What are Examples of Lone Working in Health and Social Care?

Lone working in health and social care refers to situations where staff carry out their duties without direct supervision or an immediate colleague present. This can happen in a wide range of settings and roles, both in the community and within facilities. The work can be planned, such as scheduled home visits, or it can occur unexpectedly, such as when a colleague is absent and a worker covers tasks alone. Lone workers still follow the same standards and procedures as those working in teams, but the nature of being physically on their own changes the way they manage tasks and respond to situations.

Being alone can increase certain risks, such as personal safety concerns, difficulty in getting immediate help, or the challenge of managing heavy workloads without direct support. For this reason, employers prepare training, risk assessments, and communication systems to support staff in these situations.

Community-Based Lone Working

A large proportion of lone working occurs in the community, where health and social care staff visit people in their own homes or other locations away from their main base. These roles often require travelling between different addresses, working in unfamiliar environments, and maintaining professional boundaries while supporting individuals.

Common examples of community-based lone working include:

• District and community nurses attending home visits to deliver medications, dress wounds, carry out health checks, and provide advice.
• Care workers visiting clients to assist with daily living activities, such as bathing, personal grooming, meal preparation, and shopping.
• Social workers meeting individuals and families at home to assess needs, provide counselling, or support safeguarding plans.
• Mental health practitioners visiting people to discuss their wellbeing, monitor treatment progress, and encourage engagement with health plans.
• Occupational therapists conducting assessments in a person’s home to recommend adjustments or equipment to make daily life easier.
• Family support workers delivering guidance and practical help to parents or carers within their own household settings.

In these situations, staff often plan visits with clear documentation of who they are meeting, where, and what the purpose is, while maintaining regular contact with their base.

Lone Working Inside Care Facilities

Lone working can happen within care homes, supported living properties, hospitals, or other facilities. This may be due to shift patterns, staffing needs, or the design of certain roles. Even though other staff may be somewhere on site, the lone worker can be isolated by location or task.

Within care settings, examples include:

• Night care workers covering a small residential home or a particular wing of a larger facility, where they may be the only person on duty nearby.
• Security or maintenance staff who supervise the building during quiet hours, ensuring everything is safe and operational without immediate team support.
• On-call staff sleeping on site but expected to respond alone to issues that arise during the night.
• Support workers assigned to provide one-to-one care for a resident in a separate area from the rest of the staff team.

In facilities, lone workers often rely on radios, telephones, or alarms to connect quickly with colleagues or emergency services if needed.

Outreach and Mobile Services

Health and social care often involve outreach work, where services are taken directly to people who may not have access or willingness to come into formal settings. Lone workers in these roles travel to various community locations, such as GP surgeries, hostels, or public spaces, and interact directly with individuals.

Examples of lone working in outreach include:

• Street outreach workers engaging with homeless individuals, offering referral information, basic supplies, and emotional support.
• Mobile health clinics staffed by a nurse or health visitor operating in rural areas with no other team present.
• Drug and alcohol workers meeting clients at neutral locations to discuss treatment options and progress.

These roles often require strong communication skills and the ability to independently assess the safety of a location before beginning work.

Telephone and Digital Lone Working

Some lone working takes place without physical contact, but still involves managing sensitive or urgent matters. Staff may operate from a private office or remote location, handling calls, video sessions, or online appointments.

Examples include:

• Helpline counsellors working alone, responding to calls about mental health, abuse, illness, or other pressing concerns.
• Telehealth services where nurses or doctors assess symptoms and provide advice over video or phone while in a private workspace.
• Case coordinators conducting follow-up calls with patients, relatives, or professionals from a remote base.

These jobs require clear protocols for safeguarding, documenting conversations, and escalating urgent matters to another professional when necessary.

Transport-Based Roles

Some health and social care staff spend much of their job driving or travelling without colleagues, delivering care and support in transit. This can mean extended periods alone, away from direct supervision.

Examples are:

• Patient transport drivers moving people to and from hospital appointments or care facilities, occasionally assisting with mobility.
• Ambulance staff who, in certain situations, are single crew members accompanying a patient over longer journeys.
• Delivery staff bringing medical equipment or pharmaceuticals to homes or community centres.

Transport roles involve responsibility not only for the person or goods being moved but for safety during travel, with lone workers often relying on radio communication with a base.

Home-Based Lone Working

Some staff in health and social care conduct their work entirely from home, managing cases, offering online services, or preparing reports. While not in physical proximity to clients, they still have tasks requiring independent judgement and decision-making.

Examples might involve:

• Administrative case management carried out independently from home offices, such as updating care plans and arranging services.
• Remote therapy sessions delivered via video call by psychologists or counsellors.
• Health advice lines staffed from home, using secure systems to manage patient queries.

Even though these roles lack the face-to-face risks of community visits, they can be isolating and require self-management of workloads.

Lone Working in Isolated or Rural Locations

Some health and social care staff operate in areas far from main services, where they may be the only professional present for long periods. This may involve visiting farms, remote homes, or rural clinics.

Examples include:

• Midwives attending births in isolated homes without another colleague on site.
• Community nurses providing treatment in places far from emergency help.
• Field social workers assessing rural communities where mobile network coverage may be limited.

Working in such areas often needs greater planning around communication, equipment, and transportation.

Unexpected Lone Working Situations

Lone working can also arise unexpectedly. For example:

• A team member called away, leaving one person to finish tasks alone.
• An incident that requires a worker to separate from the team for safety or confidentiality.
• Covering for sickness or emergency absence where scheduled work cannot be postponed.

Training should prepare staff for these unplanned cases, encouraging them to stay calm, follow procedure, and keep communication open with managers.

Managing the Risks

Examples of reducing risks for lone workers include:

• Keeping mobile phones or radios charged and accessible.
• Logging visit details with a central office.
• Using coded messages or alert systems to call for help.
• Having clear exit strategies for unsafe situations.
• Agreeing check-in times with managers or colleagues.

Risk management in lone working is about preventing harm and making sure staff can respond quickly to problems.

Final Thoughts

Lone working in health and social care appears in many forms, from community visits and facility shifts to remote services and outreach work. It can be part of a planned role or happen suddenly when circumstances change. Examples range from visiting clients at home, running mobile clinics, staffing helplines, and delivering medical supplies, to providing care in a facility wing late at night.

Whatever the task, lone workers need practical systems for safety, communication, and support. Each example carries different challenges, but with proper procedures and awareness, staff can carry out their roles effectively while staying safe.