Reflections from research - Hazel Kemshall

[00:00:05]Hello, I'm Hazel Kempshaw and I'm currently professor emeritator of criminal justice at Deontford University. I've got over 30 years research experience looking at risk assessment and risk management of uh sexual and violent offenders, evaluating multi- agency public protection procedures, and also looking at community management of high-risisk offenders.

[00:00:39]My first piece of advice would be to use risk assessment tools. These days, they're welld designigned and well evaluated, and they're designed to be more right than wrong. You owe it to the person you are risk assessing to use something that is effective and fair.

[00:00:55]You owe it to the public to use something that is effective for the public's ongoing protection. You owe it to yourself to make the most defensible decision that you can.

[00:01:11]My second piece of advice is remember that risk assessment tools don't do everything. So you have to be able to think about and reflect on the quality of the overall decision that you're making. So for example, do you need more evidence and information? And if you do, you have to seek it. Have you been analytical enough and ask the question, what does this mean when you're confronted with information and behaviors?

[00:01:37]You have to have a professional curiosity and be inquisitive about what's going on. And you you're paid in effect to exercise sound and good judgment about risk. And risk is often a very ongoing and changing concept. So you need to be responsive and flexible.

[00:01:55]You need to be curious and inquisitive.

[00:01:58]You have to ask questions and you have to be prepared to follow them up.

[00:02:07]My final piece of advice is about risk management. Use the most effective interventions and riskmanagement techniques. Focus on the behaviors that cause concern and that create that risk for others. Risk doesn't fall unless people change their behaviors for the better. So you ignore behaviors at your peril.

[00:02:29]Make every effort to check the person's self-report of their behaviors and their self-report about their risk with other people whose view is likely to be more independent and objective. Ensure that any suggestion or in indication of improvement or change for the better is actually fully evidenced. Don't make assumptions that things are improving and don't look at the person through rose tinted glasses.

[00:02:57]Again, serious further offenses show that practitioners often fail to respond to escalating risk and serious consequences can follow. Finally, always seek help and support if you are worried.