Care Home Risk Assessment, Lessons From The Firs
In April 2025, The Firs residential care home in Nottinghamshire was urgently closed.
Ian MurrayThe Real Cost of Neglecting Risk Assessments in Care Homes
In April 2025, The Firs residential care home in Nottinghamshire was urgently closed. This followed on from a damning inspection from the CQC. Inspectors uncovered widespread failures including unsafe premises. Medication mismanagement, and a total breakdown in basic risk assessment protocols.
Key Issues Identified At The Firs
- Absence of updated fire risk assessments
- Unsafe environments for vulnerable residents
- Medication errors and safeguarding failures
- No governance structure or documentation to track safety checks
Implications for Care Home Operators
This case underscores that outdated or missing risk assessments are not just regulatory failures. But they also put lives at risk. For providers, it reinforces the importance of maintaining updated records. It also identifies the need to perform scheduled reviews. Then having a competent person overseeing compliance thereafter.
How HSRA Can Help
HSRA offers fixed-price, CQC-focused assessments for:
Fire Safety: Identify and mitigate hazards in sleeping/residential environments
Legionella: Especially vital where residents may have weakened immune systems
Health & Safety: Covering slips, trips, manual handling, infection control
Disability Access: Ensuring compliance with the Accessible Information Standard