List ways in which the likelihood of abuse can be reduced by managing risk and focusing on prevention.
If everyone has a clear understanding about what abuse is, it will encourage more people to speak up if they feel abuse is taking or has taken place. This will reduce the likelihood of abuse actually taking place or repeating.
Good management and knowledgeable staff using person-centred values, promoting empowerment, managing risk and prevention, will all help reduce the likelihood of abuse.
Person-centred values include:
| Individuality | Independence | Privacy | Partnership |
| Dignity | Respect | Rights | Choice |
Managing Risk
…is about identifying and measuring risks and putting things in place to reduce them and make the situation safer. For example, making sure an individual with fluctuating mental capacity is chaperoned if they wish to go on a date with another person. This ensures they are not taken advantage of.
Managing risk is a way of working that supports individuals to exercise their rights, whilst recognising the balance between managing and enabling independence, choice and control.
Risk assessments will look at individual’s capacity levels and their needs to avoid being at risk of harm. The level of risk and harm has to be weighed against a person’s right to make their own choices.
Continued
Promoting Empowerment
…is about supporting an individual to think and do things for themselves, for example, making choices and decisions about how they want to live.
Prevention is about doing everything you can in your role to reduce the likelihood of abuse and to put things in place that will prevent it from happening.
Working in partnership
…will strengthen support and help manage risks. For example, knowing about abuse and neglect, will enable you to recognise signs and indicators, report concerns and prevent the likelihood of abuse happening in the future.
Risk Enablement
…empowers the individual to take control over their care, doing what they can to prevent themselves from being harmed or injured. It plays a natural part in self-directed care and support where the individual agrees the care and support they need.
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