Understanding Risk within Health, Social Care and Children’s and Young People’s Settings

Know how to recognise potential risks to self and others.

Learners should be able to identify hazards that could pose a risk to self or others within the environment e.g. areas where hazards can occur (indoor/outdoor, gardens, dining area) equipment/toys used in the setting, hoists, moving and transferring objects and people, food preparation, storage of cleaning products.

They should also identify risks posed by the physical and/ or emotional state of service users.

e.g. aggressive behaviour from mental health issues or illness such as dementia, dealing with tantrums.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Describe environmental situations that could pose risk to self and others.

• 1.2

  Identify risks arising from the physical and/or emotional state of service users and carers.

Know how to assess and manage risk.

Learners needs to be able to identify a risk and then produce a risk assessment of the positive and negative aspects of that risk.

e.g. a cutting and sticking activity – the negative risk - of cuts to self or others with scissors and glue that could be swallowed or get into eyes. The positives comes from problem solving and creativity and developing fine motor skills.

The risk assessment should then look at how to plan to reduce the risk e.g. appropriate size equipment – children’s scissors, non toxic glue and children to be supervised.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Describe the positive and negative aspects of a specific risk.

• 2.2

  Describe the importance of assessing and managing risk. 

• 2.3

  Outline ways of assessing risk in any given situation.

• 2.4

  Explain ways in which risk could be managed.

Understand how to identify circumstances in which risk taking should be encouraged.

Learners should be able to give examples of where risk taking is beneficial e.g. in promoting independence by moving into the community (young persons transition planning or an older person’s rehabilitation from hospital). 

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Give examples of instances where risk taking is essential.

• 3.2

  Identify the benefits of the risk taking to individuals from the examples identified.

• 3.3

  Outline measures that will minimise the risks identified without reducing the benefits of these risks.