risk

SCIE report 39 : protecting adults at risk : London multi-agency policy and procedures to safeguard adults from abuse

The report is relevant to all organisations that have reasonability for safeguarding adults at risk in London. Each local partnership in London is asked to adopt this policy and procedures so that there is consistency across London in how adults at risk are safeguarded from abuse. Report published by Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) in January 2011. Review date is January 2014.

Risky business?

Paper that sets important issues relating to positive risk-taking in adult social care in a legal context; considers how current care provision impacts on the human rights of service users; and analyses the extent to which the present regulatory and commissioning frameworks stifle or encourage risk-taking in adult social care.

Decision-making and social work in Scotland: the role of evidence and practice wisdom

Report that presents the results of a small qualitative study undertaken between February and March 2011. It considers the role of evidence in decision making around risk in social work and what affects this process.

The research aims to shed light on the relationship between evidence and practice wisdom (as an evidence type or integrating vehicle) or professional judgement, and how this relationship shapes decision making.

A 'four nations' perspective on rights, responsibilities, risk and regulation in adult social care

Paper that reviews the prevailing approaches and attitudes to risk-taking across the four nations of the UK; considers current and likely future regulatory responses regarding this, drawing out similarities and differences and implications for these; and highlights potential areas for shared learning.

Whose risk is it anyway? Risk and regulation in an era of personalisation

Paper that argues that ‘risk’ is often perceived negatively by people using services (used as an excuse used for stopping them doing something) – but risk needs to be shared between the person taking the risk and the system that is trying to support them; states that although some people fear that personalisation may increase risk, it could help people to be safer by putting them more in control of their lives, helping them plan ahead, and focusing our safeguarding expertise on those who really need it; and considers the fact that in an era of personalisation, approaches to risk and regulat

Changing societal attitudes, and regulatory responses, to risk-taking in adult care

Paper that explores the relationship between policy initiatives regarding risk-taking in adult care and its claim to reflect user experience; argues that these policy initiatives are driven by the imperative of rationalising risk management; and claims that such policies are not a response to user demand and that more research is needed to evaluate the attitudes of users of adult care to risk-taking.

How to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour by Going Round in Circles

Mackenzie outlines a scheme to provide greater adult and community support young people at risk of falling into a life of crime and young offenders. Ippr’s research has already shown that the most prolific criminals begin offending between the ages of 10 and 13, and that a lack of adult support is a key risk factor for young people turning to crime. Simon MacKenzie has proposed creating mentoring circles for these young people, based on a model already used in Canada.

SCIE report 36: enabling risk, ensuring safety - self-directed support and personal budgets

This report looks at some of the research findings and emerging principles and practice concerning risk enablement in the self-directed support and personal budget process while also recognising the wider context of adult safeguarding in social care. The aim is to build an evidence base drawn from both research and practice to indicate what could work to promote risk enablement, independence and control while at the same time, ensuring safety.