handrail, the edge of each step is visible, and nothing is stored on them Entrance matting stops rain being walked in, and outside paths are gritted in icy weather Each resident has a falls risk assessment in their care plan Corridors are cleaned one side at a time so a dry route is always available
Risk before controls	High, 16 out of 25 (likelihood 4 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Medium, 8 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 4)

Follows HSE, Slips and trips; HSE INDG163, Risk assessment: a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace.

4. Violence, aggression and abuse

What could happen	Physical injury, threats and verbal abuse from customers, clients, service users or the public, and the stress and anxiety that follow. Higher where staff handle cash, refuse service, work alone or care for people who may become distressed.
Who could be harmed	Care staff, from residents who become distressed, and occasionally from relatives
Controls in place	Staff report every incident of violence or abuse, including verbal, and the reports are reviewed Staff have been trained to recognise warning signs, calm a situation and get away from it Staff can call for help quickly, with a colleague nearby, a panic alarm or a phone to hand There is a clear policy that abuse is not tolerated, staff can refuse service, and the police are called for assaults Staff involved in an incident are debriefed and offered support, and time off if needed Care plans record known triggers and what calms each resident, and staff read them before working with someone new
Risk before controls	Medium, 12 out of 25 (likelihood 4 × severity 3)
Risk with controls	Low, 6 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 2)

Follows HSE, Violence at work.

5. Lone working

What could happen	Injury or illness with no one to help, and higher risk of violence, when staff work alone: out of hours cleaning, home visits, driving, opening and closing, working in a store room.
Who could be harmed	The two night staff, on separate floors from 10 pm to 7 am
Controls in place	Tasks with a higher risk, such as work at height or handling aggressive people, are not done alone Lone workers check in at agreed times, and someone knows where they are and what to do if they do not check in Lone workers carry a charged phone and know who to call, and a personal alarm or lone worker device is provided where the risk is higher Lone workers have been trained for the work and told what to do in an emergency, including first aid and fire Lone workers can lock the premises, control who comes in, and are not expected to challenge intruders The on call manager phones at midnight and 4 am; night staff carry the cordless phones and the call system pendants
Risk before controls	Medium, 12 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Low, 6 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 3)

Follows HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers.

6. Burns and scalds from hot surfaces, liquids and steam

What could happen	Burns and scalds from ovens, hobs, fryers, grills, hot water, steam, hot oil and hot equipment such as straighteners and irons.
Who could be harmed	Residents at baths, showers and radiators; kitchen and care staff with hot drinks and food
Controls in place	Hot water outlets that people can be scalded by are fitted with thermostatic mixing valves or marked as very hot Staff have been shown how to use each piece of hot equipment safely and how to treat a burn Cold running water is available for treating burns and a burns kit is in the first aid box Thermostatic mixing valves on every bath and shower are checked and recorded monthly Radiators in resident rooms have low surface temperature covers
Risk before controls	Medium, 12 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Low, 4 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 4)

Follows HSE, Catering and hospitality.

7. Hazardous substances

What could happen	Burns, dermatitis, asthma, poisoning and long term illness from cleaning products, solvents, dusts, fumes and biological agents. Each substance needs its own COSHH assessment; this entry records that the risk exists and is controlled.
Who could be harmed	Domestic staff, care staff using sanitiser, and residents who could reach unlocked products
Controls in place	Every hazardous substance in use has a COSHH assessment, kept in a register with the supplier data sheet Substances are stored in their original labelled containers, in a locked or controlled store, away from incompatible products and food The gloves, eye protection and other PPE the assessment calls for are provided and worn Staff have been told the hazards and the controls for each product they use, and have signed the assessment Spill kits, eyewash and first aid measures matching the products in use are in place and staff know where they are
Risk before controls	Medium, 12 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 4)
Risk with controls	Low, 4 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 4)

Follows HSE, COSHH basics. The substances involved need their own COSHH assessments.

8. Fire

What could happen	Burns, smoke inhalation and death if a fire starts and people cannot get out. Sources of ignition include electrical faults, cooking, heaters, smoking and hot work; fuel includes waste, packaging, furnishings and flammable liquids.
Who could be harmed	Everyone in the building; most residents need help to evacuate
Controls in place	A fire risk assessment has been done for the premises and its actions are complete or in hand Escape routes and fire exits are kept clear and unlocked while people are inside, and exit signs are visible There is a way to raise the alarm that everyone can hear, and it is tested regularly Extinguishers are provided for the type of fire likely, serviced yearly, and staff know when not to use them Staff know the evacuation procedure and the assembly point, and a drill is held at least once a year Waste, packaging and stock are kept away from ignition sources and cleared regularly, and flammable liquids are kept in a suitable store Heaters, cooking equipment and electrical equipment are turned off when not in use and are not left unattended Anyone who needs help to leave has a personal evacuation plan agreed with them
Risk before controls	Medium, 10 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 5)
Risk with controls	Low, 5 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 5)

Follows HSE, Fire safety; GOV.UK, Fire safety in the workplace.

4. Further action required

Slips, trips and falls on the same level: Provide slip resistant footwear for staff who work on floors that are often wet.Owner: ________. By ________
Violence, aggression and abuse: Change the layout so staff can leave, and keep cash low with a time delay safe or frequent banking.Owner: ________. By ________
Lone working: Ask lone workers about any condition that could make working alone unsafe and adjust the work.Owner: ________. By ________
Burns and scalds from hot surfaces, liquids and steam: Provide dry oven gloves and cloths suited to the equipment and brief staff not to use wet cloths.Owner: ________. By ________
Burns and scalds from hot surfaces, liquids and steam: Set the rule that oil is only moved when cool and fryers are drained with the right equipment.Owner: ________. By ________
Burns and scalds from hot surfaces, liquids and steam: Rearrange hot equipment so nobody has to reach across it.Owner: ________. By ________
Hazardous substances: Check whether a less hazardous product or a ready diluted version would do the job.Owner: ________. By ________
Replace the two remaining manual slings with the new sizes so every resident with a plan has a sling of their ownOwner: Registered manager. By 31 October 2026
Book violence and aggression refresher training for the night teamOwner: Registered manager. By 30 November 2026

5. Notes

Agency staff are given the induction sheet and the moving and handling plans for the residents on their floor before they start. Fire evacuation uses horizontal evacuation to the next compartment; the plan is in the office and on each floor.

Hazard descriptions and controls drawn from HSE guidance: HSE, Moving and handling in health and social care; HSE, Health and social care; HSE, Legionella and Legionnaires' disease; HSE, Slips and trips; HSE INDG163, Risk assessment: a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace; HSE, Violence at work; HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers; HSE, Catering and hospitality; HSE, COSHH basics; HSE, Fire safety; GOV.UK, Fire safety in the workplace. This assessment follows the five steps in HSE guidance on risk assessment. It is a starting point; the employer must review it against the actual workplace before relying on it. Review by the next review date, and sooner if the activity, the equipment or the people doing it change, or after an accident or near miss.

Care home risk assessment

Why these controls

1. The activity

2. Hazards at a glance

3. Hazards, who could be harmed and the controls in place

4. Further action required

5. Notes

Hazards in this assessment

Common questions

Other completed examples

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