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Risk
Assessment Tool
The
Risk Assessment
Tool has been developed
by Community Living
Algoma of Sault
Ste. Marie, Ontario,
as a resource to
effectively manage
risk in the lives
of the people they
support. The Risk
Assessment Tool
is a supporting
process which:
- Helps
an individual
identify risk
in his/her life
- Informs
the person of
the potential
harm associated
with that risk
- Encourages
them to make good
decisions by providing
good options
- Determines,
with the help
of the individual,
how best to support
them through those
choices
- Accepts
the decisions
that the person
makes.
Community
Living Algoma states
that:
"As
greater emphasis
is placed on individuals'
rights, freedoms
and choices, there
is a danger of
ignoring risk
simply because
it is the result
of personal choice.
It must be remembered
that risk is risk
regardless of
how it becomes
an issue in someone's
life. It does
not matter if
risk is present
because of the
events outside
of the person's
control or whether
it is because
of a personal
choice. Choice
should never be
seen as negating
risk. Rather it
must be understood
that some choices
have risks involved
that will necessitate
proper risk management.
Risk management
is simply a process
of identifying
risks in a given
situation and
then finding ways
to manage them
so as to be reasonably
sure that no harm
will come of them.
Risk assessment
and management
is something we
all do daily in
our own lives
and perhaps do
it so naturally
that it goes unnoticed.
When supporting
individuals that
may not have the
ability to assess
and manage risks
for themselves
it becomes crucial
to ensure the
existence of a
similar process
that can reasonably
ensure their safety.
That is where
risk assessment
comes in. It acts
as an external
process that duplicates,
as naturally as
possible, the
process that guides
actions and decisions
in respect to
risk."
The
Risk Assessment
Tool is designed
to provide a process
to identify risk
and then to assist
an adult with a
developmental disability
"to safely live,
as they choose".
The tool provides
a general understanding
of: What is a risk
assessment?; When
is a risk assessment
necessary?; How
is a risk assessment
done?; Documentation;
and How does this
tool help?
C.L.A. suggests
that risk assessment
should be part of
the personal planning
process and that
the team assisting
the individual with
their planning process
would assist with
the risk assessment
and provide guidance
for managing any
identified risks.
In the "Identifying
Risks" section of
the manual the team
is provide with
nine (9) various
areas of personal
life which are:
autonomy/choice;
personal income;
housing; physical
and mental health;
safety; appearance
and hygiene; relating
to others; meaningful
activities; and
mobility. For each
of the areas criteria
are given; these
criteria are the
conditions that
must exist to ensure
that a person will
not be at risk.
The team goes through
each of the areas
and its criteria
and through probing,
consideration of
the persons abilities
and coping mechanisms,
as well as his/her
supports, etc. identifies
any risks.Section
three of the manual
"Managing Risks"
focuses on providing
the risk assessment
team with practical
direction for managing
risks. A flowchart
has been developed
to break the task
of managing risk
into logical smaller
steps, ensure that
the individual drives
the process, and
to focus on finding
the most cost effective
solution possible.
The flowchart explores
the options by way
of branches, each
of which deals specifically
with one component
of risk management
and moves from least
intrusive to more
intrusive. They
are:
- Listening:
why has the person
made the choice
and is there a
better way the
person could get
what he/she wants
in a less risky
manner that they
are willing to
try.
- Providing
Learn Experiences:
is the risk due
to the person's
lack of skills
or experiences,
if so can or will
he/she manage
the risk by gaining
new skills?
- Changing
the Environment:
is the risk
due to the persons
environment and
could it be eliminated
through modification
e.g. Installing
a security system
to deal with risk
of a break in?
- Altering
Supports:
is the risk such
that supports
need to be increased
or changed? Only
as one of the
last alternatives
would the individual
and his/her team
consider changes
to supports.
- Difficult
Situations: is
there no solution
that the individual
is willing to
be involved in?
The team is provided
with a rough guide
for possible solutions
or options.
In
section 3 the "Areas
of Life" and how
to determine if
the criteria is
met is expanded
upon. In Appendix
A each step of the
flowchart is discussed
in detail and Appendix
B discusses documentation
The Risk Assessment
Tool revolves around
the involvement
and choice of the
individual regardless
of his/her abilities
and discusses the
inclusion of all
persons in the process.
The tool strives
to eliminate risk
with the minimum
amount of change
to the person's
life.
A
second component
of the Risk Assessment
Tool is a condensed
plain language booklet
which has been developed
to explain risk
assessment and management
to the person receiving
services. The booklet
is divided into
3 sections:
- Helping
You to Understand
What Risk Is
- Spotting
Risk (and The
Areas of Your
Life To Be Looked
At)
- Managing
Risk.
Within
the Risk Assessment
Tool reference
is made to the
Personal Outcome
Tool. This tool
is used by Accreditation
Ontario in its
accrediting process.
| Available
from: |
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Community
Living Algoma
421 Bay Street,
Suite 301
Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario
P6A 1X3
Telephone:
(705) 253-1700
Fax: (705)
253-1777
E-mail: dguido@onlink.net
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Contact:
Dina Guido
Description
of Resource: Risk
Assessment Manual
- 18 pages (needs
binder) Risk Assessment
Booklet - 7 pages
(needs binder)
Approximate
Cost: free except
for return postage
Links:
The Council on Quality
and Leadership in
Supports for People
with Disabilities
www.thecouncil.org
for more information
on Personal Outcome
Measures.
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