Disputed Support Plans and the Risk Management Escalation Processes

13.1    Assessors and support planners will, in the majority or cases, have been successful in identifying risks and negotiating solutions (control measures) with people to manage those risks to within the agreed level of “moderate” – the support plan will detail this and will be signed off by a team manager. However, if a proposed solution within a support plan is considered inadequate to manage an identified risk the support planner must discuss this with the person concerned and any involved carer/family/advocate to see if the situation can be resolved. If discussions have failed to reach an acceptable conclusion, decision-making should be escalated to the Locality Panel or Community Manager who can seek the advice and support of the Locality Manager. 

13.2    If deemed appropriate, a Senior Practitioner, Manager, Locality Panel, Community Manager or Locality Manager may convene a Risk Management Meeting. The purpose of a Risk Management Meeting is to provide a safe and supportive environment where risks can be openly discussed and participants can negotiate ways of managing risks to acceptable levels.
 
13.3    Participants should include all relevant parties, for example:

•  Admin support to minute discussion and decisions
• The person who will be the subject of the discussion (including their carer or advocate, including IMCA) 
• The assessor 
• The support planner 
• Other members of the multi-disciplinary team as required 
• The team manager 
• Staff from the relevant service area, both in-house or external provider 
• A member of the safeguarding team 
• Any other relevant organisation 

13.4    The relevant Manager is responsible for arranging and chairing the Risk Management Meeting and for communicating learning from the Risk Management Meeting to other managers, practitioners and Commissioning Colleagues as appropriate.