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Positive risk taking

Quick guidance on positive risk taking for social care practitioners

Positive risk taking

Positive risk taking involves weighing up the potential benefits and harms of exercising one’s choice of action over another. When working with adults who have care and support needs it is important to identify potential risks involved through the use of a good risk assessment. Through the use of good risk management develop a plan of action that is reflective of the positive potentials and desired outcomes of adult, using available resources that can support to achieve the desired outcomes and minimise potential harmful outcomes.

Guidance on Positive Risk Taking and Risk Management is available that sets out Camden's strength based approach to support people to identify their desired outcomes and achieve these outcomes by utilising their own strengths and assets and those of people close to them and within their local communities.  

Fluctuating need refers to needs which may not be apparent at the time of the assessment; but may have been an issue in the past and are likely to arise again in the future.

When practitioners assess a person’s needs, those presenting at initial contact may not be a true reflection of their condition over time.  The person may be coping with circumstances where the experience good and bad days, or parts of a day, or are well for weeks or months at a time.

Needs may not fluctuate just because of a condition but also because of changing circumstances, such as changes in employment or education. 

An accurate assessment of any fluctuation requires practitioners to give consideration to the needs of a person and their carer over an appropriate period of time to understand the full implications of their condition and circumstances.

 

Last updated: 10 March 2022