Fire Safety Policy

This Policy will summarise the precautionary arrangements and measures in place at all premises for the prevention of fire, that ensures compliance with Health & Safety and other legislative requirements and enables the young persons to feel safe in the Home.
This Policy also identifies the arrangements in place to evacuate the Home and ensure the safety and continued well-being of the Young People in the event of an emergency situation / critical incident / untoward event:

Fire Safety and Prevention

The Registered Service Manager will ensure that a comprehensive fire risk assessment is conducted on the premises by a competent officer. The RSM will ensure that all recommendations in the Risk assessment are addressed and rectified within the given timeframe. This assessment must be reviewed annually, and all record will be saved accordingly.
Once risk assessment has been carried out on the premises, a risk management plan needs to be put into action in order to minimize the risks and hazards that have been identified through the risk assessment process.
House managers and the staff are responsible for ensuring weekly health and safety checks are completed. House safety checks are to be complete using the Weekly House Check form.
All Young People must complete the organisation’s fire safety questionnaire.
Registered Service Manager will conduct a needs assessment in each of the young person’s front sheet which identity’s any mobility, communication, and support needs required during evacuation.
Staff must arrange a home fire safety visit with the local fire brigade or an independent contractor certified to carry out fire risk assessments at each placement.
A member of the senior management team will be available for on call in the event of any emergency.
The organisation’s Policies on Smoking are defined in the smoking Policy. Compliance with these Policies is mandatory.
No Smoking signs should be clearly displayed through the house and the no smoking policy enforced by staff at the premises
To ensure that the policies are being followed by the young people within the services the staff in the home will check the following:
Waste-paper bins must be checked for smouldering cigarette ends and emptied on a regular basis.
Easy chairs and settees must be checked behind cushions and down the sides for stray cigarette ends.
Sufficient ashtrays must be available in designated smoking areas outside of the home, and these must be emptied on a regular basis.
Fire doors must be kept closed at all times. Self-closing doors MUST NOT be wedged open for "convenience". Closed fire doors help to prevent the spread of fire and allow more time for evacuation.
Fire exits must be kept clear at all times and not blocked with wheelchairs and other items.
When using gas and electric appliances:
Exercise appropriate care and caution, and where appropriate ensure such appliances are operated in accordance with manufacturers' instructions;
When finished using an appliance, ensure that it is switched off before leaving it:
- All electric plugs should be removed from sockets. This must include TVs and other appliances.
- Ensure that naked flames are not left on cookers.
- Ensure that electric irons are not left unattended when switched on. Apart from the immediate fire risk, there is a serious risk of burning if it is accidentally picked up.
- Ensure that desk / bedside lamps are not covered with a cloth or other material at any time.
- Ensure that there are no cloths etc. "left to dry" by hanging over open gas cookers or hobs.
As listed in the young person’s handbook and agreement, no candles, tea lights shall be lit in the house as the open flames present a fire risk which can be avoided, in case of emergency, torches and battery-operated light sources are available.
The home manager will ensure that that there are Fire Safety devices throughout the home which are kept in continuous working order. These devices will include:
- Fire extinguishers
- Fire blankets in the kitchen
- Fire detectors, linked on an integrated system
- Emergency lighting
Fire extinguishers are clearly labelled, and staff will receive training on the use of these before they commence work.
Extinguishers must be kept in the positions marked on the Fire Plan and at no time moved to other areas or used as door stops.
Fire escape and exit routes will be clearly marked in pictorial fashion throughout the Home. The optimum escape route from each room will be clearly displayed on the back of each room door. Where required, these notices will be written in Braille for the benefit partially sighted young people.

Fire Safety and Prevention

All staff, through formal and regular training, must:
- know the exact locations of all fire extinguishers and fire-fighting equipment, and be familiar with their mode of use;
- know the exact positions of all fire exits and escape routes;
- the fire drill and assembly points outside the buildings;
- be aware of their particular responsibilities for the areas in which they work. Particular attention should be given to assisting disabled people and visitors who may not be familiar with the orientation of the Home.
Where possible, furniture, fixtures and fittings must be made of fire-resistant or fire-retardant fabrics and materials.
Fire Alarm System-Registered Service Manager and staff will ensure that all fire alarm systems are tested weekly. The property manager will conduct these weekly. If the Fire alarm is an integrated system, the these will be tested annually by a competent Fire Officer. Records will be kept of all such testing as part of the RSM, Home Manager and property manager’s responsibilities.
All firefighting equipment will be checked annually by a qualified fire extinguisher maintenance engineer. This will be planned as part of the procedure for Servicing, Maintenance and Calibration of Equipment and the specialist engineers will be listed on the Preferred List of Service Sub-contractor to the Home. Fire extinguishers will be checked monthly to ensure by the property manager. It is the responsibility of the RSM to ensure that this is being done and record are kept in the Fire Logbook.
Emergency lighting- Registered Service Manager and staff will ensure that emergency lighting is tested weekly to ensure they are working. They will also ensure that these are tested by a competent professional annually to ensure they are working well. The property manager will conduct these weekly.
RSM must ensure that staff and young people conduct fire Drills monthly. The property manager will work alongside staff to ensure these are being done and recorded in the fire logbook. Different scenarios (daytime and nighttime will be simulated to ensure all are prepared in any eventuality.
In order to prevent fires, all flammable materials and chemicals should be stored in separate locations from sources of ignitions.
All flammable chemicals will be stored in a locked cupboard for safety purposes and clearly labelled as per our health and safety policy
To further reduce the risk of a fire starting or spreading, house managers, and staff on shift will ensure that good housekeeping practices are maintained. Large Bins such as the one in the kitchen will be emptied on a weekly basis, or sooner should they become full, this ensures that there is no build-up of rubbish or flammable materials. Areas will be kept neat and tidy in the house at all times to ensure that risks that could cause a fire are minimised
Lounges should be inspected last thing at night to check for the following:
Small Waste paper bins and ashtrays emptied, preferably outside the building.
Cushions on easy chairs and settees tidied and checked behind and down the sides of furniture for stray cigarette ends, lighters and other flammable or fire starting materials (see 2.2 above).
Ensure all electrical appliances (TVs etc) are unplugged.

Evacuation Process

Circumstances under which evacuation of the Premises may be required will include:
- Emergency evacuation where there is a risk of fire or explosion;
- Imminent, but not necessarily immediate, evacuation where there is a risk of, for example, flooding;
- Non-emergency situations such as temporary closure of the Home for statutory / building reasons.
- Where the fire/smoke sensors are triggered the fire alarm will automatically go off, if the alarm is triggered, an evacuation of the premises will ensue.
The Admissions Records, Daily Log and Daily Sign In sheet will provide an up-to-date record of all Young People, staff and visitors in the Home.
The Registered Service Manager is responsible for establishing an agreement / arrangement with the placing Local Authority in the event of an emergency preventing the young person in using their supported accommodation. Further liaison would take place with the place local authority and homeless persons unit.
In the case of an emergency evacuation, staff must remain calm and conduct themselves in a professional way, Do NOT panic.
Emergency evacuation of the Home will proceed as follows:
All persons within the vicinity of the incident will be moved away from immediate danger. The Person-in-Charge at the time (if not the manager or Fire Warden) is responsible for ensuring that this is carried out with due regard to safety and welfare of all concerned.
The Fire Alarm System will be simultaneously activated which will also alert everyone in the home.
All young people, staff and visitors will exit the premises to pre-designated Fire Assembly points using the designated fire doors and exit routes. Fire Evacuation plans can be found located around the premises on notice boards and in plain view with clearly marked exits and assembly points.
If you discover a fire, staff should ensure all residents have evacuated the respective floor, including people in the toilet / and communal areas during evacuations.
Staff and residents should NOT stop to collect personal belongings and vacate to the fire assembly point.
Ensure evacuees use the correct evacuation route to leave the floor / building. The evacuees will be led to the designated fire assembly point.
Dial 999 immediately if necessary and ask for the fire brigade and state your location and provide the address and any other vital information.
Responsible staff member should have a list of the occupants and visitors inside of the house and will perform a head count of the people evacuated from the building at the assembly point.
Should anyone be missing please report this to the emergency fire brigade immediately
DO NOT re-enter the building until told to do so by the Senior Fire Officer from the fire brigade team.
Young People’s family members / advocates/ Social workers will be informed of the situation at the earliest safe opportunity.
The Person-in-Charge is responsible for maintaining complete records of the following:
Who goes where in terms of temporary accommodation. This is especially important where there is a need to disperse young people over more than one Care Centre.
Confirmation of the continuing care to protect the on-going safety and well-being of young people.

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