Learning to manage risk in public services

Abstract

Managing risk is a growing concern of operational managers who face legislative change, financial constraint, increasing litigation and more rigorous external scrutiny. Describes an approach to helping managers in a social services department to consider and deal more effectively with the risks encountered in day‐to‐day service delivery by focusing their problems in a way which assists in determining effective learning strategies. Identifies, key issues of concern both from the risk management literature and by interviewing managers themselves, alongside the exploration of practical methods of improving effectiveness. These routes enabled learning priorities to be established, which were incorporated in a carefully devised learning programme to help managers in dealing with the complexities of risk in their day‐to‐day work.