Rank: New forum user 
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Hello all
I deal with elderly care homes and they have high number of falls which are purely down to the individual's state of health (where people are suffering from dementia, urine infections, confusion, restlessness etc). Most of the falls are unwitnessed (i.e. they may occur inside the individual's bedroom or perhaps in communal lounge area where staff may always not be present).
So my question is if such fall results in a frature is it reportable under RIDDOR? (please note that they do not recive one to one supervision).
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Rank: Forum user
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There has been some cases on this. I can't remember the exact details as I'm in a different industry now. However, there was one case where the staff knew a person was likely to fall but hadn't any other controls in place and I believe the employers were found liable so they perhaps should have reported this under RIDDOR as they should have had procedures in place.
Generally such falls aren't RIDDOR
I guess it will depend on their care plan whether its RIDDOR as the care plan will show if all the procedures etc are in place to help prevent or reduce the extent of an injury.
So sorry, it's one of these 'will depend on answers'
Lilian
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Rank: Super forum user
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This is a great question, and in an attempt to ensure that you get the right answer before the barrage or responses and debates (as we get with all RIDDOR questions on this forum). You will find the answer in the link below.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsis1.htm
Remember that any injury sustained to a service user will require reporting to other regulators, for example the Care Inspectorate in Scotland.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Oh. I scroll down and found you beat me to it. ;)
......and I was so looking forward to yet another debate on whether an incident was work-related or not.
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Rank: Super forum user
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It may invoke another debate thought.
If a fall is foreseeable and someone is injured = reportable.
If a fall is not foreseeable and someone is injured = not reportable.
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Rank: Forum user
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I work in Care Homes as well,remember RIDDOR is for accidents arising out of or in connection with work.if a resident falls simply as a consequence of their condition then it is not reportable.
If recommendations from the falls assessor ,care plan etc had not been implemented or the resident trips over equipment such as a Hoover then it is reportable.
There is clear guidance from the HSE on this
http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/riddor.htm
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Rank: New forum user
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Well in this case falls are forseeable. Reasonable controls are in place but we have got limited control over the service users (we are dealing with elderly people who may just lose their balance or decide to walk without their walking frame and fall over etc).
Although i do report all serious accidents to RIDDOR regarless but it does cause confusion.
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Rank: Super forum user
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The guidance Toe linked to says it all really.
I know there is a feeling that sometimes an accident's severity means it should be reported - but outcome of the accident is only one part of the test for whether an accident falls under RIDDOR requirements or not.
Another debate point in this field is that from April 2015 I believe that all RIDDOR reports concerning patients/service users in this field will be directed to the CQC (in England) as the h&s enforcing authority (following the Mid-Staffs review and Hard Truths reports).
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Rank: Super forum user
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The CQC can't do what they need to now never mind that. Good idea but.....
Back to the thread would you report your granny falling at home? This is their home not their place of work.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Yup, it's going to be ... interesting ... to see how the CQC handle their new duties.
And where the lines for enforcement responsibilities will be drawn.
In a care home its a s.3 duty of care that can trigger RIDDOR. Gets a mite more complex when you're an agency sending in helpers to someone's home and there is some form of related accident to the service user....
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Yes, the hse link does say it all, it's reportable where the work activity (provision of care) has failed in a way which caused or contributed to the outcome of the incident.
Steve, you're a bit off the mark there, a care home is most definitely a place of work, long hours of grinding quite physical work. It is also somebody's home (and that somebody may not be an elderly person), and that gives rise to tensions, but it is a workplace; indeed there are many more people employed in the health and social care sectors than in construction in this country,
John
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Rank: Super forum user
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Of course it is a place of work for the people who work there..doh!!
The resident/servicer user it is thier home. You wouldn't report your ganny falling...you would report the act of the care provider being injured as a result of the fall.
The falls protection program from the NHS is a separate scheme altogether and it about preventing service users becoming injured to reduce the burden on them and the NHS...
It is best that you read what I say rather than what you think I say...
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Rank: Super forum user
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Fair comment Steve, I did perhaps place too much weight on part of your comment and not enough on the other bit. It's a bit of a sensitive spot having worked for res care providers for the best part of 20 years,
John
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