Assessing risk

Your risk assessment and safeguarding process for the people you support will always be dictated by your own organisational policies and procedures. Therefore, the practice guide does not provide a specific risk assessment procedure for using digital with the people you support. This is also because digital is complementary and an enabler in providing care and support and its use will be different depending on individual needs.

However, there are some additional questions you may want to consider in your current approach to assessing risk.

Additional risk assessment questions for digital inclusion.

• Which offline risk factors may be associated with increased online risk for the person you are supporting e.g., gambling?

• How digitally resilient is the person you are supporting?

• What risk factors and protective factors are there in relation to the people and environment surrounding the person you are supporting?

• What support does the person need to achieve the greatest benefits to them of being online, whilst minimising risk?

• Do I have all the information I need to do this assessment? How should I engage with partner organisations who are also involved in providing support?

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Safeguards

A risk assessment could help to identify if additional safeguards may be required. These safeguards should be informed by the outcome of your risk assessment, and could include (but are not limited to):

• Individually tailoring advice and guidance, such as in relation to a specific online risk;

• Offering additional technical safeguard support, e.g., help setting up certain parental controls;

• Devoting additional time or resources to supporting a particular individual or family;

• Sharing information with partners including local authority, school, community planning partnership etc., to understand potential risks and agree external partnership safeguarding inputs if required.