Every care home resident who cannot evacuate independently needs a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan. It is already a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — and with new residential evacuation regulations arriving in April 2026, enforcement attention on vulnerable people’s fire safety is sharper than ever. Here is what care home managers in Cumbria need to have in place.

What Is a PEEP?

A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is a tailored plan for any person who needs assistance evacuating a building in an emergency. In a care home, most residents will need one. A PEEP considers each individual’s mobility, sensory abilities, cognitive capacity, and medical needs, and sets out exactly how they will be moved to safety.

PEEPs sit within your broader fire risk assessment. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person — typically the care home manager or operator — to assess fire risk and make adequate provision for the evacuation of everyone on the premises. For care homes housing people with limited mobility or cognitive impairment, individual evacuation planning is how you meet that duty.

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Why Does This Matter Now?

Two things have raised the stakes. First, the CQC is taking an increasingly close interest in premises safety as part of its ‘Safe’ and ‘Well-Led’ inspection domains. Care homes that cannot demonstrate adequate evacuation planning risk ratings downgrades. In serious cases, inadequate fire safety provisions have been a factor in criminal prosecutions of care providers, with courts imposing substantial fines where residents were put at risk.

Second, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 come into force on 6 April 2026. These new regulations apply to high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings rather than care homes directly, but they reflect a wider regulatory push — following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry — to improve evacuation planning for vulnerable people. Fire and rescue authorities are paying closer attention across the board.

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What Should a PEEP Include?

Every PEEP should be tailored to the individual. As a minimum it should cover:

Write PEEPs in plain language so that any member of staff — including agency or night staff — can follow the plan in an emergency. Keep copies where staff can access them quickly.

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How Often Should PEEPs Be Reviewed?

• Whenever a resident’s condition changes — a fall, new diagnosis, or change in medication
• When building layout changes — refurbishment, altered escape routes, or new equipment
• After any evacuation drill or real incident
• At a minimum, at least annually — ideally as part of each resident’s regular care plan review

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What Training Do Staff Need?

Staff need to be able to assess individual evacuation needs, write clear plans, and practise them. Your care home fire safety compliance training should cover general fire awareness and evacuation procedures. Beyond that, staff responsible for PEEPs need to understand how to assess residents’ mobility and cognitive capacity, how to use evacuation equipment, and how to engage sensitively with residents and families about emergency planning.

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Fire Safety Training in Cumbria

We deliver fire safety training from our training centre in Penrith and on-site at care homes across Cumbria, covering Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, Workington, and Whitehaven. On-site training is often the most practical option — your staff train in the actual building where they work, using the real evacuation routes and equipment.

Get in touch to discuss your requirements.