Working with Risk and Uncertainty in the Context of Vulnerable Children

This chapter considers the concept of risk in the context of working with vulnerable children. In doing so, it defines the term and explores why it has become such an important concept in children and families social work. It then considers the importance of ‘good’ risk assessment in the context of working with vulnerable children, and indeed what a ‘good risk’ assessment might look like in this sense. It considers the role and predictive value of ‘risk factors’ but also the different ‘protective factors’ which might offer a source of resilience and be an important consideration in the practitioner’s identification, assessment and management of risk. The chapter outlines the importance of hypothesis formation and testing as a means of overcoming bias when working with risk. It discusses the different approaches to risk in the sense of risk-taking/management versus risk minimisation, and explains why the former is often preferable given the ‘unpredictability of people’ and relatedly, the impossibility of eradicating or totally controlling for risk. Finally, the chapter introduces a series of strategies for how social work (and related) practitioners can better work with risk in the sense of developing a shared understanding and language of risk; ensuring defensible over defensive decision-making; and in the context of overcoming resistance and cover stories, whilst ensuring partnership with the child, parents/carers and multi-agency partners.