Understand the basics of a Risk Management Plan
A Risk Management Plan (RMP) is a document which states the risks present and the actions currently being taken to manage and monitor risk, as well as those that would occur should the risk be identified as increasing.
The RMP must be of sufficient quality to manage the risks identified. The information in the RMP should be information that can be safely shared with the Service User (SU); if there is additional information that cannot be shared it should be recorded under Information Not to Be Disclosed to the Offender in OASys. And this should be recorded on nDelius under sensitive contact.
Actions within a risk management plan are there to control and minimise the risk of serious harm.
Risk management should be:
Protective of victims
Proportionate to the risks identified
Defensible and realistic.
The format of a risk management plan should be structured to enable understanding by any professional that may need to access it.
The best way to show you how to complete a Risk Management Plan is through an example. Below, you will see a partially completed RMP with prompts under the categories that are in OASys. Please send some time reviewing it so that you become familiar.
Please note, the RMP should not be a rushed piece of work. Also, do not use one word responses and always explain your responses.
Risk Management Plan (prompts)
Current Situation
RO/OM details: <name and phone number> (Probation Office, Street, Shire, Postcode)
- <risk of serious harm assessment and to which group/s> (tier 4)
- OGRS <score> (<high/medium/low>)
- OVP <score> (<high/medium/low>)
- OGP <score> (<high/medium/low>).
Other Agencies Involved
List agency, specific contact/worker and contact details
Examples may include:
Police, Social Care, GP, Mental health worker, Police DAU/PPU, WSW, Housing, VLO, Volunteer agencies.
Existing Support and Controls
Identify the existing support and controls which are already in place. Give details of people/contact numbers and what the support or control is. Link to objectives on the sentence plan where relevant.
CONTROLS (Internal and External) – Examples may include: Police home visits, licence conditions (write details of non-standard conditions in section 5), Probation home visits, curfews, Police registrations, travel restrictions, exclusion zones, AP accommodation.
SUPPORT – Examples may include: Family support, accommodation, education, drug projects, faith groups, GP, mental health worker.
Added Measures for Specific Risks
Identify what still needs to be done in order to manage risk of harm. Give dates that the action should be completed by and who is responsible for the action. Include actions that the offender themselves needs to undertake. Link to objectives on the sentence plan, including future objectives, where relevant.
Examples may include: Offender needing to engage with various agencies, attendance on an accredited programme, disclosure of offences to employer, Police notification of address or Police registration, residence requirements, information sharing with other agencies, meetings with other agencies, referrals which are required.
Who Will Undertake Actions / By When
Identify specific actions by agencies of items which are already in place and ongoing or due to start and the time frame/frequency, these may be actions such as feedback from a weekly home visit
Examples may include: Date of initial home visit, frequency of subsequent home visits, feedback required from programmes or GP or other worker, referrals which are already made and awaiting an appointment, frequency of contact from/with other agencies.
Additional Conditions
List other conditions which are required to manage risk of harm. This mainly refers to non-standard licence conditions.
Level of Contact
State the level of expected contact with the OM and any other professionals who are stated on the RMP as having contact with the offender. Include commencement dates of appointments and frequency where relevant.
Contingency
Using the identified risk factors, state the actions to be taken should any one of them be assessed as becoming acute and at risk of serious harm increasing. If the offender is on licence, state the procedure and SPO contact for recall proceedings.
Examples may include actions to be taken when: Any substance misuse reoccurs, licence conditions are not adhered to, there has been a failure to engage with work or there has been a breach of any Police registrations or restrictions.
Review Date
State the date the RMP is due for review.
Should you wish to use our prompt guide, you can download it free here:
