Shared garden risk assessment

I have now written a risk assessment in preparation for our meeting tomorrow. Hoping it does the trick.

I am posting said risk assessment here for the benefit of the bored and the insomniac. Oh, and Jill.

Wish us luck. Or pray. Whichever is your wont...

Risk Assessment – Shared Garden

Introduction

The garden area of 11 **** Road, home of prospective adopters Catherine and Andrew Cowell, shares a garden space with number 10 **** Road. This situation, whilst posing a small amount of risk, provides considerable benefits to any children who may be placed here.

There are real drawbacks to taking an overly cautious approach to this matter and considerable advantages to the current arrangement. The purpose of this document, therefore, is firstly to outline those risks benefits and secondly to propose control measures to effectively manage those risks.

Utilising shared open space is a normal and desirable part of growing up. Access to parks, playgrounds and the countryside are some examples. Moreover, shared garden arrangements are not unusual. Families who live in flats, for example, have access only to shared outside space. There are many parts of the world where private outside space would be considered an unimaginable luxury. Catherine grew up in a home with a shared garden and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

It is important to note that even if there was a fence in place, the outside space of this row of houses is not entirely private, as there is a right of way through the gardens in order to facilitate entrance to the gardens from outside.

This document is written following conversations both with Pat Arthur, social work manager, an advisor from the British Association of Adoption and Fostering and our neighbours, M*** and L***.

Benefits of shared garden area

· More than 75% of the garden area currently available to number 11 Earls Road, actually belongs to number 10 Earls Road. The current arrangement therefore provides a large, outside play area which would not otherwise be available.

· The neighbours, at number 10, are a key part of Catherine and Andrew’s support network. The shared garden provides lots of informal opportunities for socialising, chatting and accessing support that would not happen were the garden areas to be private.

· A shared garden provides opportunities for socialising with both children and adults which would not otherwise be available.

· The community atmosphere engendered is very positive and a considerable enhancement to quality of life.

Drawbacks to putting up a fence

· The loss of most of the currently available outside space.

· The loss of the informal support and neighbourly contact that currently occurs.

· The loss of a sense of shared community.

· The danger of alienating our neighbours at a time when a strong support network is most important.

Risks

· Health and safety of the area is not under the sole control of Catherine and Andy.

· Possible unsupervised contact between adopted children and adults who have not undergone CRB checks.

· It is not possible to control who visits number 10 and uses the garden. This poses the potential risk of contact with adults who are not known to Catherine and Andy.

· There may be risks posed by the adopted children, to other children playing in the garden area.

Control Measures

The first, and most important control measure, is simply the recognition by all concerned that the garden area is not, and cannot be treated as if it were, a solely private outdoor space. Alongside that, is the understanding that any children placed are potentially vulnerable and may engage in behaviour that puts them or others at risk.

Potential practical measures to control the risk are as follows:

· It is strongly suggested that L*** and M*** undergo CRB checks. L*** has already done this in order to facilitate voluntary work at a local high school. Both are willing to undergo CRB checks should this be appropriate.

· Before allowing access to the garden, parents will check the area to ensure that it is safe, and no physical hazards have appeared since last time.

· Parents will check whether the neighbours are at home and therefore potentially using the garden, before children go out to play.

· Assuming that the neighbours have undergone CRB checks, parents will monitor who is in the garden. If the neighbours are there with visitors, parents will either sit in the garden with the children or ensure that they have a clear view of what is happening in the garden from the house.

· The neighbours have been made aware of the issues with which an adopted child may present, in order to enable them to keep their grandchildren safe.