Care and Risk Management (CARM)

Care and Risk Management (CARM) is proposed as a best practice formal risk management process which must be underpinned by the principles of risk practice through a child-centric lens. Aims and objectives of CARM:

• To manage the assessed risk of harm;
• To highlight to appropriate agencies individual children who present a risk of serious harm to others;
• To ensure that a relevant risk assessment is undertaken in relation to a child considered to present a risk of serious harm;
• To share information in a multi-agency forum about the risk of serious harm presented by a child's behaviours;
• To identify risk scenarios which consider the nature of risk, how and when risk might present, and who may be at risk from the harm the child's behaviour may present;
• To identify strengths and protective factors which can support the delivery of individual and effective risk management strategies to reduce harmful behaviours and build capacity within the child;
• To implement risk management measures that are constructive and individualised, bearing in mind the principle of proportionality, the best interests of the individual as well as their physical and mental
  wellbeing, and development and circumstances of the case;
• To ensure that the child's social, developmental and psychological needs should be addressed within the context of decisions about risk management strategies; and,
• To ensure that, through the completion of risk assessment(s) and the linked development of risk management strategies, there is an appropriate multi-agency response to the child's behaviour to support effective public protection and victim safety planning.

Find out more about CARM guidance in the Scottish Government framework for risk assessment management and evaluation.