Two people should be involved in entering a person’s home in order to protect moveable property at risk of loss or damage. Normally this should be the social worker or social care practitioner alongside the relevant housing officer or housing manager for council or privately rented accommodation.

An inventory of everything that is removed from the property and inventory of remaining items must be completed. A full inventory may not be necessary if it has been established that the adults absence from the property is unlikely to be lengthy, however any items that are removed and forwarded to the adult is still required to be recorded in an inventory by the practitioners/officers present and placed on file.

The responsible officer/practitioners must ensure the adult’s property is secure, checking all windows and doors are closed and locked.

The security of an empty property is an ongoing, shared responsibility of both the allocated practitioner and housing officer/manager and should be regularly reviewed in consultation with the adult concerned.