Jayne Connery FRSA FRSPH, Founder and Director of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV), discusses how good risk management must protect vulnerable people while enabling them to live meaningful, independent lives.
Risk management is ultimately about people. It is about protecting vulnerable individuals while ensuring they can continue to live meaningful, fulfilling lives.
As Founder and Director of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, I have spent more than thirteen years supporting families and working alongside care providers across the UK. I have attended safeguarding meetings, Best Interest meetings, Continuing Healthcare assessments and countless conversations with families facing difficult decisions. I have visited hundreds of care homes and dementia communities.
What I have learned is that the greatest challenges around risk management do not stem from a lack of care, commitment or compassion. More often, they stem from fear.
I have met dedicated managers and care teams who want to do the right thing but are understandably concerned about complaints, regulatory scrutiny, safeguarding investigations and the consequences of getting something wrong. In today’s environment, there can be a temptation to become increasingly risk-averse.
When risk management focuses solely on preventing harm, we can unintentionally remove independence, choice and quality of life. In trying to protect people, we can sometimes overlook what makes life worth living.
For people living with dementia, this balance is particularly important. Care providers make daily decisions about mobility, activities, social engagement, access to outdoor spaces and personal choice. Good risk management is not about wrapping people in cotton wool. It is about understanding risk, assessing it proportionately and supporting people to live as fully and independently as possible.
Throughout my visits, I have seen outstanding examples of positive risk management. Providers who work closely with families and recognise that individuality does not disappear when someone moves into care. Homes where thoughtful design, meaningful activities and community help people feel safe, valued and respected. These providers understand that dignity, independence and wellbeing are not separate from safety; they are part of safety.
I have also seen technology’s growing role in supporting good risk management. When used ethically, transparently and with consent, it can provide reassurance, support staff, identify concerns earlier and strengthen confidence for both families and providers. Technology should never replace human care, but it can help create safer environments while supporting greater independence.
Effective risk management is rooted in culture. The strongest organisations are those where staff feel confident raising concerns, learning from incidents, and having open conversations without fear of blame.
As our population ages and the number of people living with dementia continues to rise, the sector faces increasing complexity. This makes balanced, person-centred risk management more important than ever.
The question should never be how we eliminate all risk. Instead, we should ask how we can support people in living well while managing risk responsibly, compassionately, and with dignity.
When providers, families and professionals work together, we create care environments that are not only safer, but also more empowering, more compassionate and more reflective of the lives people wish to lead.
