Helping you understand the risks in your supported housing’s water system.
Our Legionella Risk Assessments identify where risks may exist and give you clear, practical recommendations to help protect residents and keep your water safety under control.
A Legionella Risk Assessment is a systematic inspection of your property’s water systems to identify conditions that could encourage the growth and spread of Legionella bacteria.
For supported housing providers, the assessment considers how water is stored, distributed and used throughout your accommodation, together with factors that may increase risk, such as water temperatures, system design, low water usage and maintenance arrangements.
During a Legionella Risk Assessment, a competent assessor will typically review:
• Hot and cold water systems
• Cold water storage tanks
• Water heaters and calorifiers
• Pipework and outlets
• Little-used outlets
• Water temperatures
• Areas where water may stagnate
• Existing control measures and maintenance procedures
Rather than simply identifying potential risks, the assessment provides practical recommendations to help you improve water safety, reduce the likelihood of Legionella growth and support ongoing compliance across your supported housing services.
As the responsible person, care manager, registered manager or nominated individual for a supported housing or care property, you have a legal duty to manage the risk of Legionella under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), and the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8.
A Legionella Risk Assessment helps you identify where bacteria could develop within your water system, assess whether your existing control measures are effective, and establish a suitable water management plan to reduce the risk of exposure.
This is particularly important in supported housing, where many residents may be older, immunocompromised, or living with underlying health conditions that increase their susceptibility to Legionnaires’ disease. By understanding and managing these risks, providers can help protect residents, staff, contractors, and visitors while demonstrating compliance with their legal responsibilities and maintaining a safe living environment.
Supported housing providers and other duty holders have legal responsibilities for managing the risk of Legionella in water systems.
Our Legionella Risk Assessments are completed in accordance with the following legislation, HSE guidance, and British Standards:
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
• HSE Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8
• HSG274 Parts 1-3
• BS 8580-1:2019
We are the UK’s only dedicated compliance service focused entirely on supported housing providers. We provide practical, dependable compliance support built around the needs of supported housing providers.
We specialise in supported housing compliance, providing end-to-end compliance services for supported housing providers, landlords and housing organisations across the UK. From one property to a nationwide portfolio, you’ll have one trusted compliance partner.
Our assessors are DBS checked and trained to Safeguarding Level 3, giving supported housing providers confidence that every site visit is carried out professionally, responsibly and with an understanding of vulnerable resident environments.
Based in Manchester, we provide supported housing compliance services across the UK, with a particular focus on Greater Manchester and the wider North West. Wherever your properties are located, we’re ready to help.
Our compliance reports are written in plain English, with clear findings, practical recommendations and documentation that’s ready to use. No unnecessary jargon, just reports that help you act quickly and stay compliant.
We help supported housing providers stay ahead of renewals, inspections and compliance deadlines with proactive reminders, dependable communication and a responsive team that keeps everything on track.
We coordinate your compliance services in one place, reducing administration, saving time and making property compliance easier to manage, so you can focus on supporting your residents.
We provide Legionella Risk Assessments across the UK for supported housing providers, care providers, managing agents, nominated individuals, and responsible persons, delivering compliance services that help keep residents safe and organisations compliant.
Our surveyors regularly work across:
• Greater Manchester (Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan)
• Merseyside (Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, Southport, Knowsley, Sefton)
• Cheshire (Chester, Warrington, Crewe, Macclesfield, Northwich, Ellesmere Port, Wilmslow)
• Lancashire (Preston, Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Accrington, Rossendale, Chorley, Lancaster)
• West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Dewsbury, Batley)
• South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley)
• North Yorkshire (York, Harrogate, Scarborough, Ripon, Selby, Skipton)
• East Midlands (Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
• Staffordshire (Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Tamworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burton upon Trent)
• West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell)
• North East (Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Durham)
• East Anglia (Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Peterborough)
• Greater London (Central, North, South, East, West London)
• Kent (Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway, Ashford, Dartford, Tunbridge Wells)
• Surrey (Guildford, Woking, Reigate, Epsom, Redhill)
• Essex (Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Harlow)
• South Coast (Hampshire, Sussex, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton, Eastbourne)
• South West (Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Exeter, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Taunton)
• South Wales (Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil)
• Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, Perth)
Yes. Supported housing providers have a legal responsibility to assess and manage the risk of Legionella where water systems could present a risk. This responsibility is supported by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, ACOP L8 and HSG274.
A suitable Legionella Risk Assessment helps identify potential risks, establish appropriate control measures and demonstrate that water safety is being actively managed across your supported housing services.
The dutyholder is the person with overall responsibility for the premises, who is typically the housing provider, employer or nominated individual managing the property. In supported housing, that duty is usually held by the provider or the person formally appointed to oversee health and safety compliance. If you control the water system in the property, the responsibility sits with you.
No. Residents do not need to leave the property. The assessment focuses on the water system infrastructure and does not require access to individual residents’ private rooms in most cases. When you book an assessment with us, any access requirements will be discussed with you in advance.
The HSE recommends a Legionella Risk Assessment review at least every two years, or sooner if there are any significant changes to the water system, the property’s layout, its use or its occupancy.
In supported housing, where the resident profile can change frequently, it is good practice to review your water safety arrangements more regularly and maintain ongoing monitoring records between formal assessments.
Seasonal temperature changes are also a genuine trigger for increased vigilance. During spring and summer, rising ambient temperatures make it harder to keep cold water systems below 20°C as the threshold above which Legionella bacteria can begin to multiply.
For properties with older pipework, inadequate insulation, or water storage tanks exposed to heat, the warmer months represent a period of elevated Legionella risk that warrants closer monitoring and more frequent temperature checks.
Void periods are equally important because properties or individual rooms that sit unoccupied for extended periods allow water to stagnate in pipework and outlets, creating conditions where Legionella can thrive regardless of the season. A flushing regime for unused outlets should be in place year-round, but particularly before re-occupation.
If you’re unsure whether a change or condition in your property warrants a formal review, contact us. It’s always better to check. You can also download our free Summer Legionella Checklist below; it’s a practical guide to the additional steps supported housing providers should take during the warmer months.
A positive Legionella result doesn’t automatically mean your property is unsafe or that residents need to be relocated. However, it does mean action should be taken promptly to reduce the risk and prevent further bacterial growth.
Depending on the level of Legionella detected, this may include flushing or disinfecting the water system, adjusting water temperatures, carrying out remedial works, and reviewing your water management procedures. Follow-up testing may also be recommended to confirm the issue has been resolved.
For supported housing providers, acting quickly is particularly important to protect residents, especially those who may be more vulnerable to Legionnaires’ disease. A Legionella Risk Assessment and appropriate control measures help ensure your water system remains safe and compliant with your legal responsibilities.
Yes. We regularly support providers managing multiple supported housing schemes across different locations. Whether you’re taking on new properties or reviewing an existing portfolio, we can coordinate Legionella Risk Assessments across your organisation, helping you keep compliance records consistent, manage water safety more efficiently, and ensure every scheme is assessed to the same standard.
It’s worth checking. If your supported housing property was built or refurbished before 2000, asbestos may be present and an appropriate survey may be needed to establish what is there and how it should be managed.
We regularly help supported housing providers manage both areas of compliance across the same property.
Find out more about our Asbestos Surveys.
Yes, you may need both. Legionella and fire safety are separate areas of compliance, so having a Legionella Risk Assessment doesn’t replace your responsibilities for fire safety. For supported housing, it’s important to consider the building, how it’s used and the people who may be at risk when deciding what type of Fire Risk Assessment is appropriate.
We regularly help supported housing providers manage both as part of their wider compliance requirements.
Find out more about our Fire Risk Assessments.
We help you identify what could put your residents at risk and give you a clear plan to make your property safer.
Our assessments are carried out in line with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety Act 2021, PAS 79-1:2020 (care homes and non-domestic premises) and BS 9792:2025 (supported housing, HMOs and residential dwellings).
With practical, straightforward reporting, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done, feel confident you’re covered and be ready for any inspection.
We help you find out whether asbestos is present in your property and manage it properly.
Our surveys are conducted under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and follow HSG264 guidance, meaning your Management Survey or Refurbishment/Demolition Survey meets the legal standard required for supported housing and care properties.
With clear, practical reporting, your residents are protected, your contractors are safe and you have the documentation to prove you’ve done things right.
Give us a call or drop us a message on WhatsApp. Tell us a bit about your property and requirements, and our team will be happy to get back to you with a fast quote.
