Health & Safety
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      Identification and Management of Risk

      When undertaking a booking, the safety of our community is our number one priority. Bookings can happen across various environments and locations so it’s important that Social Carers understand how to identify and manage risks when on every booking.

      Risk management involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and how likely it is to happen. You should always aim to eliminate risks. If you can’t, you must minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

      There are four steps that all Social Carers should remember in order to assess the risk during any booking:

      1. Identify hazards
      2. Assess risks
      3. Control risks
      4. Communicate outcomes.

      1. Identify hazards 


      Before starting and throughout any booking, Social Carers always need to be conscious of what is happening around you and your Member. Keep an eye out for any potential hazards that are around you, or might be present during your booking. 

      Hazards usually arise from:

      • The physical environment (Dangerous weather, pets/animals)
      • Equipment or materials (Playing on the playground, hanging a picture on a wall)
      • Work tasks and how they are performed (Moving shopping, lifting boxes)

      2. Assess risks


      Once a risk has been identified, it then needs to be assessed. This is done by breaking the risk up into two parts:

      1. How likely is it that something will go wrong? Likelihood
      2. What happens if it does go wrong? Consequences

      This can then be mapped against the risk matrix to assess the risk rating.

      3. Control risks

      Once you have the risk rating, there are two ways to control a risk: Elimination or Substitution.

      Eliminate: Remove it completely from the environment or avoid the activity in its entirety.

      Throw away the damaged glass, decide not to go cycling in the rain, get the windscreen of the car replaced. If this is not practical, then…

      Substitute the hazard: Replace it with a safer alternative

      Lift smaller bags of shopping, take a different mode of transport, use a less fragrant cleaner.

      4. Communicate and discuss

      When a risk has been identified and controlled, it is important that this is communicated between the Social Carer and Member so both parties are aware of the risks, and how they have been mitigated or can be avoided. 

      Remember: If any incident occurs throughout any booking, remember that these must be reported to Like Family.

       

      Typical Risks seen on bookings:

      Manual Handling Falls Personal Safety and Security
      Are you lifting appropriately? Are you holding stair handrails? Are there any pets, weapons, or dangerous items in the house?
      Are you avoiding heavy loads? Are walkways free of trip hazards or slippery surfaces? Are you traveling in an unsafe area?
      Do you have the correct equipment for the task?    

       

      If you have any questions. please feel free to contact us at hello@likefamily.com.au.