Dignity of Risk in Practice

Introduction

Dignity of Risk (DoR) refers to the right of individuals to make their own choices, even if those choices involve risk. The new Aged Care Act and the Statement of Rights requires us to ensure that "every older person has independence, autonomy, empowerment and freedom of choice". This survey aims to understand how Dignity of Risk is perceived, implemented, and managed for individuals within CHSP organisations. Your responses will help identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.

The survey will take approximately 8 mintues to complete. The results will be de-identified and will be used by the National Sector Support & Development Wellness and Reablement Working Group to build sector capacity to apply Dignity of Risk with older people.

The survey will be open until 5.00pm on Wednesday 16 April 2025

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* 1. What is your role in your organisation?

Frontline worker (face-to-face staff)

Team Leader/Supervisor

Senior Management

Policy/Advocacy/Administration

Other (please specify)

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* 2. How familiar are you with the concept of Dignity of Risk?

Extremely familiar

Very familiar

Somewhat familiar

Not so familiar

Not at all familiar

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* 3. Which statement best describes your perspective on Dignity of Risk? (choose one or more options)

It is essential for the wellbeing of the older person and should always be prioritised.

It is important but should be balanced with duty of care.

It is secondary to ensuring safety.

Risk should be avoided.

I am unsure.

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* 4. I work (or have worked) with older people who make choices that put them at:

Physical risk (e.g., health and safety such as falls, self-neglect)

Financial risk (e.g., gambling)

Emotional/social risk (e.g., personal relationships, isolation)

Legal/ethical risk (e.g., such as driving with impairments)

Unsure

Other (please specify)

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* 5. Have you received training on Dignity of Risk?

Yes, in-depth training

Yes, but limited training

No, I have not received training

Not sure

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* 6. Who should be involved in decisions about acceptable risk for an individual (Select all that apply)

The individual receiving services

Families/carers

Frontline staff

Team leaders/Managers

Senior leadership/executive team

External regulatory bodies

Unsure

Other (please specify)

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* 7. Does your organisation have a risk management policy that includes Dignity of Risk?

Yes, and Dignity of Risk is clearly included

Yes, but Dignity of Risk is not clearly addressed

No formal policy exists

Not sure

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* 8. What are the biggest barriers to supporting Dignity of Risk in your organisation? (Select all that apply)

Fear of legal liability

Organisational culture and attitudes towards risk

Pressure from families or carers

Lack of staff training/guidance

Resource limitations (e.g., time, funding, staffing)

Unsure

Other (please specify)

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* 9. What tools/frameworks do you use to support Dignity of Risk? (select all that apply)

Individual risk assessment templates

Client-centred planning tools

Compliance frameworks (legal/regulatory)

Incident reporting systems

Dignity of Risk specific guidelines/policy & procedures/frameworks

Other (please specify)

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* 10. On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you think your organisation balances Duty of Care and Dignity of Risk?

1 (not at all)

moderately well

5 (very well)

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 11. What strategies do you use (or have seen used) to support individuals in making informed choices about risk while maintaining their dignity?

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* 12. Have you ever wanted to support Dignity of Risk but couldn’t? What prevented you?

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* 13. What additional support or training would help you feel more confident in applying Dignity of Risk in practice?

More training on risk assessment

Clearer organisational policies and guidance

Case studies and real-life examples

Stronger leadership support

Collaboration with legal and ethical experts

Other (please specify)

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* 14. To help us better support the sector in navigating Dignity of Risk, may we contact you to discuss this topic further?

Yes

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* 15. Your details (optional)

Name

Role title

Organisation name

Thank you for completing the survey