Recurring concern
Unreliable objective criteria for safety risk assessment
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Request correctionFirst reported 3 Dec 2013•Latest report 7 Apr 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures of generic safety risk-assessment criteria, tools or processes where objective criteria are absent, inconsistently applied, unclear, incomplete or insufficient to support consistent risk ratings across practitioners.
Not included
- Excludes risk assessments belonging to a separately named system, pathway or hazard when that named concern provides the more specific parent boundary.
- Excludes failures limited to recording, communicating or acting on a risk assessment when the assessment criteria themselves are adequate.
- Excludes generic training, staffing or supervision deficiencies unless they directly cause unreliable application or design of the risk-assessment criteria.
- Excludes clinical or operational decisions that do not identify an unsafe deficiency in the objectivity, consistency or clarity of risk-assessment criteria.
- Reports
- 26
- Individual concerns
- 26
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 35
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to use appropriate language when describing situations for risk assessment
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Implement specific descriptive language for observed behaviours and discuss the requirement with prison mental health staff.
Stated by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Work with partners to agree the drafted guidance document through the agreed governance processes.
Stated by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Promote the approved guidance with partners across the North East prison cluster for which the Trust is responsible.
Stated by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to define whether risk assessments record present, chronic and historic risk
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
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Action
Transform clinical risk assessment and management, including new training and electronic risk-assessment documentation.
Stated by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust -
Action
Implement the newly reviewed Trust risk policy and risk summary form across the organisation.
Stated by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust -
Action
Update the Clinical Risk Policy with transition-of-care guidance and risk assessment and reassessment points.
Stated by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
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Action
Deliver updated mandatory training on chronic and fluctuating risk, critical risk periods and transitions in care.
Stated by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust -
Action
Use real case examples with clinicians to improve multidisciplinary understanding of risk and its variability.
Stated by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of objective risk-factor rating in the risk assessment tool
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide sufficient ACCT trigger-event recording and assessment guidance for objective risk assessment
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to consider non-swimmers and poor swimmers in risk assessments
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
The swimming pool is closed, so no one else will be exposed to a similar risk at that facility.
Stated by Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity among staff about falls risk classification
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Data last updated 7 September 2026