Risk assessments

A risk assessment will help an organisation to identify any areas of safeguarding risk so it can consider ways the risk may be managed, reduced or prevented.

A safeguarding risk assessment should be conducted by the Safeguarding Lead or team, with oversight and support from the Designated Safeguarding Trustee. 

Some circumstances when a safeguarding risk assessment should be carried out include:

• As part of a safeguarding self-audit.
• For any new activity which involves children, young people and adults at risk.
• For any activity that is outdoors, high risk or dangerous, or is for people with disabilities or other needs.
• For an activity with children or adults-at-risk taking place in a home or private dwelling.
• When changes are made to how an activity is run that may impact on the safeguarding arrangements in place.
• As part of your safer recruitment process when a criminal record check with content (previously known as blemished disclosure) is received.
• As part of a behavioural risk assessment on a person who may pose a risk (including sometimes children and young people).

Risk assessments should be recorded in the organisation’s risk register to support broader risk management. While details from criminal record checks or behavioural assessments must remain confidential, the register should note when such assessments are completed.

A risk assessment should follow these steps: 

1. Identify the issue or situation that needs to be assessed. 
2. Decide who is at risk of being harmed and how. 
3. Evaluate the risk and decide on any actions needed. 
4. Record and report your findings and agreed actions. 
5. Review your assessment and update as the situation changes.

All risk assessments should contain the date of when they were completed and the name of the person who completed it. 

Our Consultancy team can carry out independent risk assessments for more complex cases.