Fire safety for
supported living.Properly assessed, from £295.
A supported living service occupies a position that is genuinely unlike any other care or housing setting. The building is residential, the residents have tenancy rights, and the care provider is delivering a regulated activity in someone's home. Fire safety law, housing law, and CQC regulation all apply simultaneously, and the responsible person picture, which sits between the landlord or housing association and the care provider, is one of the most commonly misunderstood in the sector. We carry out fire risk assessments for supported living and specialist housing across the North West and North Wales.
Who is the Responsible Person?
In supported living the duty is shared between the landlord and the care provider, and the split is often unclear.
The landlord or housing association, as the person with control of the building and its common parts, is the Responsible Person for the building structure, external walls, common areas, and shared facilities under the fire safety order. Works to the fabric of the building are the landlord's responsibility.
The care provider operating in the building is the employer and carries the Responsible Person duty for the non-domestic elements of the service, including the safety of staff and the service users they support. This duty applies even though the accommodation is the service user's home.
In practice the split is frequently unclear or undocumented, and both the landlord and the care provider may assume the other has dealt with fire safety. A specific, documented agreement between them is the clearest way to close the gap.
The care provider is CQC-registered for personal care or other regulated activities delivered in the supported living setting. Fire safety is assessed under the CQC safe domain, and the provider is expected to demonstrate that the environment is safe for service users.
The problems we
hear most often
Fire safety in supported living falls between the housing and care teams, and the responsibilities are rarely as clear as they should be. These are the gaps we find most regularly.
"Our housing association says they are responsible for fire safety in the building, but our CQC inspector expects us as the care provider to have fire risk assessments in place for our service users. Both things seem to be true."
Both things are true, and this is the defining confusion in supported living fire safety. The housing association as landlord is responsible for the building, its structure, and its common areas. The care provider as employer is responsible for the safety of its staff and service users in the non-domestic elements of the service. A person-centred fire risk assessment covering the care provider's responsibilities, alongside a clear agreement with the landlord about the building assessment, is the way to satisfy both the CQC and the fire authority.
"Several of our service users have complex needs, including learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge. I am not sure a standard evacuation plan would work for them."
Person-centred fire risk assessment, introduced as a specific methodology in BS 9792:2025, recognises that each service user's behaviour, needs, and responses to a fire alarm are unique, and that the evacuation plan has to be built around the individual rather than the building. We assess each service user's fire safety needs and the practicality of the evacuation arrangements for them, as a core element of the assessment.
"We moved into a new property recently, and the housing association sent us a building fire risk assessment, but I am not sure it covers our service users or our staff's responsibilities."
A building fire risk assessment from the housing association covers the structure and common areas. It does not cover the care provider's employer duties, the person-centred fire safety needs of individual service users, or the care staff's roles in an emergency. The two assessments sit alongside each other, and both are needed to satisfy the CQC and the fire authority.
What makes supported living
different to assess
Supported living sits at the intersection of housing and care, and the risk picture reflects both. The service users' needs, the residential setting, and the divided responsibility all shape the assessment.
Individual behaviour and response
Service users in supported living include people with learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injuries, and mental health conditions, each of whom may respond to a fire alarm in an entirely individual way. Some may not recognise the alarm, some may abscond, some may require significant support to evacuate. The assessment has to be built around each person.
Landlord and care provider
The landlord holds the duty for the building; the care provider holds the duty as employer for the service. Both must have fire safety arrangements in place, and the gap between them, where each assumes the other has dealt with something, is where risk accumulates.
A home, not a care facility
Service users have tenancy rights and live in their own homes. The fire safety arrangements have to respect that while still meeting the provider's employer duties and the CQC's expectations. A care home approach applied to a supported living setting is not always appropriate.
Sleep-in, waking night, and lone working
Supported living services operate with a wide range of staffing patterns, from 24-hour waking support to sleep-in staff to periodic support visits. The evacuation plan has to work for the staffing that is actually present, including at night when there may be one sleep-in worker supporting several people.
Complex health needs in a domestic setting
Some supported living service users have complex health needs including oxygen dependency, epilepsy, or swallowing difficulties that affect how an evacuation can be managed. These need to be addressed individually in the person-centred assessment.
Ordinary housing, not purpose-built
Supported living services operate from ordinary houses, flats, and bungalows, which were not designed as care settings. The compartmentation, escape routes, and alarm systems of a domestic property may not be adequate for the service user group they house.
Person-centred fire risk assessment — the approach BS 9792:2025 requires
BS 9792:2025, the current British Standard for fire risk assessment, specifically introduces person-centred thinking for care and supported housing settings. It recognises that each service user's behaviour, needs, and responses to fire are unique, and that the evacuation plan has to be built around the individual rather than the building. Our assessment for supported living incorporates a person-centred approach for every service user, identifying how each person is likely to respond to an alarm and what support they need to evacuate safely. The provider's staff, who know the service users, develop the individual PEEPs; the assessment gives them the framework and identifies where gaps exist.
Three services.
One point of contact.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training, delivered by one company that understands supported living and the divided responsibility between landlord and care provider.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentA person-centred assessment covering each service user's fire safety needs, the landlord and care provider duty split, staffing patterns, and the domestic building type. Structured to satisfy both the CQC safe domain and the fire authority.
- Person-centred assessment for every service user
- Landlord and care provider duty split documented
- Staffing patterns and overnight cover assessed
- Domestic property type and compartmentation reviewed
- Complex health needs and medication considered
- Written report suitable for CQC safe domain
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorSupported living properties are ordinary houses and flats where fire doors may have been added retrospectively or may not meet the standard required. We inspect every component and give you a clear condition record.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices and smoke seals
- Bedroom, kitchen, and final exit doors
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical fire safety training for support workers and sleep-in staff, focused on person-centred evacuation, supporting service users with complex needs, and lone-working night arrangements.
- Fire safety training for support workers and managers
- Person-centred evacuation for service users with complex needs
- Sleep-in and lone-working night procedures
- Hands-on extinguisher use on a live fire
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
supported living works within
Supported living sits at the intersection of the fire safety order, the Housing Act, and CQC regulation, with the responsible person duty shared between the landlord and the care provider.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the non-domestic elements of a supported living service. The care provider as employer is the Responsible Person for the safety of its staff and service users in the areas under its control. The landlord or housing association is the Responsible Person for the building structure, external walls, and common areas, following the clarification in the Fire Safety Act 2021.
The CQC registers and inspects supported living providers for personal care and other regulated activities delivered in the setting. Under the CQC safe domain, the provider is expected to demonstrate that the environment is safe for service users, which includes fire safety. The CQC's expectation is a person-centred approach that addresses each service user's individual needs, aligned with BS 9792:2025.
Where the supported living property is a residential building with two or more domestic premises, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 impose additional duties on the Responsible Person to provide fire safety information to residents and maintain records of checks. The landlord and care provider must co-operate and co-ordinate their fire safety arrangements to avoid gaps.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Care provider dutyThe care provider as employer carries the Responsible Person duty for the non-domestic elements of the service and the safety of staff and service users. The landlord carries the duty for the building and common areas.
CQC safe domain
CQC registrationThe CQC expects a person-centred approach to fire safety for each service user. BS 9792:2025 sets the current standard for this approach. Failures can result in conditions on registration.
BS 9792:2025
Current standardIntroduces person-centred fire risk assessment methodology specifically for care and supported housing settings. Sets the benchmark the CQC and fire authority will apply.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Residential buildingsWhere the property contains two or more domestic premises, additional duties apply to provide fire safety information to residents and maintain records of checks.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed supported living services and specialist housing across the region. He understands the specific regulatory complexity of this sector, the divided responsibility, the person-centred approach, and the domestic setting that distinguishes it from both care homes and standard housing. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and brings both fire safety qualifications and a legal background to the practice. For care providers navigating CQC action plans alongside fire authority requirements, Sam's LLB gives him a thorough understanding of where those frameworks interact, and how to produce documentation that satisfies both.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built for your service.
Whether you need a person-centred assessment for your service users, clarity on how the duty splits with your housing association, or training for your support workers, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.