Positive Risk Taking

Joseph GibsonSense Scotland

Outdoor Activities Co-ordinator

Why am I here?

• Talk last year… discussion of risk• My background

Outline

• Introduction• Risky Activities…• Aspects of risk• Assessment of risk• Risk of not taking risks • Case Study

Aspects of risk

• Risk equation

Hazard = Something which has the potential to cause harm

Risk = The likelihood of that harm occurring and the severity of the outcome

Risk Equation

Risk = Likelihood x Severity

Crude example

Rock climbing is low likelihood but high severityRisk = 1 x 10 = 10Scrambling is higher likelihood but lower in hazardRisk = 6 x 4 = 24

Aspects of risk

• Risk equation

Types of risk

• Risk equation• Perceived/actual risk

Perceived vs. Actual risk

Perceived risk is how the risk involved in an activity is felt by the person doing the activity, whilst actual risk is the risk that is present in reality.

Aspects of risk

• Risk equation• Perceived/actual risk• Objective/Subjective risk • Physical and Psychological risk• Risks to whom?

Risks to whom

• Service user• Staff (lone working etc.)• Members of the public• External professionals

Aspects of risk

• Risk equation• Perceived/actual risk• Objective/Subjective risk • Physical and Psychological risk• Risks to whom?• Risk of what?

Risk of what

• Injury• Discomfort• Humiliation• Fines

• Prison

Aspects of risk

• Risk equation• Perceived/actual risk• Objective/Subjective risk • Physical and Psychological risk• Risks to whom?• Risk of what?• Cultural differences

Some context…

Health or Safety ?

The cost of not engaging with adventure activities

Marcus Bailie

Head of Inspection

The Adventure Activities Licensing Service.

The Human Cost

Total deaths per year for all ages • 130,000 All cancers• 120,000 All heart attacks• 100,000 All smoking related illnesses• 30,000 Obesity and unfitness• 20,000 All alcohol related illnesses• 10,000 All accidents• 6,000 Suicide• 4,000 Accidents in the home• 350 Accidents at work • 3,500 Road Traffic Accidents• 6 Rail crashes or derailments• 150 Adventure activity accidents

..and for our 13 million young people

In total 1,400 sudden or accidental deaths per year• 450 Road Traffic Accidents• 400 Undiagnosed heart disease• 140 Suffocation• 125 Poisoning• 100 Suicide• 90 Drowning• 80 Fire• 65 Falls• 50 Murder• 3 School visits• 1 School adventure activities

Types of Risk Assessment

• Generic: A general RA where the hazards and control measures are relevant to all or the majority of persons carrying out or involved in an activity.

• Individual: A RA which takes in additional hazards etc which are only relevant to an individual involved in that task. This may be a staff member or service user.

• Specific: A RA which deals with a one-off or rare activity or event.

5 step Risk Assessment

1. What are the hazards?2. Who might be harmed?3. What are the current control

methods?4. What further control methods are

required?5. Review the assessment regularly.

Things to consider within these steps…

• Activity• Environment• Equipment• Group• Individual

Who should assess risk

• Teams rather than individuals• Person being assessed (if

appropriate)• People with relevant knowledge or

expertise

Assessment of risk

Purpose to highlight, minimise and manage potential areas of risk - not

a tool to prohibit activities taking place.

Why take risks with our service users?

Continuum of aims

Leisure

Education or therapy

Physical

Fun,enjoyment, relaxing, letting the activities speak for themselves

Burns off energy, increases co-ordination and motor skills

Use activities in structured way towards predetermined therapeutic or educational aims

Why take risks with our service users?

• Opportunity for meaningful, authentic, dramatic experiences - communication development

• Build and develop self-awareness and self-confidence

• Develop physical attributes• Exposure to a wider range of learning

opportunities and stimulating environments• Provide the opportunity to “live” life -

chance for adventure and psychological high

Do we need to take risks?

• Is there other ways we can achieve these things?

• Activities as journeys or narratives• Too much focus on activity and

less on process

Case Study

Fred

• Early forties• Profoundly deafblind• Uses between 10-20

functional HOH signs• Enjoys finger spelling• Enjoys being outside

Activity

• How to explain to Fred??? • What would his understanding be???• Physical risks• Psychological risks• Risk to our relationship???

• I would climb with Fred on same top rope

Environment

• Low single pitch crag • Large flat safe area below crag• Easy safe path back from top of

crag• Easy route ideal for beginners

Equipment

• Helmet and harness of concern due to Fred’s history

• Investigated and played with equipment in a relaxed atmosphere the evening before the climbing day…

• Practice to give idea of system

Group

• Fred one of two service users with three staff plus centre staff.

• Each service user climbing would climb with two staff supporting with one member of staff supporting the non-climber.

• One service user climbing/abseiling at a time.

Individual

• Scaffolded ‘climbing’ to increase understanding

• Observed and discussed scaffold sessions to assess

• Relevant medication to hand

If we are going to do risky activities, how can we

manage them?• AALA - on its way out but still a good

mark of best practice• Break down activities then scaffold

back up• Risk assess and review regularly• Assess and re-assess aims,

objectives and benefits, is this the best activity?

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the

children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring

adventure or nothing.

(Helen Keller, http://www.wisdomquotes.com/001106.html)