FOI 24/25-1367 - DISCLOSURE LOG DOCUMENT 28
Identify risks and vulnerabilities
SGP KP Publishing
Exported on 2025-04-28 02:56:46
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Table of Contents
1 Recent updates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 2 Before you start …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 3 Identify risk factors and vulnerabilities ………………………………………………………………….. 6 4 Participant risk factors ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 5 Financial risk factors …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 6 Social risk factors …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 7 Domestic and family violence risk factors ……………………………………………………………. 10 8 Family risk factors ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 9 Plan risk factors ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 10 Health risk factors ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 13 11 Provider risk factors ……………………………………………………………………………………. 14 12 Critical incidents ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15 13 Next steps ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
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This article provides guidance for a planner delegate, local area coordinator, early childhood partner, internal review delegate, participant support officer or complaints officer to identify:
- participant risk factors
- financial risk factors
- social risk factors
- domestic and family violence risk factors
- family risk factors
- plan risk factors
- health risk factors
- provider risk factors.
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1 Recent updates
October 2023
Current guidance.
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2 Before you start
You have read and understood:
- the Guide - Conversation style guide
- Our Guideline – Your plan (external).
If you are completing a check-in case, you have:
- completed the Change in situation screen using article Identify and record a change in situation during a check-in.
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3 Identify risk factors and vulnerabilities
When talking with the participant, you may identify risk factors or vulnerabilities.
Schedule a check-in if you identify the participant has either:
- a priority factor
- multiple secondary factors.
To learn more about check-ins, go to article Understand types of check-ins.
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4 Participant risk factors
Priority factors
If the participant:
- has 3 or more incident reports submitted within a 6-month period
- has severe, chronic and frequent behaviours of concern, including a risk to self and others
- refuses to engage with services, including the NDIA
- has a caregiver who is a barrier to sighting the participant
- is homeless
- is residing in boarding houses or hostels
- is using illicit substances
- has significant psychosocial illness with comorbid disabilities, including concerns relating to suicidalities and self-harming behaviours.
Note: If you receive notification of a critical incident, you must take emergency action immediately. Learn more on the Participant Critical Incidents intranet page.
Secondary factors
If the participant:
- has previously been or is currently involved with the criminal justice system
- has only one provider in their life, for all services including coordination of supports.
Note: This may be the only option in rural and remote areas. Early childhood participants may also have only one provider under the key worker model. - has no regular GP or mainstream supports
- is moving regularly or frequently, and has no fixed address
- lives alone
- is ageing or lives at home with ageing carers, for example 70 years and over.
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5 Financial risk factors
Priority factors
If the participant:
- does not have enough money to meet basic budgetary needs
- controls their own finances and also has other risk factors
- has a history of financial abuse or exploitation.
If another person:
- has forged the participant’s signature
- has accessed the participant’s bank account without permission
- has used the participant’s credit or EFTPOS card without permission
- often uses the participant’s property without permission
- is selling the participant’s possessions without consent and keeping funds after sale
- has coerced the participant into signing for a loan or power of attorney.
Secondary factors
- If the participant is living in poverty. For example, they can’t afford to buy food because their rent was due the same day.
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6 Social risk factors
Social vulnerability can sometime be subtle. It’s important to consider the underlying indicators, and understand how different factors can work together to increase risk and vulnerability.
Priority factors
If the participant:
- is susceptible to coercion, deception or emotional blackmail
- has no, or limited social networks and lacks genuine connection with family, friends and community. For example, they don’t regularly attend a community activity
- has limited decision-making and/or communication capacity due to their intellectual disability or cognitive impairments. But not to the extent they need a guardian or have difficulty communicating their needs and situation
- is engaging in sexual favours in return for money or food
- is unable to be mobile independently and relies on other people to access the community.
Secondary factors
- If the participant is persistently denied outings and activities.
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7 Domestic and family violence risk factors
Priority factors
If the participant:
- has a history or current reports of being at risk of abuse. This may include exposure to family violence
- is being neglected and/or exploited by family or others
- has a direct report of abuse or multiple signs of abuse. For example, burns, bruises, pressure marks and other signs of physical injury
- displays out of character behaviours
- displays changes in mood
- has limited or no informal supports, limited social networks and lacks genuine connection with family, friends and community. For example, they don’t regularly attend a community activity.
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8 Family risk factors
Priority factors
If in the family there are:
- parents with disability and no informal social supports. For example, experiencing social isolation
- children frequently hungry, dirty or unwashed
- children left for long periods without supervision.
Secondary factors
If there are:
- frequent visitors to the home that could pose a risk to the participant
- multiple children in the family with a disability that is not flagged, or they are not in the NDIS or not receiving adequate supports
- multiple people with disabilities in the house and other vulnerability factors
- signs the house is in disrepair or is extremely unclean. For example, signs of faeces or vermin infestations
- parents with intellectual disability and other vulnerability factors.
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9 Plan risk factors
Priority factors
- If Core supports funding has run out before the plan reassessment date, with no or limited use of Capacity Building funding. For example, the participant is running out of short term accommodation funding due to increased behaviours, but there is no behaviour intervention work.
Secondary factors
If the participant has:
- regular changes made to supports and services
- no use or under use of plan funding
- overuse of plan funding
- regular requests to change their plan.
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10 Health risk factors
Priority factors
If the participant:
- has a lack of, or irregular access to health care
- is not accessing a GP at least annually for a review
- is not receiving supports for medical conditions
- has a history of refusing medical treatment.
Secondary factors
- If the participant lacks access to nutritious food.
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11 Provider risk factors
Priority factors
If the participant:
- lacks proper care from a service provider
- often turns away carers or changes providers
- is left for long periods without support when needed
- is denied essential care. For example, not provided support they need at toileting times or left to toilet in their chair or bed.
Secondary factors
- If there is a conflict of interest. For example there is one provider for all funded supports, including coordination of supports, and there are no informal supports.
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12 Critical incidents
If you’re concerned a critical incident has occurred, or is likely to occur, you must follow the reporting process. Learn more on the Participant Critical Incidents intranet page, and in article How to identify and report a critical incident.
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13 Next steps
- To continue with a check-in case, go to article Record risks and vulnerabilities during a check-in.
- To determine the type and severity of any risks you identify, go to article How to complete the risk matrix.
- To understand what safeguards to put in place for the participant, go to Guide – Safeguarding the participant’s interests.
- To understand if a Participant Risk Assessment is needed, go to article Raise a PRA enquiry for review.
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