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Making choices about health and social care inevitably means balancing benefits and risks in order to make informed decisions.
Most of the choices that people make in life naturally involve some element of risk, and the decisions made by people using health and social care are no different. Avoiding risks altogether would constrain their choices and opportunities.
Risk is a concept that tends to have negative connotations but people take considered risks all of the time and gain many positive benefits. As new health and social care choices and opportunities arise, they are likely to involve the consideration of taking risks.
People want choice and control for themselves and those they care for, but sometimes it is difficult to weigh the benefits of an option against the potential risks. The Department of Health aims to support people in making decisions that are right for their personal requirements and situation.
The Green Paper Independence, well being and choice, acknowledged the need for balance between enabling people who use social care services to have control over their lives, and ensuring they are free from harm, exploitation and mistreatment.
Most respondents to the consultation welcomed a debate about risk, with many calling for a national approach to risk management. People responded by saying that they wanted more control over their lives and to be able to make real choices about health and social care services. They wanted the opportunity to take control over the sorts of things that others take for granted.
The White Paper Our health, our care, our say, set out plans for the future of health and social care in the 21st Century, in which choice and control are critical components. This gave a commitment to develop a national approach to risk management.
The Department of Health launched Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision making on 21 May 2007. This provided a risk framework for everyone involved in supporting decision making.
The Care Services Improvement Partnership has produced some learning and development materials and an easy read leaflet that describes the best practice guide.
