Report
The right to take risks: service users' views of risk in adult social care
Do people who use adult social care services want to be able to take risks?
People who use adult social care services identify different risks to those commonly identified by professionals and policy-makers. Many fear losing independence, which suggests that risk assessments need to have independence as their starting point. There is a particular need to reach into mental health and residential care services to find ways of enabling people to realise their independence.
This paper:
- Gives voice to service users' fears and concerns about risk;
- Identifies additional risks to those commonly identified by professionals and policy-makers; and
- Explores how perceptions of risk and rights are significantly different for mental health service users.