1. Scope

1.1 Purpose

This policy sets out how manages the environmental impact of its supported living services. It explains how we meet our legal duties on waste, recycling, hazardous substances and pollution. It also explains how we reduce our carbon footprint, use resources wisely and help the people we support to do the same.

Good environmental practice is part of good care. Clean air, safe homes, well managed waste and resilience to extreme weather all protect health. Climate change is a real and growing risk to older people, disabled people and people with long term conditions. Many of the people we support fall into these groups.

1.2 Application

This policy applies to everyone who works for or on behalf of . This includes:

• all employees, including care workers, support workers, team leaders and office staff
• bank, agency and temporary workers
• volunteers, students and apprentices
• contractors and suppliers while they work for us

It applies in every setting where we work. This includes our offices, supported living properties and their shared areas, vehicles used for work and community settings.

1.3 People’s own homes

Most of our work takes place in people’s own homes. People in supported living hold their own tenancies, which are separate from the support we provide. They make their own choices about how they live. Staff support environmental practice in a person’s home only with their agreement, or in their best interests where they lack capacity for the decision. We never impose our preferences on how a person runs their home.

1.4 What this policy covers

• waste produced by our offices and by staff while delivering care
• clinical, offensive, medicinal and hazardous waste
• recycling under the Simpler Recycling rules
• energy and water use
• business travel and transport
• sustainable buying
• cleaning products and hazardous substances
• preparing for heatwaves, cold weather and flooding
• staff awareness, training and reporting

1.5 What this policy does not replace

This policy works alongside our Infection Prevention and Control, Medication, COSHH, Health and Safety, and Business Continuity policies. Where a task is covered in detail elsewhere, staff must follow that policy and use this one for the environmental requirements.

2. Legal and Regulatory Framework

Legislation/Regulation	Requirements
Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34	Places a duty of care on anyone who produces, keeps or passes on controlled waste. We must store waste safely, use registered waste carriers, and describe waste accurately on a waste transfer note.
Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011	Require us to apply the waste hierarchy: prevent, reuse, recycle, recover, then dispose. Waste transfer notes must be kept for at least two years.
Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025 (Simpler Recycling)	Require workplaces in England to separate dry recyclables, food waste and residual waste for collection. Workplaces with 10 or more full time equivalent staff must comply from 31 March 2025. Micro-firms with fewer than 10 must comply by 31 March 2027.
Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 and Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012	Control the storage, movement and disposal of hazardous waste such as some chemicals, fluorescent tubes and infectious clinical waste. Consignment notes must be kept for three years. The 2012 Regulations define clinical and offensive waste, and when waste from care in the community is household waste.
Environment Act 2021 and Climate Change Act 2008	The Environment Act 2021 sets the framework for environmental targets and waste reform, including Simpler Recycling and digital waste tracking. The Climate Change Act 2008 commits the UK to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Commissioners increasingly expect providers to show how they cut emissions.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 and Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009	Require electrical equipment and batteries to be disposed of through approved routes, not general waste.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974	Requires us to protect staff and others from harm, including from waste handling, chemicals and extreme temperatures.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)	Require us to assess and control risks from cleaning products and other hazardous substances, and to choose safer alternatives where reasonably practicable.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulations 12, 15 and 17	Regulation 12 requires safe care, including infection control and safe disposal of waste. Regulation 15 covers premises and equipment we use. Regulation 17 requires good governance, which links to CQC’s environmental sustainability quality statement.
Mental Capacity Act 2005	Requires a decision specific capacity assessment where a person may lack capacity, and a best interests decision where they do. This applies to decisions about a person’s home, such as heating, waste or clearing belongings.
Care Act 2014	Places wellbeing at the centre of care and support, including suitable accommodation and control over day to day life. Self-neglect, including hoarding, can be a safeguarding concern under section 42 and the Care and Support Statutory Guidance.
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018	Require confidential paper waste and electronic devices to be destroyed or wiped securely so personal data is not exposed.

2.1 Key guidance

• Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste. Sets out how healthcare waste is classified, segregated and colour coded, including waste produced in people’s homes.
• The Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Includes safe waste management.
• CQC single assessment framework, Well-led: Environmental sustainability, sustainable development. CQC expects providers to understand any negative impact of their activities on the environment and to work to reduce it, and to support people to do the same. CQC currently assesses this statement in NHS trusts and has said it will develop its approach for other services. We prepare for this now.
• UK Health Security Agency Adverse Weather and Health Plan and the heat-health and cold-health alerts. Guide our response to extreme weather.
• Defra guidance on Simpler Recycling and the waste duty of care code of practice.

2.2 Digital waste tracking

Mandatory digital waste tracking started on 1 October 2026 for permitted waste receiving sites in England. It will extend to waste carriers from October 2027. Waste producers like us do not yet have a mandatory start date. We keep accurate records now so that we can move to digital tracking when required.

3. Definitions of Key Terms

Term	Definition
Environmental impact	Any change to the environment, good or bad, caused by our activities. Examples include waste, emissions from travel and energy use.
Carbon footprint	The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by our activities, usually measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Net zero	A balance between the greenhouse gases we produce and those removed from the atmosphere.
Waste hierarchy	The legal order of preference for managing waste: prevent, prepare for reuse, recycle, recover, dispose.
Duty of care (waste)	The legal duty to make sure waste is stored safely, passed only to authorised people and described accurately.
Waste transfer note	A record of non-hazardous waste passed to a waste carrier. It must be kept for two years.
Consignment note	A record that must go with hazardous waste when it is moved. It must be kept for three years.
Offensive waste	Non-infectious waste that may be unpleasant, such as continence pads, gloves and aprons used where there is no known infection. Usually placed in yellow and black striped bags where a separate collection is used.
Infectious clinical waste	Waste that may cause infection, such as items contaminated with body fluids from a person with a known or suspected infection. Usually placed in orange bags.
Sharps	Needles, lancets and other items that can cut or pierce the skin. They must go in an approved sharps bin.
Dry recyclables	Glass, metal, plastic, paper and card that can be recycled.
Residual waste	Waste that cannot be reused or recycled.
Grey fleet	Privately owned vehicles that staff use for work journeys.
COSHH assessment	A written assessment of the risks from a hazardous substance and how they are controlled.
Extreme weather	Heatwaves, severe cold, storms and flooding that can harm health or disrupt services.

4. Policy Statement

4.1 Commitment

is committed to delivering high quality care in a way that protects the environment and the health of the people we support, our staff and our communities. We will meet every legal duty that applies to us. We will go further where it is practical, affordable and safe.

4.2 Core Principles

• Safety first. Environmental measures must never reduce the safety, dignity or quality of care.
• Choice and control. People decide how they live in their own homes. We support and encourage, we do not impose.
• Prevent before we dispose. We follow the waste hierarchy in everything we do.
• Measure and improve. We measure our main impacts and set realistic targets to reduce them.
• Shared responsibility. Every member of staff has a part to play.
• Be open. We report honestly on our progress to staff, commissioners and the people we support.

4.3 Our objectives

We will:

1. comply fully with waste, recycling and hazardous substance law
2. reduce the amount of waste we produce and increase the proportion we recycle
3. reduce emissions from business travel through better rota planning and lower emission travel
4. reduce energy, water and paper use in our offices
5. choose products and suppliers with a lower environmental impact where quality and cost allow
6. prepare our services and the people we support for extreme weather
7. train and involve our staff, and support people who use our services to live more sustainably if they wish

4.4 Equality and accessibility

Sustainable choices must not exclude anyone. For example, people who rely on continence products, single use medical items or a car for access to the community will continue to get what they need. We consider equality and accessibility in every environmental decision.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
All Staff	Follow this policy and related procedures. Segregate and dispose of waste correctly. Turn off equipment and lights in our offices when not needed. Plan travel efficiently. Report spills, unsafe waste and environmental concerns. Support people with environmental choices only with their agreement.
Registered Manager ()	Holds overall accountability for this policy and for compliance with environmental law in the service. Approves the environmental action plan and targets. Makes sure resources, training and contracts are in place. Reports progress to the directors and evidences the work for CQC.
Duty Manager	Leads day to day implementation on shift. Plans rotas and visit runs to reduce unnecessary travel. Makes sure staff have the right waste bags, sharps arrangements and spill kits. Coordinates the response to spills, waste incidents and extreme weather alerts. Supervises staff practice and escalates problems.
Safeguarding Lead ()	Makes sure that concerns about a person’s living conditions, such as hoarding, self-neglect, unsafe heating or lack of cooling, are assessed and referred where needed. Advises on balancing a person’s choices with their safety.
Health and Safety Officer ()	Keeps COSHH assessments up to date and promotes safer, lower impact products. Manages waste contracts, waste transfer notes and consignment notes for our premises. Checks storage of waste and chemicals. Leads environmental risk assessment and investigation of incidents, including RIDDOR reporting where an incident causes a reportable injury.
Data Protection Officer ()	Makes sure confidential waste is shredded or collected by an approved contractor, and that devices are securely wiped before reuse, recycling or disposal. Keeps certificates of destruction.
Environmental Champion	A nominated member of staff who promotes good practice, gathers ideas from colleagues and helps run awareness campaigns. Reports to the Registered Manager.
Office and Administration Staff	Run office recycling, reduce paper use, and keep records of waste collections, energy use and mileage.
Procurement Lead	Applies the sustainable buying criteria in section 13 when choosing suppliers and products.

6. Procedures

6.1 Assessing environmental needs and risks at the start of care

At the initial assessment and at each review, the assessor records:

• the local council’s bin collection days and the bins available, including recycling and food waste
• whether the person produces offensive or clinical waste and how it will be collected
• how prescribed sharps and unwanted medicines will be returned
• any risks from heat, cold or damp in the home
• the person’s wishes about recycling, energy saving and how they want their home run

This information goes into the care or support plan, so every visiting worker follows the same arrangements.

6.2 Waste in people’s homes

Staff follow this order for every item:

1. Can it be avoided? Use only what is needed, for example the right number of gloves and pads.
2. Can it be reused? For example reusable shopping bags or washable cloths where infection risk allows.
3. Can it be recycled? Rinse and place recyclables in the person’s recycling as the council requires.
4. If not, dispose of it in the correct waste stream, as set out in section 11.

6.3 Office waste and recycling

1. Provide clearly labelled bins for dry recyclables, food waste and residual waste in every office and staff kitchen, in line with Simpler Recycling.
2. Use a registered waste carrier and check their registration on the Environment Agency public register before the first collection and every year.
3. Keep waste transfer notes for at least two years and hazardous waste consignment notes for three years.
4. Store confidential waste in locked bins until it is shredded.
5. Send old electrical equipment, toner cartridges and batteries to approved collection or take back schemes.

6.4 Spills and environmental incidents

1. Make the area safe and keep people away.
2. Use the spill kit and the correct PPE. Follow the COSHH data sheet or the infection control procedure for body fluid spills.
3. Stop the spill reaching drains or watercourses where possible.
4. Dispose of contaminated materials in the correct waste stream.
5. Report the incident to the Duty Manager straight away and record it on the incident system the same day.
6. The Health and Safety Officer decides whether the Environment Agency or the local authority must be told.

6.5 Cleaning products and hazardous substances

• Use the products supplied or agreed in the person’s care plan, following the COSHH assessment.
• Never mix products or decant them into unlabelled containers.
• Use the correct dilution. Overuse wastes product and harms the environment.
• Choose lower hazard products where they are equally effective.
• Never pour chemicals into outside drains.

6.6 Responding to extreme weather

The Duty Manager checks UK Health Security Agency weather-health alerts each day during the alert seasons. When an amber or red alert is issued:

1. Identify people at highest risk, such as those living alone, with dementia, or with heart, lung or kidney conditions.
2. Brief staff on actions, such as extra drinks, checking room temperatures, closing curtains in heat and checking heating in cold.
3. Prioritise visits for high risk people and add welfare calls where needed.
4. Record actions in care notes and escalate concerns to the person’s GP, family or the local authority.
5. Check staff welfare, especially lone workers driving or walking in extreme conditions.

6.7 Capacity, consent and best interests

People have the right to make their own choices about their homes, including choices others think are unwise. Staff must start from the presumption that a person has capacity, as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 requires.

Where an environmental decision could affect a person’s safety and there is reason to doubt their capacity for that decision, staff must:

1. Record the specific decision, for example whether to turn on heating during cold weather or whether to clear items blocking a fire exit.
2. Support the person to make the decision themselves first, using accessible information and the best time of day for them.
3. Ask the Duty Manager to arrange a capacity assessment for that decision.
4. If the person lacks capacity, make a best interests decision with the people who know them, including family, advocates and any attorney or deputy. Choose the least restrictive option.
5. Record the assessment, the decision and the reasons in the care or support plan, and review it when circumstances change.

Staff never remove or dispose of a person’s belongings without their consent, or a recorded best interests decision where they lack capacity. Where a person has capacity and refuses, staff respect the decision, explain the risks, record the conversation and tell the Duty Manager if the risk is serious.

7. Training and Development

7.1 Induction

All new staff complete environmental awareness training at induction. It covers:

• why the environment matters for health and care
• the waste hierarchy and waste segregation, including colour coded bags
• safe handling of sharps, medicines for return and hazardous substances
• spill response
• efficient travel and energy saving
• respecting people’s choices in their own homes
• how to raise ideas and concerns

7.2 Role specific training

• Duty Managers: rota and route planning, extreme weather response and incident coordination.
• Health and Safety Officer: waste duty of care, hazardous waste rules, COSHH assessment and environmental risk assessment.
• Office staff: Simpler Recycling, records and confidential waste.
• Environmental Champion: running awareness campaigns and gathering staff ideas.

7.3 Competency assessment

Supervisors check waste segregation, spill response and COSHH practice during spot checks and observations. Staff who are not yet competent receive further coaching, and their practice is checked again within four weeks.

7.4 Continuous learning

Environmental topics are included in annual refresher training and team meetings at least twice a year. Learning from incidents, audits and staff ideas is shared with all teams.

8. Monitoring and Review

8.1 Monitoring framework

The Registered Manager keeps an environmental action plan with clear, measurable targets. Progress is reviewed at management meetings every quarter.

8.2 Quality indicators

• percentage of office waste recycled
• volume of residual waste collected
• business mileage per hour of care delivered
• office energy and water use
• number of spills and waste incidents
• staff training completion
• number of staff ideas received and acted on
• compliance with waste transfer and consignment note records

8.3 Audits

The Health and Safety Officer completes an environmental audit of each office every six months. Spot checks in people’s homes include waste handling. Waste contractor registrations and records are checked every year.

8.4 Reviewing this policy

This policy is reviewed at least once a year. It is reviewed sooner if the law or guidance changes, after a significant environmental incident, or if CQC changes how it assesses environmental sustainability.

8.5 Continuous improvement

We use our results to set new targets each year. We share progress with staff, commissioners and the people we support, and we celebrate improvements.

8.6 Measuring our carbon footprint

Targets only work if we measure our starting point. Each year the Registered Manager, supported by office staff, calculates our main greenhouse gas emissions using the government’s published greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors for that year.

We measure:

• electricity and gas used in our offices, from meter readings or bills
• fuel used in any company vehicles
• business mileage driven by staff in their own cars, taken from mileage claims
• public transport and other business travel where recorded

The first full year of data is our baseline. We report our total emissions and emissions per hour of care delivered, so that growth in the service does not hide real progress. These figures support the carbon reduction plans and environmental information that commissioners request in tenders and contracts. They are reviewed at the quarterly management meeting alongside the environmental action plan.

9. Reporting Concerns

9.1 Staff duty to report

All staff must report anything that could harm people or the environment. Examples include:

• spills of chemicals, fuel or body fluids
• waste left unsafe, overflowing or dumped
• unsafe storage of sharps or medicines
• signs that a waste contractor is not authorised or is fly-tipping
• a person’s home being dangerously hot, cold or damp
• hoarding or living conditions that may put a person at risk

9.2 Reporting channels

1. Report to the Duty Manager straight away.
2. Record the concern on the incident or concern log the same day.
3. If the concern involves a risk to a person, also inform the Safeguarding Lead.
4. Serious environmental incidents are escalated to the Registered Manager and the Health and Safety Officer.

Members of the public can report suspected waste crime to the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

9.3 Self-neglect, hoarding and unsafe living conditions

Hoarding, severe self-neglect and unsafe living conditions can put a person’s health and safety at serious risk. Under the Care Act 2014 and its statutory guidance, self-neglect can be a safeguarding concern. Staff must:

1. Record what they see factually, including fire risks, blocked exits, pests, unsafe waste and the effect on the person’s health.
2. Report it to the Duty Manager the same day, and straight away if there is an immediate risk to life such as a fire hazard.
3. The Safeguarding Lead () decides whether to make a safeguarding referral to the local authority, and whether to involve the fire service for a home fire safety visit, environmental health or the person’s GP.
4. Work with the person at their pace. Removing belongings without consent can cause great distress and rarely solves the problem.

Where the person has capacity, their choices are respected while risks are discussed openly and recorded. Where capacity is in doubt, staff follow section 6.7.

9.4 Whistleblower protection

Staff who raise concerns with a reasonable belief that the disclosure is in the public interest are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and our Whistleblowing Policy. If a concern is not dealt with, staff can raise it with a director, the Environment Agency or CQC. will not tolerate any victimisation of staff who speak up.

9.5 Investigation procedures

1. The Health and Safety Officer investigates within five working days.
2. The investigation identifies the cause and any breach of law or policy.
3. Actions are agreed, recorded and tracked to completion.
4. Learning is shared at team meetings and used to update training and procedures.

10. Risk Assessment Framework

10.1 Environmental aspects register

The Health and Safety Officer keeps a register of our main environmental aspects, such as waste, travel, energy, water and chemicals. For each, the register records the impact, the controls in place and the risk rating.

10.2 Rating risks

Each risk is scored for likelihood and severity on a scale of 1 to 5. Risks scoring 12 or more need an action plan with an owner and a date.

10.3 Individual risk assessments

Individual care and support plans include environmental risks that affect the person, such as overheating, cold homes, damp and mould, hoarding or unsafe waste storage. These are reviewed with the person at each care review.

10.4 Climate adaptation

Our business continuity plan includes the effects of heatwaves, cold weather, flooding and storms on staff travel and service delivery. We identify people who would be most at risk and plan how we would reach them.

10.5 Water hygiene and Legionella

Legionella bacteria can grow in water systems that are not used regularly, or where water is stored at the wrong temperature. The people we support are often at higher risk of serious illness.

Where manages the water system in an office or supported living property, or where the landlord has passed this duty to us in writing, the Health and Safety Officer () makes sure that:

• a competent person completes a Legionella risk assessment, in line with the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice L8 and guidance HSG274
• rarely used outlets, such as spare bathroom taps and showers, are flushed at least weekly and the flushing is recorded
• hot and cold water temperatures are checked as the risk assessment requires
• showerheads are cleaned and descaled as scheduled
• any concerns are reported to the landlord or a water hygiene contractor straight away

Where the landlord keeps responsibility for the water system, staff report faults, unused outlets and temperature concerns to the landlord and record the report. Flushing outlets also wastes water, so it is planned carefully and limited to what the risk assessment requires.

11. Waste Management in People's Own Homes

11.1 Who owns the waste

Most waste produced in a person’s home is household waste, even when care workers help to produce it. It is collected by the local council. HTM 07-01 explains when waste from care in the community needs a separate collection.

11.2 Segregating care waste

Waste type	How to dispose of it
General household waste	The person’s general waste bin.
Recyclables	The person’s recycling bins, following the council’s rules.
Food waste	The person’s food waste caddy where the council provides one.
Offensive waste with no known infection, such as used pads, gloves and aprons	Double bag and place in household waste, unless the volume is large or the council provides a separate offensive waste collection in yellow and black striped bags.
Infectious waste where there is a known or suspected infection	Place in the bags supplied for this purpose, usually orange, and arrange collection with the council or the healthcare professional involved. Follow the Infection Prevention and Control Policy.
Sharps	Place straight into the person’s approved sharps bin. Never recap needles. Arrange collection as agreed with the prescriber, pharmacy or council.
Unwanted or out of date medicines	Never put in the bin or down the toilet. Return to the community pharmacy with the person’s agreement, and record the return in line with the Medication Policy.

11.3 Safe storage

Waste waiting for collection must be tied securely and stored out of reach of children and pets. Torn bags are placed inside a new bag. Staff never leave clinical waste or sharps unattended in common areas of supported living properties.

11.4 Reusing and returning equipment

Reuse is the highest priority after preventing waste. Hoists, slings, beds, mattresses, walking frames, commodes and other aids often belong to a community equipment service, not the person.

1. Check who owns the equipment before it is moved or removed. The label or the care plan usually says.
2. When equipment is no longer needed, arrange its return through the community equipment service so it can be cleaned and reused.
3. Never put loaned equipment in household waste or leave it outside a property.
4. Report broken or unsafe equipment to the provider for repair, and stop using it until it is safe.
5. Record returns and requests in the care notes.

Where a person owns equipment they no longer need, staff can, with their agreement, signpost them to reuse schemes, charities or the council’s bulky waste service.

12. Sustainable Travel, Energy and Resources

12.1 Travel

• Rotas are planned to keep travel between visits as short as possible.
• Staff are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport where this is safe and practical.
• Staff who drive for work must keep their vehicles roadworthy and insured for business use. Tyres must be correctly inflated, as this saves fuel.
• Staff must switch off engines when parked. Leaving an engine running unnecessarily can be an offence.
• We consider electric or low emission vehicles when replacing any company vehicles.
• Meetings are held online where this works as well as meeting in person.

12.2 Energy and water in our offices

• Switch off lights, computers and other equipment when not in use.
• Set heating and cooling to sensible temperatures and keep doors and windows closed when heating is on.
• Report leaks and faults straight away.
• Choose energy efficient equipment when replacing items.

12.3 Paper and digital working

We use digital care records and electronic forms where possible. We print only when needed, double sided by default. Confidential paper is always shredded securely.

12.4 Supporting people at home

Where a person wants help to reduce energy or water use, staff can share simple tips and signpost them to local energy advice services. Staff must never make changes that could put a person at risk, such as turning down heating for someone vulnerable to the cold.

13. Sustainable Procurement and Supply Chain

13.1 Buying criteria

When we buy goods and services we consider:

• whether we need to buy at all
• quality, safety and suitability for care
• the environmental impact over the whole life of the product
• packaging, and whether the supplier will take it back
• whether products are reusable, refillable or made from recycled material
• the supplier’s own environmental commitments

13.2 Waste contractors

We use only waste carriers and sites that hold the correct registration or permit. We check them before use and every year.

13.3 Commissioner requirements

Some commissioners, including local authorities and NHS bodies, ask providers for carbon reduction plans or environmental information in tenders and contracts. The Registered Manager keeps this information up to date so we can respond accurately.

13.4 Single-use plastics

Since 1 October 2023, the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (England) Regulations 2023 have banned the supply of single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain polystyrene cups and food containers in England. We do not buy these items. For events and office use we choose reusable or non-plastic alternatives.

Single-use plastic items that are essential for safe care, such as gloves, aprons and medical supplies, are not affected. We continue to use them where infection control requires, and reduce use only where safe to do so.

14. Communication and Engagement Protocols

14.1 Staff

We share environmental updates through team meetings, supervision and staff newsletters. Staff are invited to suggest ideas, and good ideas are recognised.

14.2 People we support and their families

We explain our approach in the service user guide. We support people who want to recycle, save energy or take part in community activities, as part of independence and wellbeing goals in their support plans.

14.3 Landlords and housing providers

In supported living we work with landlords on shared issues such as bin storage, communal recycling, heating faults, damp and mould. We report repairs promptly and record them.

14.4 Commissioners and the public

publishes a short summary of its environmental commitments and progress, and shares it with commissioners on request.

14.5 Damp, mould and Awaab’s Law

Damp and mould can cause serious harm, especially to people with breathing problems, weakened immune systems or frailty. Since 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law (the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025) has required social landlords to:

• investigate a reported significant damp and mould hazard within 10 working days
• give the tenant a written summary of findings within 3 working days of the investigation
• make the home safe within 5 working days where a significant hazard is found
• deal with emergency hazards within 24 hours

Staff are often the first to notice damp and mould. When they do:

1. Record what they see, where it is and any effect on the person’s health. Take photos only with the person’s consent.
2. Tell the Duty Manager the same day.
3. With the person’s agreement, the Duty Manager reports it to the landlord in writing, so the legal timescales start. Where the person lacks capacity for this decision, follow section 6.7.
4. Follow up if the landlord does not respond within the timescales, and support the person to complain to the landlord and then the Housing Ombudsman if needed.
5. Where the person’s health is affected, tell their GP and review their care or support plan.

For people who rent privately or own their home, staff still report concerns and help the person contact their landlord, the council’s housing team or a support service.

15. Related Policies

• Infection Prevention and Control Policy
• Medication Policy
• COSHH Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Business Continuity Plan
• Lone Working Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy
• Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Incident Reporting Policy
• Procurement Policy
• Driving at Work Policy