Schools - violent, aggressive and dangerous behaviour: risk assessment guidance
This guidance provides clarity to local authorities and educational settings on appropriately using risk assessment processes to mitigate or minimise violent, aggressive, and dangerous behaviours exhibited by children and young people at school.
Appendix 7: Key Terminology Defined
Assessment – An ongoing process of gathering, structuring, and taking a holistic approach to making sense of information about a child’s behaviour, and their circumstances, to inform decisions about the actions.
Child’s Plan – A non-statutory single or multi-agency plan which outlines a child’s wellbeing needs and how they are to be supported; required only when identified wellbeing needs cannot be met without one or more targeted intervention.
Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) – A statutory plan to ensure provision of services for children, whose additional support needs arise from complex, or multiple factors, which have a significant effect on their education and are likely to last at least a year, and require support by a local authority and at least one other non-education service.[48]
Control measure (defined by HSE) – Any measure designed to reduce the risk of a hazard occurring.
Hazard (defined by HSE) – Anything with the potential to cause harm.
Health and Safety Risk Assessment – A suitable and sufficient assessment than an employer is required to conduct under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for the purpose of identifying appropriate measures to ensure health and safety of employees and persons other than employees to who health and safety risks may arise out of the employer’s business.
Holistic – Addresses the whole child and his/her circumstances, rather than focusing on specific isolated aspects. An approach that considers the full range of needs that influence a child’s healthy development and wellbeing.
Risk (defined by British Safety Council) -The likelihood and the severity of a negative occurrence (injury, ill-health, damage, loss) resulting from a hazard.
Risk Assessment (defined by British Safety Council) – In the context of a health and safety a risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards and evaluating any associated risks within a workplace, then implementing reasonable control measures to remove or reduce them.
Risk Assessment Plan (defined by HSE) – In the context of health and safety a risk assessment plan is a step-by-step process for controlling health and safety risks caused by hazards in the workplace after a health and safety risk assessment has been conducted.
Staged intervention – A structured process used as a means of identification, assessment, planning, recording and review to meet the needs of children and young people in education.
Support plan – A plan which sets out timescales, responsibilities and services required to meet a child’s assessed needs. Plans can be referred to as Wellbeing, Behaviour, or Personal Learning plans, Risk Assessment Plan, Child’s Plan or Coordinated Support Plan (CSP).
Violence (defined by HSE) – Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.