A coroner has called for a pilot scheme where social workers help implement fire risk assessments in the homes of elderly people to be rolled out nationwide.
Norfolk Coroner William Armstrong made the comments last month at an inquest into the death of a 79- year old former care assistant, according to a report in the Norwich Evening Telegraph.
Pearl Stebbings died last April after burns sustained from a fire in the bedroom of her housing association home. The court was told that the blaze was most likely caused by a lit cigarette which she dropped.
Since March this year, a scheme including the assessment of fire risks has been trialed by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and Norfolk County Council’s social services.
But the inquest into Mrs Stebbings’s death heard that while a risk assessment had been carried out by social services, potential fire hazards were not part of it.
“The potential fire hazards were not included in that risk assessment because at that stage there was no procedure in place for social services to utilise the expertise of the fire service,” said Mr Armstrong. “Historically there has not been close liaison between the fire service and the social services.
“But what is encouraging from this inquest is hearing what Norfolk has done in this pilot project.
“With the two agencies working together and social services passing on potential fire hazard information to the fire service, both can help each other. I hope other authorities nationwide will follow Norfolk’s lead.”
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