Improving Risk Management for Disability Support with IoT: A Case Study on WALK
Applicable Functions
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
WALK is a non-profit organization based in Ireland that is dedicated to helping people with disabilities lead more independent lives. Following several years of growth, the charity found itself supporting a larger number of people with disabilities across a wider geographic area. This expansion necessitated the production, sharing, and updating of a larger number of personal risk assessments for the vulnerable adults they support. These assessments, along with person-centered plans, are crucial documents that enable the charity to assist people with disabilities in becoming as independent as possible.
The Challenge
WALK, an Ireland-based charity, was facing challenges in managing the risks associated with supporting a growing number of people with disabilities across a wider geographic area. The organization needed to produce, share, and update a large number of personal risk assessments for the vulnerable adults it supported. These assessments, along with person-centered plans, were crucial in helping the charity to assist people with disabilities in becoming as independent as possible. Initially, WALK opted for a pre-built risk management solution, but it did not meet their needs. The charity was then faced with the decision of whether to try another off-the-shelf package or hire a developer. After evaluating several options, WALK discovered K2 Software and decided to test its cloud solution against two other similar solutions.
The Solution
With the help of an IT partner, WALK implemented the K2 Cloud solution to establish an end-to-end process for creating, sharing, and updating personal risk assessments. This workflow allowed the organization to standardize the format of its personal risk assessments and ensure that confidential personal information was only accessible to approved teams. The scope of the risk management system was also extended to include corporate risk assessments, such as those related to governance and financial management. Furthermore, the risk management process helped WALK to enhance the safety of the vulnerable adults it supports by making personal and corporate risk assessments more current and easily accessible to managers. For instance, the Director of Residential Services could view all risks across 14 residential homes, color-coded, with red indicating the most serious risks. This enabled faster, better-informed decisions to improve the quality of life for people supported by the charity.
Operational Impact
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