When you receive support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), your safety and wellbeing should always come first. Whether you are receiving personal care at home or taking part in community activities, NDIS risk management plays an important role in making sure everyone involved takes steps to reduce the chance of harm.
That’s where risk management comes in.
Risk management means identifying potential problems before they happen, taking steps to prevent them and reviewing those steps regularly to keep you safe. In this article, we explain how risk management works, how it keeps you safe and how you and your support team work together to reduce risks.
What Does Risk Management Mean?
Put simply, risk management means planning ahead to prevent harm. It involves spotting possible dangers, figuring out how serious they are and putting solutions in place to reduce or remove them.
Your support team uses risk management to protect:
- You, as the participant
- Your support workers
- The people around you
- The environment or equipment you rely on
By managing risks properly, they help you stay safe while supporting your independence and goals.
Why Does Risk Management Matter?
When your support team manages risks effectively, you gain more than just physical safety. You also experience:
- Greater confidence in your support
- Peace of mind in daily activities
- Fewer accidents or disruptions
- Safer use of equipment and environments
- More reliable support overall
More importantly, you stay in control of your own life, with a team that understands your needs and adapts when things change.
What Risks Might Arise During Support?
While support work is designed to help you, certain risks may arise just like in any other part of life. These risks vary depending on the activity, location and your individual needs.
Here are some common risks your team might address:
- Slips, trips or falls in the home or community
- Broken or unsafe equipment (e.g. walking frames, hoists)
- Medication mix-ups or missed doses
- Emotional distress or behavioural incidents
- Support staff availability or training issues
- Changes in your health that affect support needs
- Breaches of privacy or personal information
- Disruptions in communication or technology
Thankfully, your support team can take steps to identify and reduce these risks before they lead to harm.
How Does Risk Management Work?
To keep you safe, your support team follows four clear steps. These steps help them prevent accidents, protect your wellbeing and improve the quality of your care.
Identify Hazards
First, your team looks for anything that could be unsafe. This might include:
- Wet floors
- Faulty equipment
- Heavy lifting
- Emotional stress
- Communication gaps
They stay alert and report potential issues right away.
Assess the Risk
Next, they decide how serious the risk is and how likely it is to happen. To do this, they ask questions like:
- What kind of harm could happen?
- How many people could be affected?
- Is the risk likely to occur often?
- Are current safety measures working?
By answering these questions, your team decides what to do next.
Control the Risk
After assessing the risk, your support team takes action to reduce or remove it. Depending on the situation, they might:
- Fix or remove unsafe equipment
- Use different tools or protective gear
- Change how tasks are done
- Add extra safety signs or instructions
- Offer additional training for staff
They aim to remove the risk entirely. If that’s not possible, they work to reduce the chance of harm as much as they reasonably can.
Review and Improve
Finally, they check regularly to make sure the safety measures are still working. If something changes like your needs, your environment or your health they update the plan.
This ensures your support stays safe, reliable and personalised.
Example: Managing Risk During Home Support
Let’s look at a example. Imagine Shelley is your support worker. One day, she notices that the front wheel on your walking frame is loose.
Here’s what Shelley does next:
Identify: She sees the broken wheel and knows it could cause a fall.
Assess: She realises you could be seriously hurt if the frame tips while you are walking.
Control: She removes the walking frame and offers a safer option, like a walking stick or physical assistance. She also reports the issue so the frame can be repaired.
Review: While waiting for the replacement, Shelley checks in to make sure you are still mobile and comfortable. If you need more help, she updates your support plan.
This simple process helps prevent injury and keeps you moving forward safely.
How You Can Be Involved
Risk management is not something done to you it is done with you.
Your voice is essential. You know your body, your needs and your daily routine better than anyone else. That’s why your support team should always involve you when discussing risk. Together, you can:
- Speak up when something does not feel safe
- Help identify new risks as they arise
- Review plans and make changes together
- Ask questions and request support where needed
When you are involved in managing risk, you gain more confidence, independence and control over your supports.
Final Thoughts
Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported. Risk management helps make that possible by reducing dangers and responding quickly when things go wrong. For you, this means a better experience, stronger relationships with your support team and more time focusing on your goals.
When your support workers take the time to plan ahead, ask for your input and keep communication open, you benefit from more personalised, respectful and reliable support.
About Hope & Care Community Services
At Hope & Care Community Services (HCCS), we put your safety and wellbeing first. As a trusted NDIS-registered provider in Queensland, we follow a proactive approach to risk management in every area of support from in-home assistance to community participation, support coordination and more. Our caring team works closely with you to identify risks, make thoughtful plans and ensure you feel confident and supported every step of the way.
Want to learn more? Read other articles :
- Fall Prevention for Older Adults How Physiotherapy & OT Can Help
- Goal Setting for Teenagers and Young Adults
- Foundational Supports: Building Blocks of NDIS Success
HCCS is a registered NDIS provider. Learn more about our services.
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