4222-305 Understand positive risk taking for individuals with disabilities (LD 305)
1. Understand that individuals with disabilities have the same right as everyone else to take risks
1.2 Explain why, traditionally, people with disabilities have been discouraged or prevented from taking risks.
In Social Care there is an accountability for the welfare of the individual, whether they are being cared for or enabled to be independent. The enabler has responsibility for the individual, and the Company that provides the service to the client has responsibility towards both the enabler and the individual. They are answerable to families, CQC, the local council, social care workers and the police.
An individual, who has the mental capacity to …show more content…

“The governing principle behind good approaches to risk is that people have the right to live their lives to the full as long as that does not stop others from doing the same.” (Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision making. Department of Health, May 2007)

Duty of care requires everyone to “take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.” (Donoghue (or M’Alister) v. Stevenson case, Lord Atkin 26th May 1932).

The duty of care requires a person, with or without learning difficulties to consider the consequences of their acts and omissions and to ensure that these do not give rise to a foreseeable risk of injury to another person. The expectation is that a person is expected to act reasonably, not guarantee the safety of others at all times. Risk assessments should be put in place for those individuals who maybe cannot foresee the result of their acts, and would not understand the consequences. The duty of care rests with the social care providers.

For a person with learning disabilities, they need social inclusion but are disempowered if they take part in social activities and yet do not behave in a socially responsible way. Therefore risk assessments are needed.

I do a quick mental risk assessment when I cross the road. A person with learning disabilities may need that risk assessment doing on