The Challenges Around the Multi-Agency View of Positive Risk Taking in Supporting Positive Outcomes for Children

Over the years, there is one issues that never fails to ne issue with children's homes and social workers is their misjudgment of risk. By risk, I mean ACTUAL risk, not the growing trend of professional anxiety influenced by a culture of defensive practice. This may sound provocative, but it's an honest observation. I've often found myself in meetings advocating for children who might otherwise face severe and disproportionate risk management measures based on little to no evidence, stripping them of autonomy to ease the collective anxiety of professionals who barely know the child or understand their needs and behavior.

We need to step back and truly understand what we're dealing with, setting aside our prejudices, unconscious biases, anxieties, and egos. What are the real issues concerning the child, and what have we exaggerated? What are our own fears? How will our decisions affect the child, both positively and negatively, and possibly the most uncomfotable question, will the measures implemented actually keep them safe, or will they make us feel safe?

To effectively safeguard children long-term and equip them with skills for safe and successful adulthood, we must balance risk and safety with freedom and independence. The best children's homes I've encountered embrace this approach, encouraging children to make positive decisions about their actions and behavior rather than controlling every aspect of their lives. Some of us forget what it's like to be a teenager. If you told my 15-year-old self not to hang out with James Madge (my real best friend at school and a well known bad influence on everyionehe encountered), I would have done everything in my power to spend time with him! The best approach would be to allow me to come to the conclusion in my own good time that everytime I'm with him, I get in trouble! This highlights the difference between behavior management and behavior support. We aim to support positive behavior rather than manage the bad. As the old adage goes, "you get more of the behavior that you pay the most attention to."

Embracing a positive approach to risk doesn't mean neglecting safeguarding duties or your Duty of Care. It's an educational process that fosters resilience and new skills where safe to do so. There are times when adults must intervene to control a situation for immediate safety, but my experience shows that this often happens too soon, hindering long-term safeguarding skills and strategies for the child.

We have a legal and moral duty to keep children safe and conduct risk assessments where harm is foreseeable. For these assessments to be effective, we must not be risk-averse, as failing to prepare children for life after leaving our care would be negligent.

I've observed and felt a disconnect between children's homes and social workers regarding risk. It's been suggested (and confirmed by several social workers) that staff in a children's home can understand a child's needs and behaviour more in two weeks than a social worker might in two years. Yet, there's ongoing disregard for the skills and knowledge of residential workers in making informed judgments about children and their risks. As someone who's had challenging discussions with directors and deputy directors of social services about children's plans and risk assessments, Registered Managers bear the legal responsibility for decisions made by the multi-agency group. Rest assured, the child's social worker won't be alongside the RM whilst an Ofsted Inspector scrutinises the decision-making process regarding a child with no history of exploitation, risk indicators, or missing profile, yet assessed as high risk for exploitation, with no free time and no mobile phone!

The benefits of positive risk taking are numerous and well documented:

• Opportunity to develop new skills

• Builds confidence and self-esteem

• Teaches responsibility and accountability

• Greater understanding of natural consequences

• Promotes problem soving skills

• Promotes learning from experience

• Sense of achievement and success for the child and those involved in supporting them

• Encourages independence, choice and control

• Demonstrates that trying new activities can be a positive experience

• Opening up other opportunities, increase social experiences and community presence

• Positive impact on emotional and mental health and depending on the activity, physical health

• Supports life long positive decion making around safety

• Respects rights and independence

I understand that it can be personally difficult to let go, and at times it may feel like we're taking a leap of faith. Positive risk planning doesn't mean we neglect contingency plans. Consider yourself the ultimate safety net. Eliminating all risk is both unrealistic and impossible. However, we can ensure the child's environment is as safe as possible by keeping a vigilant watch and being ready to intervene if necessary. We must not overprotect children, as doing so would further disadvantage and disenfranchise those who have already faced the most challenging beginnings in life.

I believe the crucial factor is for multi-agency partners to understand their respective roles and to respect and be respectful of each other, whether it's appreciating diverse viewpoints or questioning parts of assessments where agreement is lacking. It requires confidence for a residential worker to advocate for a child's rights in a multi-agency meeting when others have a differing opinion. This doesn't automatically make them correct or incorrect, but if everyone comprehends the specialist role of Children's Homes, how they function, the regulatory requirements and their models of care, then these discussions might become a little more straightforward and less adversarial.

We do a whole training seminar on all this, on positive risk assessing, contingency planning, and multi-agency risk assessments. If you feel that you or your team might benefit, please get in touch.