CPD · Social work and social care

Assessing risk in a home visit

Planning and recording a safe, fair home visit.

about this course

What you will be able to do

L4 PractitionerAbout 4 hours (240 minutes) of CPDSelf-study plus role-playSocial work and social care

Planning and recording a safe, fair home visit.

Identify risk factors, given a case summary, listing at least 6 relevant factors with the source of each.
Plan a visit, given a worker-safety checklist, with arrival, exit and check-in steps complete.
Record visit findings, given a visit scenario, with facts, sources and next steps separated.
Communicate concerns to a supervisor, given a role-play, within the agreed time and format.

Task, condition and standard

Task

Plan, carry out and record a safe, fair home visit, rating risk on a three-level scale and reporting concerns to a supervisor in time

Condition

Given case summaries, a worker-safety checklist and role-plays, in a 4-hour practical session

Standard

List at least 6 relevant risk factors with sources, rate each case Low, Medium or High with the right action, and record a complete visit note the same day

These courses teach process, communication and recording. They give no clinical, legal, tax, financial or engineering sign-off. A named subject expert must review every line, and you must check your own professional body's current CPD rules, before you rely on a certificate.

sessions

8 modules

Module 1 Purpose and limits of a visit 25 min

A visit checks safety and listens to the person.
A visit has limits: it is not a full assessment.
If the person refuses help, record it and tell the manager.

Worked example. Person F refuses help twice. You record: "Person F said, 'I don't need anyone.' Offered help at 10:05 and 10:20. Told the manager at 10:40." Refusal and reasons recorded.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "purpose and limits of a visit": identify risk factors, given a case summary, listing at least 6 relevant factors with the source of each.

Standard to meet. Explain what a home visit is for and where its limits lie, and state what to do when the person refuses help.

Module 2 Seeing: signs of risk 45 min

Look at cooking, floors, food, warmth and signs of fear.
Note the source: seen, told or read.
Look for protective factors too.

Worked example. Person E's visit: cooker left on (seen), no food in fridge (seen), uses a stick (seen), floor clear (seen), smoke alarm present (seen), neighbour calls daily (told). 6 factors listed (some risks, some protective), 6 sources.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "seeing: signs of risk": plan a visit, given a worker-safety checklist, with arrival, exit and check-in steps complete.

Standard to meet. Identify risk signs in a case summary, such as unsafe cooking, trip hazards or neglect, and list at least six factors with the source of each.

Module 3 Rating on the 3-level scale 30 min

On this course's scale: Low means routine; Medium means action within the week; High means same-day action and the manager. Use your workplace's scale if it differs.
Rate the highest risk, not the average.
State the action for the rating.

Worked example. Person E: cooker left on = Medium. Action: agree a cooker timer, add a food check next visit, within 7 days. Person F: unopened post for 2 days = High, same-day manager call.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "rating on the 3-level scale": record visit findings, given a visit scenario, with facts, sources and next steps separated.

Standard to meet. Rate a visit as Low, Medium or High using the three-level scale, and state the action each rating needs, including same-day manager contact for High.

Module 4 Talking with the person respectfully 30 min

Start with the person's own view.
Listen before you advise.
Use their name and a calm tone.

Worked example. Opening: "[Name], how are things at home for you at the moment?" Then 30 seconds of listening before any advice. She says the heating costs too much, so that becomes a noted concern.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "talking with the person respectfully": communicate concerns to a supervisor, given a role-play, within the agreed time and format.

Standard to meet. Demonstrate respectful talk in a role-play, starting from the person's own view of their situation and listening before you advise.

Module 5 Recording the visit 30 min

Record facts seen, rating, action, who was told and time.
Write it the same day.
Keep facts and opinion apart.

Worked example. "Door opened after 3 minutes. Cooker left on, no food in fridge. Rating: Medium (cooker). Action: cooker timer. Told team lead 14:30." Five required items all present.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "recording the visit": communicate concerns to a supervisor, given a role-play, within the agreed time and format. Use a new case this time (round 2).

Standard to meet. Record a visit note with facts seen, rating, action, who was told and the time, written promptly on the same day.

Module 6 Practice with case cards 35 min

Use Person F and Person M case cards.
List signs, rate and name the first action.
Check against the scale.

Worked example. Person F, 82, post unopened, not seen for 2 days: signs = 2 (post, neighbour report), rating High, first action: call the manager and request a same-day welfare check.

Practise: Run one full practice round for "assessing risk in a home visit" on a case card or template: work through each outcome in turn (identify risk factors; plan a visit; record visit findings; communicate concerns to a supervisor).

Standard to meet. Apply the scale to a case card such as Person F or Person M by listing signs, giving a rating and naming the first action.

Module 7 Assessment 15 min

Plan, rate and record a new case.
Report a concern in the agreed time.
Reflect on one improvement.

Worked example. New case: 3 signs, rating Medium, note written by 16:00, supervisor told within the agreed time (for example 1 hour) of leaving. You meet both time limits set by your workplace and name one improvement.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "assessment": communicate concerns to a supervisor, given a role-play, within the agreed time and format. Use a new case this time (round 2).

Standard to meet. Show you can plan, rate and record a visit from a new case summary and report a concern to a supervisor in the agreed time.

Module 8 Second worked case and lone working 30 min

Use the Person M case.
Plan arrival, exit and check-in steps.
Leave and report if you feel unsafe.

Worked example. Person M, 76: damp smell, heating off, says "I'm fine." 3 signs, rating Medium. Plan: check-in call before entry at 10:00 and after exit at 10:45.

Practise: Practise with a case card or template for "second worked case and lone working": communicate concerns to a supervisor, given a role-play, within the agreed time and format. Use a new case this time (round 2).

Standard to meet. Plan a lone visit with arrival, exit and check-in steps, then rate the Person M case and name the first action.

practice

Worked example and case cards

Worked example

Visit note: "Door opened after 3 minutes. Kitchen: cooker left on, no food in fridge. Person E uses a stick, floor clear. Smoke alarm present. Rating: Medium (cooker). Action: agree cooker timer with Person E, ask the team to add a food check next visit."

Scale (3 levels, this course's scale; use your workplace's if it differs)

Low = no action beyond routine; Medium = action planned within the week; High = same-day action and tell the manager.

Case card

Person F, 82, lives alone, post unopened on the mat, a neighbour says he has not been seen for two days. Learners identify signs, rate, and name the first action.

Case card 2

Person M, 76, smells of damp, heating off, says "I'm fine." Learners list signs, rate, name the first action.

checks

10 check questions with model answers

Name three risk signs in a home.

Model answer: e.g. unsafe cooking, trip hazards, signs of neglect or fear. (Covered in module 2: Seeing: signs of risk. To pass that module: Identify risk signs in a case summary, such as unsafe cooking, trip hazards or neglect, and list at least six factors with the source of each.)

What makes a rating High?

Model answer: Risk of serious harm soon; needs same-day action and a manager. (Covered in module 3: Rating on the 3-level scale. To pass that module: Rate a visit as Low, Medium or High using the three-level scale, and state the action each rating needs, including same-day manager contact for High.)

What goes in the note?

Model answer: Facts seen, rating, action, who was told, time. (Covered in module 5: Recording the visit. To pass that module: Record a visit note with facts seen, rating, action, who was told and the time, written promptly on the same day.)

If the person refuses help?

Model answer: Record the refusal and their reasons, check the local rules on capacity (whether the person can make that decision), tell the manager. (Covered in module 1: Purpose and limits of a visit. To pass that module: Explain what a home visit is for and where its limits lie, and state what to do when the person refuses help.)

Why start with the person's view?

Model answer: They know their life best. (Covered in module 4: Talking with the person respectfully. To pass that module: Demonstrate respectful talk in a role-play, starting from the person's own view of their situation and listening before you advise.)

Who else do you tell about a High rating?

Model answer: The manager the same day. (Covered in module 3: Rating on the 3-level scale. To pass that module: Rate a visit as Low, Medium or High using the three-level scale, and state the action each rating needs, including same-day manager contact for High.)

What is a protective factor?

Model answer: Something that lowers risk, e.g. a daily visitor. (Covered in module 2: Seeing: signs of risk. To pass that module: Identify risk signs in a case summary, such as unsafe cooking, trip hazards or neglect, and list at least six factors with the source of each.)

What if you feel unsafe?

Model answer: Leave and report per lone-working policy. (Covered in module 8: Second worked case and lone working. To pass that module: Plan a lone visit with arrival, exit and check-in steps, then rate the Person M case and name the first action.)

How long after a visit do you write the note?

Model answer: As soon as possible, the same day. (Covered in module 5: Recording the visit. To pass that module: Record a visit note with facts seen, rating, action, who was told and the time, written promptly on the same day.)

What is a protective factor, and how does it change your rating?

Model answer: Something that lowers risk, such as a daily visitor. It may keep a rating lower but never hides a clear serious risk. (Covered in module 2: Seeing: signs of risk. To pass that module: Identify risk signs in a case summary, such as unsafe cooking, trip hazards or neglect, and list at least six factors with the source of each.)

glossary

Words used in this course

risk, protective factor, rating, lone working, capacity.

marking

How the practice and assessment are marked

Level	Meaning	Marks of 4
Secure	Meets the standard in the outcome every time, no prompts	4
Meeting	Meets the standard with one small slip, corrected when prompted	3
Developing	Meets part of the standard; needs a re-attempt	2
Not yet	Standard not met	1

Pass = average 3 or more, and no outcome at 1. You may re-attempt after feedback. The subject expert sets any stricter pass mark.

where next

Ladder L1 to L7, slide by slide with notes

Slide 1: L1 Basic: What a home visit is. Speaker note: A home visit is a planned call at someone's home to see how they are. The learner can say why visits happen, who goes, and that the person's own views come first.
Slide 2: L2 Awareness: Spotting risk. Speaker note: The learner knows common home risks such as unsafe cooking, trip hazards, no food, cold rooms and signs of fear or neglect, and knows that protective factors can lower risk.
Slide 3: L3 Foundation: Safe and respectful. Speaker note: The learner can prepare for a visit with a safety checklist, greet respectfully, and note what they see. They follow the three-level scale with help from a worked example.
Slide 4: L4 Practitioner: Rate, act and record. Speaker note: This course sits here. The learner lists at least six risk factors with sources, rates a case Low, Medium or High, takes the matching action and writes a complete note the same day.
Slide 5: L5 Specialist: Complex homes. Speaker note: The specialist handles harder visits: a person who refuses help, mixed signals, several risks at once or a worker who feels unsafe, balancing respect with duty to report.
Slide 6: L6 Advanced: Review and coach. Speaker note: The advanced practitioner checks colleagues' ratings against the scale, finds inconsistent notes and coaches workers on fair, evidence-based risk judgements. They compare ratings on the same case card across several workers and discuss any difference until the scale is applied the same way.
Slide 7: L7 Super expert: Shape visit practice. Speaker note: The super expert designs the visit process for a team, sets the rating scale and time limits, audits outcomes and trains supervisors to act fast on High ratings.

This course sits at L4 Practitioner. Credits stack; aligned with, not accredited by, any framework.

jobs this leads to

Where this takes you

Social care worker
Support worker
Community care assistant
Housing support officer
Care coordinator

assessment and certificate

How you are checked

Each outcome is checked against its standard with a checklist or a short test. A digital CPD record shows the hours. Keep evidence in My page. Aligned with common CPD practice; not accredited. Learners check their own body's rules.

ten locations and global

Your place

Use your own body's forms, units and currency. Local professional bodies set the rules for CPD hours; check them first.

India (Bengaluru)

Language: English, Hindi, Kannada. Personal data: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. Credit and levels: National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and the national credit framework.

Netherlands (Eindhoven area)

Language: Dutch, English. Personal data: EU GDPR (Dutch: AVG), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Credit and levels: the Dutch qualification framework (NLQF) linked to the European Qualifications Framework.

UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)

Language: Arabic, English. Personal data: Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (personal data protection). Credit and levels: the emirate education and training regulators (for example KHDA in Dubai) and the national qualifications framework.

Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Language: Portuguese (Spanish and English support). Personal data: LGPD (Lei Geral de Protecao de Dados). Credit and levels: the national technical-education catalogue and the national S-system training bodies.

Canada (Toronto)

Language: English, French. Personal data: PIPEDA, with provincial rules where they apply. Credit and levels: the provincial colleges framework and the national credential-recognition guidance.

United States

Language: English, Spanish. Personal data: state privacy laws (for example California), and COPPA for children under 13. Credit and levels: state and community-college credit systems.

Singapore

Language: English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil. Personal data: Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Credit and levels: the Singapore national skills frameworks and the national credit system.

Australia

Language: English. Personal data: the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Credit and levels: the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels.

Hong Kong (Eastern Asia)

Language: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), English. Personal data: the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Credit and levels: the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework.

Georgia and Israel (Western Asia)

Language: Georgian, Hebrew, Arabic, English. Personal data: the personal data law of the country where the learner lives. Credit and levels: the national qualifications framework of that country.

Cayman Islands (Caribbean)

Language: English. Personal data: the Data Protection Act. Credit and levels: the local education and training framework.

Mexico

Language: Spanish, English. Personal data: the federal law on personal data held by private parties. Credit and levels: the national competency certification system and the education ministry levels.

Draft

Draft CPD course. It opens only after final checks. No fee is shown.

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