Risk Assessment

  What is Risk Assessment?

Risk assessment involves identifying potential hazards and deciding how to prevent or minimize risks. A hazard is anything that could cause harm, and the risk is the likelihood of someone being harmed by that hazard.

  To effectively apply for a DBS check you should risk assess each person doing the role they will be carrying out, it is likely that two different people will take a role very differently. Equally, there may be elements that the role requires that they are unable to fulfil. Consider the facets of people's lives when risk assessing anything.

Steps for Risk Assessment

1. Identify the Hazards
   • Walk around the venue and think through your program.
   • Consider the participants' age, needs, and past hazards.
2. Decide Who Might Be Harmed and How
   • Identify groups (e.g., participants, leaders) and individuals (e.g., those with specific needs).
   • Determine how they might be harmed and the type of injury.
3. Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Precautions
   • Consider practical ways to eliminate or control the hazards.
4. Record Your Findings and Implement Them
   • Write down the risk assessment and share it with colleagues.
   • Review and reuse the assessment as needed.
5. Review and Update the Risk Assessment
   • Regularly review the assessment, especially when working with different participants or activities.

General and Specific Risk Assessments

• General Risk Assessments: Conducted regularly (e.g., termly or quarterly).
• Special Risk Assessments: For activities with greater risk or those away from the usual venue.

  Another element you may wish to consider is adding social and behavioral factors into your risk assessment. Depending on who you work with there is potential for someone to get upset, violent or heavily disruptive. Things to consider here are what is your plan of action should that happen? What happens when someone gets visibly upset? Do you have protocols in place for someone unwanted turning up or your session being hijacked by people you didn't expect or are there to cause mischief? The risks and possible solutions could (and probably should) be included in this document.

Responsibility for Risk Assessment

• Typically, the session leader is responsible, but others in the organization may also take on this task. Ensure they have the knowledge and tools needed.
• It could be something that is actioned by the leader but they involve everyone, especially those that deliver specific tasks or activities.

Record Keeping

• Share and store the risk assessment for easy access by those who need it.
• Archive or remove previous versions to avoid confusion.