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THE RESEARCH
Title: Effective Approaches to Risk Assessment in Social Work: An International Literature ReviewAuthor: Monica BarryPublisher: Scottish Executive Social Research, July 2007
OBJECTIVES
This international literature review aims to identify good practice in risk assessment. It analyses key research and policy by drawing on a search of publications mainly from the UK and other English speaking nations. The report highlights policy and practice accounts in three categories: criminal justice, community care and child protection. The aim is to explore the differences and common areas between these three areas of social work, setting this in the context of debates about the future of social work in Scotland.
Specific objectives included exploring the implications of different approaches to risk for the development of a common language and understanding across the professions establishing how risk is defined and assessed outlining how information is shared interrogating the impact of organisational culture and learning and considering the implications of the various approaches to risk for policy and practice in Scotland.
FINDINGS
In her review, Monica Barry observes that social workers' opinions of and experiences of risk assessment feature briefly in the literature, despite the centrality of risk to their work. She portrays their role as largely that of strategists, because they work in building up knowledge on risk. While there are many risk assessment tools, there is limited confidence in them. She concludes that social workers use the language of risk to focus their work and to legitimise their interventions.
However, this is hazardous because apparent objectivity can weaken communication with people using services and reduce trust, diminish willingness to change and undermine co-operation. The review argues that there is a lack of common understanding of risk as well as a lack of common language. Barry argues that social workers are placed under different expectations, have to employ different meanings of risk and need to respond to different work or professional cultures according to their job role.
While organisational culture is important, the literature indicates that so too are accountability systems and any reliance on risk assessment tools. Barry considers that social workers' autonomy is particularly restricted by current accountability systems because these discourage learning from or even admitting to mistakes. She warns that while the literature suggests we should only give limited support to risk assessment tools, these seem to be prized above professional judgement and are being increasingly used. This may further reduce contact between social workers and people using services. While self-assessment may have its advantages, Barry warns that, though it may be objective, the relationship between social worker and service user benefits from personal contact and subjectivity.
Findings from each of the sectors reviewed reveal significant commonalities. All are influenced by media portrayals of dangerousness and vulnerability. In criminal justice offenders are more likely to be portrayed one-dimensionally as dangers, although their own risks and vulnerabilities are evident. Criminal justice work is where most risk assessment tools are found, with a purpose to help manage presenting risks. This is also the area where there is considerable interagency collaboration, although not high levels of consistency.
In contrast, community care work (here, meaning social care with adults, including mental health services) generally appears to have a better record of engagement with service users about risk. The literature review touches on the strong lobby of service users whose engagement with issues of risk has helped to promote ideas of positive risk-taking. Barry suggests that the personalisation of services may enable disabled people to take more risks to their benefit. While the literature remains limited, it is in this area that there are more reports of what it is like to be subject to risk assessments and service users' perspectives of managing risks.
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