Most home care and a lot of supported living is delivered by one support worker, in someone’s own home, without a manager in the next room. That independence is part of what makes the job rewarding. It also means you need to know how lone working is meant to be managed, what your employer must put in place, and what to do when something does not feel right.
This guide is for new and prospective support workers, and for families who want to understand how staff are kept safe. It covers the law, what a good lone working system looks like, and a change in harassment law that starts on 30 October 2026.
What is lone working in domiciliary care?
Lone working in domiciliary care means a care or support worker visiting or supporting someone in their own home by themselves, without close or direct supervision. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines a lone worker as anyone who works “by yourself without close or direct supervision”. It covers home care visits, one-to-one supported living shifts, waking nights and travelling between calls.
In practice, lone working in care includes:
- domiciliary (home care) calls, often several in a row
- one-to-one shifts in supported living, where a person has their own tenancy
- waking nights or sleep-ins on your own in a person’s home
- supporting someone in the community: shopping, appointments, activities
- driving or walking between visits, sometimes early or late
Skills for Care, the workforce body for adult social care in England, identifies domiciliary care workers, personal assistants, live-in carers, drivers and overnight workers as roles where staff regularly work alone.
Is lone working legal in care?
Yes. Lone working is legal, and the HSE says it will often be safe to work alone, but employers must assess and control the risks before anyone works alone. The duties come from the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
According to the HSE’s lone working guidance (INDG73):
- lone workers’ risks must be included in the employer’s risk assessment, and reviewed periodically
- if an employer has five or more workers, the significant findings must be written down
- “the higher the risk, the greater the level of supervision required”
- new workers and trainees may need to be accompanied at first
- emergency procedures should be set up and staff trained in them
There is no law setting a fixed check-in interval, a maximum visit length or a required alarm device. The employer has to decide what is suitable for the work and be able to explain why.
What are the main risks for lone care workers?
The hazards are often the same as for any care worker. The difference, as the HSE puts it, is that there is a greater risk of harm because there may be no one nearby to help.
| Risk | What it can look like on a call | Typical controls |
|---|---|---|
| Violence or aggression | Distress, verbal abuse or physical aggression from the person, a relative or a visitor | Behaviour support plans, known triggers recorded, permission to leave, two-person calls where assessed |
| Moving and handling | Transfers without a second carer | Assessed equipment, double-up calls, never improvising a two-person transfer |
| Medical emergencies | The person falls or becomes unwell; you become unwell | Emergency procedures, first aid training, clear escalation numbers |
| Travel | Late-night walking, lone driving, rural areas, parking | Planned routes, realistic travel time, check-ins at start and end |
| The home environment | Pets, clutter, fire risks, poor lighting, smoke | Environmental risk assessment before the first visit, updated after changes |
| Stress and isolation | No colleague to talk to after a hard visit | Regular supervision, debriefs, wellbeing support |
The HSE notes that violent and aggressive incidents are the third biggest cause of injuries reported under RIDDOR in health and social care, and that under-reporting is high because many staff accept violence as “part of the job”. It should not be.
What should a good lone working system include?
A good lone working system tells you, before the shift, what the risks are, how you will stay in contact, what to do in an emergency, and that you are allowed to leave if you feel unsafe. It should be written down, explained during induction and tested in practice, not just filed.
Look for these elements:
- Risk information before the first visit. A care plan and risk assessment that covers the person, the home and the journey, including anything relevant about visitors or pets.
- A contact routine. HSE guidance recommends “pre-agreed intervals of regular contact”. Many providers use an app or call-monitoring system to log arrival and departure.
- A missed check-in plan. Someone should notice if you do not log out of a call, and know what to do next.
- Emergency procedures. Who to call, in what order, including out-of-hours on-call.
- Alarm or lone worker devices where risk justifies them. The HSE describes devices that can raise the alarm manually or automatically.
- Training before you work alone. The HSE notes that lone workers cannot easily ask a more experienced colleague, so extra training may be needed. In care this usually includes the Care Certificate standards, safeguarding, conflict de-escalation and, for learning disability and autism support, Oliver McGowan training.
- Shadow shifts. New staff should work alongside an experienced colleague before going solo, especially with people whose support is complex.
- Supervision and debriefs. Regular one-to-ones and a chance to talk after a difficult visit.
What changes for care workers on 30 October 2026?
From 30 October 2026, two parts of the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force in Great Britain:
- employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their staff (up from “reasonable steps”)
- employers can be liable for harassment of staff by third parties if they failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent it
A third party is anyone who is not the employer or a colleague. Acas’s guidance on the change lists service users and healthcare patients among its examples, alongside customers, contractors and members of the public. In home care, that could include the person you support, their relatives, visitors or neighbours.
Acas specifically advises employers to review related policies “such as lone working policies” as part of preparing for the change. For support workers, the practical effect should be clearer reporting routes, better records and more attention to whether controls actually work.
A note on behaviour linked to disability
Many of the people we support have learning disabilities, autism, dementia or mental health needs. Sometimes distress shows up as behaviour that is hard for others. Good providers respond with understanding: identifying triggers, using positive behaviour support and adjusting the plan, rather than blaming the person. Our guide to behaviours that challenge explains this approach.
How the new third-party harassment rule will apply where behaviour is linked to a person’s disability or capacity has not yet been tested in tribunals. What does not change is your employer’s duty to assess the risk and support you, and your right to report anything that has harmed or frightened you.
What should I do if I feel unsafe on a call?
If you feel unsafe, your safety comes first. You should not be expected to stay in a situation where you are at risk.
- Leave or make space if you can do so safely, making sure the person is not left in immediate danger.
- Call your on-call manager or office straight away. Use the agreed code word or alarm if your service has one.
- Call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is being committed.
- Record what happened the same day: time, what was said or done, what you did, who you told.
- Report it formally through your incident system so the risk assessment can be reviewed. If a person was harmed or is at risk of abuse, follow safeguarding procedures.
- Ask for a debrief. A difficult visit can stay with you, and talking it through helps.
Some injuries must also be reported by the employer to the HSE under RIDDOR. For example, if a worker is unable to do their normal work for more than seven consecutive days because of a work-related injury, the employer must report it within 15 days.
What can families expect from a provider?
Families sometimes worry that a strong focus on staff safety might mean less flexible support. Often the opposite is true. A worker who is well briefed, trained and supported is calmer, more consistent and more likely to stay. That continuity matters, especially for people with autism or learning disabilities who rely on familiar faces.
Reasonable questions for a family to ask a domiciliary care or supported living provider:
- How do you make sure staff know the person’s risks and preferences before the first visit?
- What happens if a worker misses a check-in?
- When do you use two staff instead of one?
- How do staff report incidents, and how is the support plan updated afterwards?
Questions to ask before you take a lone working care job
If you are applying for home care or supported living roles, ask:
- Will I have shadow shifts before working alone, and how many?
- How do I check in and out of calls?
- Who is on call at night and at weekends?
- Is there a lone worker device or app?
- What training will I get on de-escalation, safeguarding and the people I’ll be supporting?
- How often is supervision?
Our guide on how to become a support worker in the UK covers training, checks and what employers look for.
Key takeaways
- Lone working is legal and common in home care and supported living, but employers must assess and control the risks first.
- The HSE says the higher the risk, the greater the supervision required, and new staff may need to be accompanied at first.
- A good system includes risk information, regular check-ins, a missed check-in plan, emergency procedures and training.
- From 30 October 2026, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and can be liable for harassment by third parties, which Acas says can include service users.
- If you feel unsafe, leave if you can do so safely, call on-call, and record and report what happened.
Frequently asked questions
Can a care worker refuse to work alone?
If your employer’s risk assessment says a task needs two people, you should not do it alone. If you reasonably believe you are in serious and imminent danger, section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 protects you from being treated badly for leaving or refusing to return. Raise concerns with your manager straight away.
How often should a lone care worker check in?
There is no legal fixed interval. HSE guidance recommends pre-agreed intervals of regular contact, set by the employer’s risk assessment. Many home care services log the start and end of every call.
Are new support workers allowed to work alone straight away?
The HSE says new workers and trainees may need to be accompanied at first. Many care providers use shadow shifts so new staff learn the person’s routine and risks before working alone.
Does the third-party harassment law cover care workers?
Yes. From 30 October 2026 it applies to employers in Great Britain generally. Acas’s examples of third parties include service users and patients, so it can apply in home care and supported living.
What counts as violence in care work?
The HSE defines work-related violence as any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. That includes verbal threats and abuse, not just physical assault.
Do lone workers need a personal alarm?
Not always. The law does not require a specific device. Employers should decide, based on risk, whether alarms or lone worker apps are needed for particular staff, visits or times of day.
Who is responsible for a lone worker’s safety?
The employer has the main legal duty. Workers must also take reasonable care of themselves and others, follow training and procedures, and co-operate with their employer.
This article is general information, not legal or professional health and safety advice. Always follow your employer’s policies and seek advice for your own situation.
Information checked on 26 October 2026.
Thinking about a support worker role with AESN Care?
We provide supported living and domiciliary care for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and complex needs. If you are new to care, ask us about induction, shadow shifts and how on-call support works when you apply: they are fair questions, and we are happy to answer them.
If that sounds like the kind of team you want to join, look at our current careers or go straight to the application form.
