Residential Care Home Bedrooms

[Dan100]

Hi,

I have recently visited a couple of residential care homes where there was the odd bedroom containing more than 1 bed. I didn't think this was permissable under current guidance. Approved Doc B Page 41 3.49 seems to back that up. Have I got it wrong or perhaps there is alternative guidance which does allow more than 1 bed per room ? Any advice greatly received.

Dan.

[Tom Sutton]

I don’t think it is as easy as ADB states, for new premises it is correct but for existing premises you need to check out National Minimum Standard for older persons, there are other standards for other types of care homes.

I will research it further and get back if I find any more information also I may try firenet.

[Dan100]

Thanks for the reply Tom. I found this is on page 24 of the National Minimum Standards you referred to :

23.6 Where rooms are shared, they are occupied by no more than two service users who have made a positive choice to share with each other.

23.7 When a shared place becomes vacant, the remaining service user has the opportunity to choose not to share, by moving into a different room if necessary.

23.8 Rooms which are currently shared have at least 16sq metres of usable floor space (excluding en-suite facilities).

ADB & National Minimum Standards contradicting themselves ? I'm confused :-)

Any other pointers welcomed.

[Tom Sutton]

ADB uses the word 'should' not and not 'must', hence although the guidance is that there should one be one bed in each room it is not an absolute measure.

[Dan100]

Hi Tom,

I take your point about ' should ' & not ' must ' but the ADB (page 41 sec 3.48) also states :

Every bedroom should be enclosed in fire resisting construction with fire resisting doors and every corridor serving bedrooms should be a protected corridor.

Again, the use of the term ' should ' but I can't believe those stipulations are not absolute. Interested in your opinion.

Dan.

[Tom Sutton]

We now live in the age of risk assessment, the RR(FS)O, DCLG guides are not prescriptive and are full of, if required, with no, shall or must. The Approved Documents are similar, in that, you only are expected to achieve the functional requirement. If you follow the AD then you will achieve the functional requirement but you don’t have to, providing your method will achieve the functional requirement, that’s why we have compensatory solutions.

I think the one bed, one bedroom, in premises subject to the building regulations, is following the national standards, but not fully and you need to understand the national standards where and when you should enforce it. If a married couple or a pair of people devoted to each other wish to share a room then I think they should, providing more than 80% are single rooms, it is not going to affect the MoE.

Every bedroom should be enclosed in fire resisting construction, in most, if not all situations, but what if residential sprinkles were installed?

I worked in an age of prescriptive codes and it was easier, now days it is a lot more difficult.

[Dan100]

Good points Tom. I too worked when it was much more prescriptive. What was written had to be done. With it now being open to interpretation does make it more difficult with grey areas. Sensible yes, until something goes wrong and then the 'guidance' is pointed out.

[Tom Sutton]

With it now being open to interpretation does make it more difficult with grey areas. Sensible yes, until something goes wrong and then the 'guidance' is pointed out.

I agree Dan but if you know your stuff and don't act on a whim you should be able to provide a good account of yourself, if you ever come up against that man with the curly wig.

[Dan100]

Well I know some stuff Tom but a long way from all. Which is why I pick the brains of wiser men here. I try to keep whims to a minimum and appearing before the beak even less. Thanks for your input.

Dan.