Catherine Evers and Nigel Pilling review ways to achieve best practice in assessment and care provision for clients who may put themselves or others at risk

Since 2008, a group of professionals in the UK have collaborated to implement national guidelines on working with people who exhibit challenging behaviours in their region. They have established a formulation planning process for use throughout the region, an audit of clients placed out of area, and a good-practice standards checklist for care managers and social workers to use at annual review. The professionals are also working with commissioners to ensure that the formulation planning process is audited annually, and that the checklist is used at reviews, on entry to new placements and in community teams.