Balancing Safeguarding Duties With Positive Risk-Taking in ABI Services
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Safeguarding and positive risk-taking are often incorrectly treated as competing priorities in acquired brain injury services. In practice, commissioners and inspectors expect providers to demonstrate how risk enablement operates safely within safeguarding frameworks. Failure to balance these elements can result in either overly restrictive practice or unmanaged harm.
This article explores how ABI providers can balance safeguarding duties with positive risk-taking. It should be read alongside Safeguarding, Capacity, Consent & Human Rights and Positive Risk-Taking & Risk Enablement.
Understanding safeguarding in ABI contexts
ABI-related cognitive impairment, impulsivity and vulnerability can increase safeguarding risks without removing a person’s right to make choices.
Commissioner and inspector expectations
Expectation 1: Proportionate safeguarding. Inspectors expect safeguarding responses to be proportionate to risk.
Expectation 2: Clear decision rationale. Commissioners expect documented reasoning behind risk decisions.
Operational example 1: Safeguarding-informed risk plans
An ABI service embedded safeguarding considerations directly into risk enablement plans, reducing reactive referrals.
Multi-agency working and escalation
Effective risk enablement requires timely safeguarding escalation where thresholds are met.
Operational example 2: Safeguarding thresholds guidance
A provider developed clear guidance on when positive risk-taking should trigger safeguarding referrals.
Staff confidence in safeguarding decisions
Staff require clarity on when enablement remains appropriate and when protection must take priority.
Operational example 3: Safeguarding supervision reviews
Supervision sessions were used to review safeguarding-related risk decisions and learning.
Evidencing balance in inspection
Providers should evidence:
- Safeguarding embedded within risk assessments
- Clear escalation pathways
- Learning from safeguarding outcomes
Safeguarding as an enabler, not a barrier
In ABI services, effective safeguarding strengthens rather than restricts positive risk-taking.
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