Support Positive Risk Taking For Individuals Persuasive

1.Understand the importance of risk taking in everyday life 1.1Explain ways in which risk is an integral part of everyday life. Without a certain amount of risk taking nothing could be achieved, this is because even the food that we consume on a daily basis could have a negative impact on our lives. The opposite side to this are the benefits that come from taking little risks every day, these may include how we get to work in the morning, what we choose to take part in within an activity or even how hot we like our bath water. If no risks where taken the general population would not leave their bed for fear of something bad happening, if small risks are taken there is the possibility that the outcome would be well worth the risk in a majorly positive way.

1.2Explain why individuals may have been discouraged or prevented from taking risks. People may have been discouraged from taking risks due to a perceived fear of limitations on their part that leaves them with an overwhelming feeling of failure or that something bad will happen to them if they attempt something new. This feeling of fear may be more prevalent in people over a certain age or someone with physical or mental disability due to their own feelings of self-worth and level of understanding. This could also in part be down to the fact that something they have tried in the past may not have succeeded and so the levels of confidence in their own ability may have dropped affecting the way they look at risks as a negative experience. 1.3Describe the links between risk-taking and responsibility, empowerment and social inclusion. Responsibility:

When taking risks there is always the element of responsibility to accept and correct any negative outcome of taking a risk, should there be one.

Empowerment:
Empowerment is the ability to feel safe and able to take a risk with or without additional support to achieve a positive outcome.

Social Inclusion:
Social inclusion is the ability to speak to others and ask for an opinion or support around taking a risk to help the individual achieve their goal and a positive outcome.

2.Understand the importance of a positive, person-centred approach to risk assessment. 2.1Explain the process of developing a positive person-centred approach to risk assessment. A person centred approach seeks to focus on people’s rights to have the lifestyle that they chose, including the right to make ‘bad’ decisions. Person-centred Approaches; keeping the person at the centre, treating family and friends as partners, a focus on what is important to the person, an intent to build connections with the community, being prepared to go beyond conventional service options, and continuing to listen and learn with the person. 2.2Explain the how to apply the principles and methods of a person-centred approach to each of the different stages of the process of risk assessment. The identification, assessment and management of risk should promote the independence and social inclusion of the service user.

What this means is the service user should be involved in all aspects of the risk including the planning and the assessment stage. As the service user would be taking the risk, they should still have the option to say no if once the risk has been discussed, they feel the risk is to great. Risks change as circumstances change.

What this means is that a risk that may seem like it may have a positive outcome may soon swing into a negative if one of the many variables that surround the risk change in any way. This is why risk assessments need to be kept up to date and amended if anything changes for the service user.

Risks can be minimised, but not eliminated.
In everything that we as people may do there is an element of risk, it is our responsibility to recognise the risk and adjust the way we work to minimise the chances of a negative outcome.

Information will sometimes be incomplete and possibly inaccurate.

When planning a risk assessment it is important to make sure that as much information is collected and corroborated as possible to minimise the chance of an error occurring that may cause harm to the service user due to lack of information.

Identification of risk carries a duty to do something about it, i.e. risk management.

If a risk has been identified then it needs to be acted upon so as to minimise the level of risk involved. If this is not done then there is a higher level of risk and more chance of a negative outcome.

Involvement of service users, their families, advocates and practitioners from a range of services and organisations help to improve the quality of risk assessment and decision making.

When planning a risk assessment, the more information you can gather from the service user, their family or any other organisation that has dealings with the service user will help to complete a more person-centred assessment and minimise the risks and help to prove a better service.

Defensible decisions are those based on clear reasoning.

When planning a risk assessment and looking at possible risks, the decisions that are made for the benefit of the service user should be made after collecting all of the information available. Any reasons give should be able to be defended by looking at every angle that shows that it is in the best interest of the service user with as much risk being removed as possible.

Risk taking can involve everybody working together to achieve positive outcomes.

This states that once the risk assessment has been completed, the service user should have the support and guidance of everybody involved with the planning to try to get the best outcome possible.

2.3Explain how a service focused approach to risk assessment would differ from a person centred approach. Person centred – This approach is for the best possible outcome for the individual service user. Service focus – This approach is for the best possible outcome for the service as a whole within the business. 2.4Identify the consequences for individuals of a service focused approach to risk assessment. With a serviced focused approach to risk assessment the risks are for the business and not for the service users. This could lead to a lower level of care for the service users as their needs may not be met, this in turn could lead to harm to the service user and could cause the service to be closed down.

3.Understand the legal and policy framework underpinning an individuals’ right to make decisions. 3.1Explain how legislation, national and local policies and guidance provide a framework for decision making which can support an individual to have control over their own lives.

Legislation is in place to protect the service users’ human rights as stated in the human rights act 1998. This means that when approaching the identification, assessment and management of risks, knowledge of the key legal principles and legislation will help the service providers to make informed decisions that promote the involvement and interests of the service users and their families. 3.2Describe how a human rights based approach supports an individual to make decisions and take risks.

The Human Rights Act 1998 will support and promote the best practice for professional staff involved in supporting positive risk-taking, however where there is any doubt about legal issues, expert advice should be sought from the councils legal and corporate services. Within the human rights act 1998 it states that as far as possible the courts of the United Kingdom should interpret the law in a way that is compatible with the Convention rights. This places an obligation on the public authorities to act compatibly with Convention rights i.e. council staff need to be aware of the human rights of those to whom they provide the service. This also allows the service user to take court proceedings if they feel that their rights have been or are going to be breached. 4.Be able to support individuals to make decisions about risks. 4.1Support an individual to recognise potential risk in different areas of their life.

Internal observation.
4.2Support the individual to balance choices with their own and others health, safety and wellbeing.
Internal observation.
4.3Describe how own values, belief systems and experience may affect working practice when supporting an individual to take risks.
When working with individuals that need care and aid when making decisions, it is possible to look at our own lives rather than that of the individual in care and consider our own beliefs, values and limitations. This will affect working practice in a big way as you change to consider the risk from your point of view and not the point of view of the service user. When working in the care setting it is important to put aside your own thoughts, feelings and values and try to look at it through the eyes of the service user and consider their strengths, weaknesses, beliefs and values to help make the best decision for with them. 4.4Record all discussions and decisions made relating to supporting the individual to take risks.

5.Be able to support individuals to take risks.
5.1Complete a risk assessment with an individual following agreed ways of working.
Internal observation
5.2Communicate the content of the risk assessment with others.
Internal observation
5.3Support the individual to take the risk for which the assessment has been completed.
Internal observation
5.4Review and revise the risk assessment with the individual.
Internal observation
5.5Evaluate with the individual how taking the identified risk has contributed to their wellbeing.
Internal observation
6.Understand duty of care in relation to supporting positive risk taking.
6.1Explain how the principle of duty of care can be maintained while supporting individuals to take risks.
Due to the level of training that a professional working in the care sector has received the duty of care shown will be much greater than the level of someone working with the general public. When supporting a service user in taking a risk the carer must show that all possible risk assessments are completed and that to the best of their knowledge, the service user is capable of successfully completing the risk while giving full support and guidance from start to finish. If the risk assessments have not been completed with support not given then the carer would be deemed as working in a negligent manner causing harm or death to the service user and repercussions could follow. 6.2Describe what action to take if an individual decides to take an unplanned risk that places him/herself or others in immediate or imminent danger.

The individual has the right to risk his/her own safety but not to put others at risk. You must advise the individual of the dangers to him/herself and others. If he/she continues it is your duty to safeguard others so you must take action and stop the individual. Inform co-workers and management to try to minimise the amount of risk that the individual may take to reduce the amount of harm caused to him/herself or others.