Paris Conference Presentation 2018

The following was the abstract I submitted for the keynote presentation at the recent Mental Health Congress in Paris (9-11/7/18):

Positive Risk-Taking: From Rhetoric to Reality

Do we pay enough attention to the impact that the language we use has on the people we serve, and the ways in which we serve them? Our adherence to professional jargon more often serves to exclude and/or confuse other people. This is most notable in the language of risk, particularly where the negative connotations can often drive a blame culture and promote an unnecessary risk averse approach. Where is the person within such a picture?

Assessing and manging risk is an essential skill; but, so to is calculated and reasoned risk-taking. My concept of ‘Positive Risk-Taking’, initiated in 1994, brings the language of risk, strengths and person-centred outcomes together in a clear and sharp focus. As a concept, it is underpinned by the principles and practice of good risk assessment and management, applicable to all facets of mental health, wider health, and social care considerations.

The concept is focused on the outcomes, rather than solely being led by the risks. Taking risks for positive outcomesrequires a clear definition and description; but, it is also underpinned by the fully recognized components of mental health good practice… focused and contextualized risk assessment is counter-balanced by a full strengths assessment; supervision and support is complemented by teamwork and team-focused training. Collective decision-making enables balanced and reasoned risk-taking decisions to be made with confidence, and the identification of individual responsibilities for action to be outlined within a thoughtful plan.

Welcoming the audience to the presentation:

A partial link to what you missed!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Nmes1fRYvhkBTSLw0rXk8w7yuoxKdTkN

Fielding a question or two:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pytmlqXLHoxJc8KKu20wZOT49xjpaKoa

And sharing in the post presentation accolades (holiday snapshots time !!):

Risk Decision-Making

Positive Risk-Taking: From Rhetoric to Reality.

You've heard the words, but do you know with clarity what they mean? Do you confidently put it into practice?

I solve these questions.

Practitioners, teams and organisations frequently engage with bureaucratic solutions to the practical challenges of identifying and managing risks; but spend less time on the realities of making good risk decisions and taking risks appropriately.

I provide a variety of training resources and solutions to meet these challenges. Check out my free training webinar at:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Risk and Leadership

Leadership is often lacking, and management is all too often to the fore where considerations of risk are concerned in health and social care agencies. In this scenario fear and back-covering hold the attention, while good practice is presented as an unconvincing façade. Managers strangely play down any questions about excessive bureaucracy while still demanding all the paperwork is completed as the primary target. If something goes wrong it is the paperwork that gets sole attention, and real practice considerations are relegated to a place somewhere to the right of obscurity.

'Good paperwork is a sign of good practice' becomes the convenient smokescreen. This would be true if there was less management and more supportive leadership, as the need for paperwork would be put into perspective: as the essential minimum to support good practice not to hinder it. Good tools are a range of checklists and formats that have been shaped by good practice, and thus they are able to guide and prompt firstly, and capture good practice as a secondary function.

The Risk Decision-Making publication is the update of 17 years of working with individual practitioners and teams across countless organisations, both from within the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health initially and through the Practice Based Evidence consultancy since 2001. The tools and guidance are informed by what we know from the national and international research, but more significantly through the practice based evidence of hundreds of practitioners across all disciplines and service sectors. Most importantly, this publication refocuses the attention on risk as everyone’s business; so it is structured throughout to address issues from the perspective of individual’s, teams and the leadership & management of organisations. Whatever systems your leaders have bought or put into place there is still a role for guidance on best practice, so look no further.

Do what you say on your tin

Are you taking the risk? It is something we all do, but why do we confuse and complicate it by our lackadaisical use of language? We take risks in order to gain something for ourselves, and occasionally others. We weigh up the options available to us, and make a decision based on what we compute to be the most beneficial course of action. It is called positive risk-taking not because we are trying to find a ‘positive risk’ (whatever that is), but because we are taking the risk in order to achieve a positive outcome...

Click to read more ...

Risk Definitions

Risk:

is the likelihood of an event happening with potentially harmful or beneficial outcomes for self and others. (Possible behaviours include suicide, self-harm, neglect, aggression and violence; with an additional range of other positive or negative service user experiences).

Risk Assessment:

is the gathering of information through processes of communication, investigation, observation and persistence; and analysis of the potential outcomes of identified behaviours. Identifying specific risk factors of relevance to an individual, and the circumstances in which they may occur. This process requires linking the context of historical information to current circumstances, to anticipate possible future change.

Risk Management:

is the statement of plans and the allocation of responsibilities for translating collective decisions into real actions. It is the activity of exercising a duty of care where risks (positive and negative) are identified. It entails a broad range of responses linked closely to the wider process of care planning. The activities may involve preventative, responsive and supportive measures to diminish the potential negative consequences of risk and to promote potential benefits of taking appropriate risks. These will occasionally involve more restrictive measures and crisis responses where the identified risks have an increased potential for harmful outcomes. It should also clearly identify the dates for reviewing the assessment and the management plans.

Positive Risk-Taking:

[From: Morgan, 2004]: is weighing up the potential benefits and harms of exercising one choice of action over another. Identifying the potential risks involved, and developing plans and actions that reflect the positive potentials and stated priorities of the service user. It involves using available resources and support to achieve the desired outcomes, and to minimise the potential harmful outcomes. It requires an agreement of the goals to be achieved, or a clear explanation of any differences of opinion regarding the goals or courses of action.

Morgan, S. (2004) Positive risk-taking: an idea whose time has come. Health Care Risk Report 10 (10) 18-19.

Morgan, S. (2007) Working with Risk Practitioner’s Manual. Brighton: Pavilion Publishing.