Stephen A. Webb

Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland

What is risk assessment?

What are core risk assessment skills?

Why is risk assessment so central to social work processes?

How do you carry out a risk assessment?

Risk analysis, risk assessment and risk management are ever-expanding industries. Risk is intimately linked to notions of trust, blame, danger, uncertainty and pleasure. Some writers claim we are now living in a 'risk society'. Sociologists and some social work academics argue that risk as a calculative capacity to predict probable outcomes, does not accurately reflect current social conditions. These are better described in terms of uncertainty, and reliance upon risk is grounded in an illusory confidence inexpert knowledge.

Carrying out a risk assessment should be underpinned by an understanding of the issues and the best knowledge available. The aim of risk assessment is to improve decisions, by making risks explicit and by reducing unpredicted behaviour or events. Some practitioners argue that risk assessment must be a continuous process in which the social worker weighs the factors in a particular case to determine the level of risk or safety for a particular service-user. In this session we examine different types of risk assessment schedules and consider whether they can accurately predict the level of risk associated with various cases. To make an effective risk assessment decision, social workers and other stakeholders need to know what potential harm a situation poses and how great is the likelihood that people or the environment will be harmed. Research has identified that different risk assessment tools have particular strengths and weaknesses

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the five risk assessment schedules?

What kinds of pattern do they follow?

Are they scientific (e.g. Objectively measurable)?

What are the problems with risk measures?

Are they factual measures or value laden?

Work together in groups of 4-5 and critically examine the five risk assessment formats to provide a critical overview of their various strengths and weaknesses?

How would you design different risk assessment schedules?

Objectivity CalculationProbabilityActuarial PracticeScientific truth and factThink critically about the example risk

assessment schedules distributedLanguageStereo-typingHard to MeasureRelies on truthful responses by service usersThings change over time

There are three key texts for this module:

Kemshall, H. (2002) Risk, social policy and welfare Open University Press.

Kemshall, H. & Pritchard, J. (1996) Good Practice in Risk Assessment and

Risk Management  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Webb, S.A. (2006) Social Work in a Risk Society, Palgrave Macmillan.

There are also two essential journal articles that must be read:

Munro, Eileen (1999) 'Common Errors of Reasoning in Child Protection.'Child  Abuse and Neglect 123, no. 8.

Stalker, K. (2003) 'Managing Risk and Uncertainty in Social Work',Journal of Social Work , Vol.3, No.2, pp.211-233