CQC Regulation 15 Premises and Equipment: A Practical Guide for Care Managers
Regulation 15 covers the building, grounds and equipment people live with every day. Here are its six requirements and the records that prove them.
CQC Regulation 15 requires all premises and equipment you use to be clean, secure, suitable for their purpose, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located, with hygiene standards to match. To evidence it, keep cleaning schedules and audits, security and risk assessments, maintenance and servicing records, staff training on equipment and a health and safety risk assessment of the premises and grounds. CQC cannot prosecute for a breach of Regulation 15, but it can take other regulatory action.
Premises and equipment problems rarely look dramatic, but they underpin safety, dignity and infection control. CQC’s guidance on this regulation (CQC: Regulation 15) is practical, and much of it can be turned into a monthly audit.
It works closely with Regulation 12, which covers safe premises and equipment from a care-and-treatment angle, and with your CQC compliance audit programme.
Key takeaways
- Six tests: clean, secure, suitable, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located.
- You also need hygiene standards appropriate to the premises and equipment, following the infection control code of practice.
- You remain legally responsible when contractors or suppliers do the work.
- CQC cannot prosecute for a breach of Regulation 15, but it can take regulatory action and must refuse registration if you cannot show compliance.
- Regular health and safety risk assessments of premises, grounds and equipment must be acted on without delay.
In this guide
The Six Tests and the Evidence for Each
| Test | What CQC’s guidance says | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Clean | Visibly clean, free from offensive odours, with a cleaning schedule, monitoring, action on shortfalls and trained cleaning staff | Cleaning schedules, audit scores, training records, waste procedures |
| Secure | Protect personal safety and property, with appropriate access and exit, window restrictors and locks used lawfully and without restricting others | Security risk assessment, key and access procedures, DoLS and MCA records, surveillance records |
| Suitable | Fit for the service, big enough, sufficient toilets, bathrooms, storage and seating, accessible, privacy and dignity protected | Premises layout review, adaptations log, Equality Act adjustments |
| Properly used | Used as set out in your statement of purpose and policies; changes of use risk assessed | Statement of purpose, risk assessments for changes |
| Properly maintained | Regular health and safety risk assessments, planned servicing, maintenance budgets, manufacturers’ instructions followed | Maintenance schedule, certificates, repair log, budget |
| Appropriately located | Premises suit the needs of users and access to the community; equipment available when needed | Equipment inventory, loan arrangements, response times |
Hygiene and Cleaning
Under 15(2) you must maintain hygiene standards appropriate to the premises and equipment and follow the Department of Health code of practice on preventing and controlling infections. CQC’s guidance adds that equipment must be cleaned or decontaminated after each use and between different people, multiple-use devices must be cleaned between uses, and single-use or single-person devices must never be re-used or shared. Kitchens and laundries used for or by people using the service must be operated in line with legislation and guidance, with staff trained or supervised. See infection prevention and control in care homes.
Security Without Restricting Liberty
The “secure” test is a balance. Security arrangements should protect personal safety and property, and provide appropriate access and exit, without inadvertently restricting people’s movement. CQC says window restrictors and door locks must protect people when lawful and necessary and must not restrict the liberty of other people. Where someone lacks capacity, decisions need to follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and, where required, DoLS. See MCA and DoLS in practice and restrictive practice.
If you use any form of surveillance, it must be in the best interests of people using the service and follow current guidance. See CCTV in care homes.
Maintenance, Servicing and Contractors
- Carry out regular health and safety risk assessments of premises (including grounds) and equipment, and act on findings without delay.
- Have arrangements for purchase, service, maintenance, renewal and replacement that meet legislation, manufacturers’ instructions and your policies.
- Hold operational policies and maintenance budgets so buildings, mechanical and electrical systems are sound and show only minor deterioration.
- Use, store and maintain equipment as per manufacturers’ instructions, only for its intended purpose, and train staff who operate it.
- Remember you stay legally responsible when you delegate to contractors or suppliers. Check certificates and visit records.
- If a person owns the equipment they need, or you do not supply it, make every effort to ensure it is clean, safe and suitable.
Suitable for the Purpose, Including Accessibility
CQC expects premises that suit the layout and number of people using the service, with enough toilets and bathrooms, storage and seating. People’s needs and, where possible, views should be considered when premises are designed or adapted. People should be able to enter, exit and find their way around easily, and you must make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 where they cannot. Alterations must follow current legislation and guidance, and if guidance cannot be met you need contingency plans to reduce risk. Privacy, dignity and confidentiality must not be compromised.
A Monthly Premises and Equipment Audit
- Walk the premises with a checklist: cleanliness, odours, bathrooms, communal areas, bedrooms, kitchens, laundry and outdoor space.
- Test call bells, fire alarms and emergency lighting, and check window restrictors.
- Check servicing dates for hoists, slings, beds, mattresses, wheelchairs, boilers, water systems and electrical equipment.
- Review repair requests and how quickly they were completed.
- Record findings, owners and deadlines, and re-check at the next audit.
See how to carry out a care home audit and fire safety and RIDDOR reporting.
Tracking It
CQCLogic’s audit schedule pre-loads a health and safety and premises audit with findings and re-audit dates, task tracking holds maintenance actions with owners and deadlines, and the incident log records equipment and premises incidents. Maintenance logs themselves, such as servicing certificates, should be kept in your own system and linked through tasks.
Turn premises audits into dated actions
CQCLogic helps you schedule audits, record findings and track actions through to re-check. See a sample improvement plan, view pricing or get started free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CQC Regulation 15 cover?
Premises and equipment. All premises and equipment used by a provider must be clean, secure, suitable for their purpose, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located, and hygiene standards must be maintained.
Can CQC prosecute for a breach of Regulation 15?
CQC’s guidance says it cannot prosecute for a breach of Regulation 15 or any of its parts, but it can take regulatory action. It must also refuse registration if you cannot show you will comply.
Who is responsible if a contractor does not maintain equipment?
The provider. CQC states providers retain legal responsibility when they delegate through contracts to third parties, suppliers or contractors.
Does Regulation 15 apply to a person’s own accommodation?
Not where the accommodation is not provided as part of their care and treatment, and equipment there is not supplied by the provider. Where the person owns equipment needed for their care, make every effort to ensure it is clean, safe and suitable.
How often should premises and equipment be risk assessed?
CQC says regularly, covering premises, grounds and equipment, and findings must be acted on without delay. Set a frequency that matches your risks and record it in your audit schedule.
How does Regulation 15 differ from Regulation 12?
Regulation 12 covers safe care and treatment, including safe premises and equipment as part of safety. Regulation 15 is the specific standard for the condition, cleanliness, security, suitability, use, maintenance and location of premises and equipment.