Risk Assessments and Countering Identified Risks


Contents

  1. Policy
  2. Key Points
  3. Procedure for Risk Assessments and Countering Identified Risks


1. Policy

Homes should encourage children to take appropriate risks as a normal part of growing up. Children should be helped to understand how to keep themselves safe including outside the home and when using the internet or social media. Homes should implement a proportionate approach to risk assessments.

Risk assessments within each Children's Home should be carried out, recorded in writing and regularly reviewed. Risk assessments should identify hazards; estimate the level of risk to health, safety or welfare from the hazards identified; and should identify action to be taken both to reduce any risks to an acceptable level where practicable, and to avoid any unnecessary or unreasonable risks.


2. Key Points


2.1

The Registered Person is responsible for ensuring that:

  1. All parts of the home to which children and staff have access are, so far as reasonably practicable, free from hazards to their safety;
  2. Any activities in which children participate are, so far as reasonably practicable, free from avoidable risks;
  3. Unnecessary risks to the health or safety of children accommodated in the home are identified and so far as possible eliminated, and shall make suitable arrangements for persons working at the children's home to be trained in first aid.
2.2

Risk assessments should include the home's premises and grounds, children's known and likely activities (both permitted and illicit), the potential for bullying and abuse within or outside the home, and where applicable the impact of a new admission to the home for both the admitted child and the existing child group.


3. Procedure for Risk Assessments and Countering Identified Risks

  1. The Registered Manager should carry out regular risk assessments in accordance with the Council's Health and Safety procedures;
  2. When a child or young person is admitted to the Home, a risk assessment should be undertaken in relation to any harm that the child/young person is at risk from, either personally through their actions or behaviour or from other adults or young people; or in relation to any risk that the child/young person presents to the resident group or others. (See Placements and Admissions Procedure);
  3. Risk assessments should be undertaken in relation to all supervised and unsupervised activities of the children/young people and should take into account the safety of children/young people at all times. Where substantial or unusual hazards are involved, a recorded risk assessment should be made;
  4. Any high-risk activity provided or arranged for children should be supervised by persons holding the relevant qualification to supervise children's involvement in the activity concerned (such as the qualification for instructing or supervising children awarded by the recognised national body for the activity concerned);
  5. For any high risk activities or overnight stays, the approval of the ERYC Educational Visits and Outdoor Learning Consultant and the Service Manager should be sought. This would be through the online Rover system;
  6. The registered person should regularly carry out recorded risk assessments of the times, places and circumstances in which the risk of bullying (including bullying amounting to abuse by other children) is greatest, and takes action where feasible to reduce or counteract the risk of bullying;
  7. When a child or young person is reported missing a risk assessment is undertaken. This is contained in the Missing Person’s form and will, include the likely danger to the child as a result of being missing from the Home;
  8. The Registered Manager should regularly review the implementation and effectiveness of actions identified as a result of risk assessments that have been carried out.