Enabling Risk – Putting Positives First

Enabling Risk: Putting Positives First has been developed specifically for disability support workers. Enabling people to take risks is an integral part of disability support work.

It is also important that practice leaders, frontline managers, senior managers are aware of the essentials of enabling risk outlined in this resource as they play a significant role in creating the right environment for support workers to put risk enablement into practice. ​This resource is designed to provide an introduction to enabling risk.

You will be introduced to the ways you can support people with cognitive disabilities, including people with intellectual disabilities and acquired brain injury, to make choices and be involved in activities that may involve some risk while minimising potential harm to themselves or others. There are many positives in supporting people with cognitive disabilities to participate in positive risk taking. Working from a risk enablement approach ensures that you provide empowering support that enables the people you support to live an engaged and meaningful life.

This online learning resource is based on review of research about risk and from piloting these materials with disability support workers and people with intellectual disability.

This online learning resource was led by Professor Christine Bigby and Professor Jacinta Douglas from the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University. This work was supported with funding from the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services (NSW FACS). Material presented was developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders including staff from the Living with Disability Research Centre, and industry partners Unisson Disability (formerly Sunshine) and the New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability (NSW CID).