Key safes are provided only for Carers and Community Nurses to access a customer’s property, when it is evidenced that it has become problematic for the customer to answer the door.

Key safes should only be issued after the following options have been considered. If the individual:  

• has difficulties answering the door due to mobility problems, consider provision of a door intercom.
• is unable to answer the door due to a sensory impairment, consider referring to the sensory team, who are able to provide a range of door entry systems e.g. flashing door bells.

Examples of the types of cases where answering the door may be problematic could be individuals with dementia, or where there is a large care package with multiple carers, or double handed care. Other options such as assistive technology should be taken into consideration.

Following assessment, if it is identified that the most appropriate option is a key safe, please forward the request to an Operational Manager  for authorisation, evidencing your decision.

Individuals (or next of kin if the individual lacks capacity) should be provided with the information sheet which can be found here before the key safe is installed. If the customer lacks capacity and there is no next of kin then the social worker can sign this form as part of a Best Interest decision. Individuals should be informed that in the case of an emergency the key safe code may be disclosed to emergency services.

The decision that the individual has a key safe should be documented in the Mosaic, guidance on storing the key safe code can be found here