Managing risk in social care in the United Kingdom

The publication of a Risk Framework by the English Department of Health highlights government awareness of the problems of managing risk in a climate of criticism that societies are risk averse. The Framework addresses itself to social care but has wider resonance with labour market regulation, and the accreditation of provider organizations. This Editorial notes the status of the document and its avowed focus on practice. It predicts areas where there will be surges of interest: the greater formalization of practice, more attention to the legal interfaces of social care, and the continual search for tools and structures to contain risks.