Independent · CQC-aware · Resident-safe delivery
Independent asbestos consultancy for care homes and supported-living providers.
A large proportion of the UK care-home estate sits in converted Victorian, Edwardian and post-war domestic buildings — most extended and re-serviced in the 1960s–1990s when asbestos-containing materials were still routine. We help registered managers, group estates leads and single-site owners meet CAR 2012 duties without disturbing vulnerable residents.
Overview
Why care homes need a specialist independent consultancy.
Care providers face a specific challenge: residents cannot be temporarily displaced the way office workers can, and disruption itself is a safeguarding concern. That makes the choice of survey type, the timing of intrusive sampling and the wording of the register unusually important.
CQC does not directly inspect asbestos compliance, but a documented, current register and plan is one of the first things a serious-incident investigator will ask for. Insurers increasingly require it as a condition of cover, particularly across small-group and family-owned providers.
Elements Surveying Group works with independent homes, mid-size groups and national providers. Our surveyors are DBS-cleared, trained on dementia-friendly working, and comfortable working around dining rooms, medication rounds and family visiting hours.
Legislation and guidance
The rules that apply to your estate.
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 — Regulation 4
The registered provider is the dutyholder. Even a single-site family provider must have a current register and a written plan.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
Regulation 15 (Premises and equipment) requires premises to be safe and properly maintained — asbestos compliance sits directly under this.
HSE HSG264 and HSG227
The two HSE guidance documents that between them define the survey standard and the ongoing management framework.
RIDDOR 2013
Uncontrolled exposure or significant disturbance of ACMs may be reportable — we can support the investigation and reporting process.
Typical asbestos risks
Where asbestos is usually found in care homes.
Textured coatings on lounge, dining and bedroom ceilings
Chrysotile-containing 'Artex' is ubiquitous in domestic conversions extended pre-2000.
Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesive
Common in kitchens, sluices and staff areas — routinely overboarded rather than removed during modernisation.
Boiler and pipe lagging in cellars and roof voids
Original heating systems in Victorian and 1960s builds — often only partially replaced.
AIB behind bath panels and airing cupboards
Insulation board panels around older bathroom services and hot-water tanks.
Asbestos cement roofs on outbuildings, garages and covered walkways
Low-risk in situ but hazardous when contractors clean, drill or replace them.
Fire door cores and gaskets
Historical fire doors on kitchen, laundry and boiler-room openings.
Common scenarios
Situations we support care homes through every week.
New acquisition or CQC re-registration
You are buying an existing home or re-registering after a change of provider. A baseline Management Survey establishes the register the new registered manager will rely on.
Bathroom or ensuite refurbishment programme
Rolling wet-room upgrades are the most common cause of ACM disturbance in care homes. We deliver room-by-room R&D surveys phased with the refurbishment programme.
Roof, gutter or fascia works
Contractors approaching AC roofing and rainwater goods without prior sampling is a frequent RIDDOR trigger. A short scoped survey removes the risk.
Insurer or acquirer due diligence
Group acquisitions and insurance renewals increasingly demand an evidenced asbestos position. We audit and produce the report your broker or corporate lawyer needs.
Recommended surveys and services
The right survey for the job — no upselling.
We are consultancy-only. Every recommendation below is scored on risk, not scope of work.
Management Survey (resident-safe)
Non-intrusive, delivered around residents' routines. Produces the register CQC, insurers and family members expect.
Explore management surveysRefurbishment & Demolition Survey
Room-by-room intrusive survey ahead of ensuite, kitchen, laundry or roof works.
Explore refurbishment surveysSampling and laboratory analysis
Single-item sampling where a specific material is in doubt — turned around in 24 hours by our UKAS-accredited lab.
Request samplingAnnual re-inspection
The rolling condition check CAR 2012 requires — planned around your quality-assurance calendar.
Book a re-inspectionFrequently asked
Care Homes — the questions clients ask us first.
Do we really need an asbestos survey for a small family-run care home?
Yes. CAR 2012 applies to every non-domestic premises regardless of size, and a care home is a non-domestic premises for the purposes of the regulation.
Will the survey disturb residents?
A Management Survey is non-intrusive and is normally delivered without residents needing to leave rooms. Refurbishment surveys involve sampling and are timed with the works programme, usually room by room during voids.
What happens if asbestos is found?
The material is added to your register with a risk score and a management action. In most cases it can be left in situ, labelled and monitored — removal is only proportionate where the material is damaged or works cannot avoid it.
Can you support us after a contractor disturbs a material?
Yes. We provide same-day incident response — isolation advice, air testing, written clearance and support for any RIDDOR reporting.
How often do we need to re-inspect?
Annually is the accepted standard for care premises with vulnerable occupants, unless a specific material warrants a shorter cycle.
Explore further
More reading for care homes
Guides, FAQs and property-type hubs that connect to this sector.
Property Type
Victorian Properties — Property Type Hub
Victorian homes pre-date asbestos manufacturing, but almost every one has been rewired, re-roofed and re-plumbed in the asbestos era. Where the risk actually sits — and the exact survey we recommend before you start work.
ReadGuide
Why Do I Need To Survey A Communal Staircase?
Communal staircases in flats often contain Artex, AIB and cement products. Learn why a survey is required, who pays, and what a typical inspection covers.
ReadProperty Type
Edwardian Properties — Property Type Hub
Edwardian houses span the arrival of commercial asbestos cement into UK construction. Where original AC sheeting sits, what post-war retrofits typically added, and the survey we recommend before you start work.
ReadFAQ
What is the difference between a Management Survey and a Refurbishment & Demolition Survey?
A Management Survey is a non-intrusive baseline that supports the day-to-day duty to manage asbestos under Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 — it's designed to keep the building safe in nor…
ReadGuide
Independent Asbestos Guidance for UK Homeowners
Independent, plain-English asbestos guidance for owners and buyers of UK homes — covering pre-2000 stock, surveys, sampling, costs and emergency disturbance, from the UK's Fastest-Growing Independent Asbestos Consultancy.
ReadProperty Type
HMOs & Converted Flats — Property Type Hub
Licensed HMOs and converted flats carry a non-domestic duty to manage asbestos in communal parts. What councils inspect, what a compliant register looks like, and the survey we recommend for landlords.
ReadOther industries we serve
Talk to a senior consultant about care homes.
Every enquiry is reviewed by a senior consultant and answered within one working day.