Sample policy · Adult social care

Falls prevention and management policy (adult social care)

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how the Service assesses falls risk, reduces avoidable risk, responds after a fall and learns from falls patterns across the Service.

The Service must verify this policy against current NICE falls guidance, CQC source material, local falls pathway and local emergency escalation routes before adoption.

2. Sources to verify before adoption

3. Scope

This policy applies to:

The Service treats falls as a safety, care-planning and governance issue. A fall is not treated as inevitable because a person is older, frail or living with dementia.

4. Falls risk assessment

The Service completes a falls risk assessment:

The assessment considers:

The Service verifies the assessment content against current NICE guidance and local falls pathway before adoption.

5. Environmental risk factors

Staff check the environment for avoidable falls risk.

Checks include:

Environmental risks are recorded in the care plan or premises record and assigned to an owner for action.

6. Mobility and footwear assessment

The care plan records the person's mobility, transfer support and footwear needs.

The assessment includes:

Staff seek occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry or GP input where risk cannot be managed by routine care planning.

7. Post-fall management

After a fall or suspected fall, staff:

  1. stay with the person and make the area safe
  2. assess for immediate danger within their training
  3. do not move the person until safe to do so
  4. call emergency services where required by clinical presentation or local protocol
  5. seek senior staff or clinical advice where the person is injured, unwell, taking anticoagulants or cannot give a reliable account
  6. record observations and actions taken
  7. inform the Registered Manager or senior person on duty
  8. inform family or representative according to the care plan and consent position
  9. record the fall in the incident register
  10. review the care plan and falls risk assessment

The Service does not use this policy as a clinical algorithm. Staff follow current first-aid training, local falls pathway and emergency escalation advice.

8. Medical escalation criteria

Staff seek urgent medical advice or emergency support where the person's presentation, injury, symptoms or history indicates risk.

The local post-fall protocol includes escalation prompts for:

The Service verifies these prompts against current local NHS falls pathway and clinical advice before adoption.

9. Documentation

The incident record includes:

Staff record facts and avoid blame language.

10. Pattern detection across the Service

The Registered Manager reviews falls patterns at least monthly.

The review considers:

Patterns are reported to the governance group and converted into improvement actions where needed.

11. Multi-disciplinary input

The Service seeks input from relevant professionals where falls risk is repeated, complex or increasing.

This may include:

The care plan records advice received and whether it was implemented.

12. Equipment, adaptations and falls champion

The Service keeps equipment and adaptations under review.

Equipment may include:

The falls champion supports staff practice by:

The falls champion does not replace the Registered Manager's accountability.

13. Audit cadence

The Registered Manager audits falls practice at least quarterly.

The audit sample includes:

Review cadence: annual or on regulatory change, whichever sooner. Owner: Registered Manager.

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Last reviewed 21 May 2026