The Role of Risk Assessment in Enabling a Person-Centered Approach

7.7 Understand the role of risk assessment in enabling a person centred approach.

7.2 Explain how risk taking and risk assessment relate to rights and responsibilities.

Everyone is entitled to take risks. We all take risks in our daily lives. Every time we get on a plane or cross the road, put money in a bank, take part in a sporting activity or plug in a toaster, we are taking risks.
All of these risks we assess and make sure that they are managed. For example, we know that there are stringent safety procedures in place for aircraft, we know that there are regulations for banks, we take steps to maintain the electrical wiring in our houses so that we can reduce the risk of disaster when we use appliances.
Taking risks is part of being able to choose and being in control of your life, so you need to ensure that concern about risks is not getting in the way of people living their lives in the way they want to. Many times, a risk assessment can make it possible for someone to do something that may seem unlikely in the first instance.

7.3 Explain why risk assessment need to be regularly revised.
People's circumstances do not remain the same for ever, everything changes. It could be someone's condition that improves or deteriorates, it could be their situation that changes or it could be that the risks change because of new developments. For example the development of tele care and tele health has reduced the risks for many people with long term health conditions who wants to remain at home.
Changes mean that people's risk assessments need to be revised regularly and updated. The most likely time to do this would be at the regular review when the risk assessment can be reviewed along with all other aspects of service provision. If people's circumstances change, then a review of the risk assessment is essential all changes to a persons life will mean that the risk profile has changed and needs to be looked at again.
Overall putting people at the centre of all your work is about never forgetting that it is their life, hopes, dreams and plans that should remain the focus, and it is your job to make sure that they are able to make the most of their lives and achieve as much as they possible can.
7.1 Compare different uses of risk-assessment in health and social care