Fire Risk Assessment for Care Homes: How Often?

Why Frequency Matters in Care Settings

Care homes present some of the highest fire-safety risks in any sector. Residents may have limited mobility, cognitive impairments, or reliance on medical equipment that makes evacuation slower and more complex. For this reason, fire risk assessments in care homes carry particular weight under UK law — and the question of how often they should be reviewed is one every registered manager and responsible person needs to understand clearly.

The Legal Framework: What the Law Actually Says

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) applies to virtually all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including care homes. Under Article 9, the responsible person must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and keep it up to date.

The law does not prescribe a fixed calendar interval such as "every 12 months." Instead, it requires that the assessment is reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been a significant change to the premises or the way they are used.

That said, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects providers to maintain current fire-safety documentation as part of their Safe domain, and fire and rescue authorities conducting inspections will look for evidence that assessments are living documents — not files that were completed once and never revisited.

Recommended Frequency for Care Homes

While the RRO sets a principle rather than a fixed timetable, HSE guidance, PAS 79, and sector best practice all point toward a more frequent review cycle in higher-risk environments. For care homes specifically:

• A full reassessment is recommended at least annually as a baseline minimum.
• An interim review should be triggered whenever significant changes occur — for example, a change in building layout, a new extension, altered sleeping arrangements, or a change in the dependency level of residents.
• After any fire incident, near miss, or enforcement action, an immediate review is essential.
• When new legislation or guidance is issued that affects care premises, the assessment should be checked for compliance.

In practice, most well-run care homes treat an annual full review as standard, with ongoing monitoring by the nominated responsible person throughout the year.

What Triggers an Early Review

Even with an annual cycle in place, certain events mean you should not wait for the scheduled date. Common triggers include:

• Structural alterations, refurbishments, or changes to compartmentation
• Changes in the number, mobility, or cognitive needs of residents
• Installation or removal of fire doors, alarm systems, or emergency lighting
• A fire, false alarm pattern, or enforcement notice from the fire authority
• Changes to staffing levels, particularly overnight cover
• Introduction of new equipment such as oxygen supplies or medical devices

If any of these apply, the existing assessment may no longer reflect the real risks in the building, and continuing to rely on it could leave you exposed both legally and, more importantly, in terms of resident safety.

The Role of the Responsible Person

Under the RRO, the responsible person — typically the registered manager or owner — must ensure the fire risk assessment is completed, recorded (if five or more people are employed, which is always the case in care homes), and kept under review. This duty cannot simply be delegated and forgotten. The responsible person must satisfy themselves that the assessment is current and that any identified actions have been carried out.

Day-to-day fire-safety checks, such as confirming that escape routes are clear and fire doors function correctly, are separate from the formal assessment but feed into it. A good assessment will set out exactly what routine checks should be made and by whom.

What a Professional Assessment Should Cover

A competent fire risk assessment for a care home should address, at minimum:

• The means of detection and warning, including alarm coverage in all areas including roof voids and cupboards
• Means of escape, accounting for residents who may need horizontal evacuation or a progressive evacuation plan
• Compartmentation and fire-resisting construction, particularly between bedrooms and communal areas
• Emergency lighting along all escape routes
• Staff training and fire drill records, including night-time procedures
• Firefighting equipment provision and maintenance
• Vulnerable residents' individual personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs)

PAS 79-1:2020 provides a structured methodology for this type of assessment and is widely regarded as best practice in the care sector.

Keeping Your Care Home Compliant

Staying on top of fire-safety compliance in a care setting is not a one-off task — it is an ongoing responsibility that directly affects the safety of some of the most vulnerable people in the community. If your assessment is overdue, has not been reviewed following a change, or was carried out by someone without the relevant competence, it is worth arranging a fresh assessment promptly.

HawkSwift provides thorough, care-home-specific fire risk assessments carried out by NEBOSH-qualified assessors with sector experience. Reports are delivered within 5 working days, and pricing starts from £199 + VAT. To arrange yours, book a fire risk assessment today.