Issues of Risk
Assignment
The summative assignment, undertaking an essay, makes up 100% of the marks for this module.
The essay should be about 3,500 words in length (plus or minus 10%).
You should note the word count in your submission.
(Title, Appendices and Reference List at end do not contribute to the word limit)
The assignment has to evidence learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3.
These learning outcomes are:
LO1: Critically consider issues underlying the concept of risk in modern society.
LO2. Evaluate how the concept of risk has an impact on policy and practice in a selected area of health, education or social welfare.
LO3. Evaluate risk assessment in a selected area from health, education or social welfare
The essay remit incorporates these learning outcomes.
Essay Remit
The topic is the MMR vaccine. You should provide an evaluation of how risks are assessed and issues surrounding this. For this topic consideration could be given to how different people involved may make an assessment of risk, and what influences this process.
The essay question requires you to provide an analysis of risk assessment for a particular topic from the field of education, health or social welfare.
You should introduce the topic, clarifying in the introduction what you intend to cover and how you propose to do this. You may find it helpful to specify boundaries e.g. in Scotland, in the United Kingdom, or relating to a particular service setting. In your introductory sections you must also incorporate some discussion of the concept of risk. You need to make clear what the perceived risks are. You should discuss how these risks may be assessed -what methods of risk assessment are available/used and who is involved? What are the strengths and weaknesses of methods used to assess risk? What may affect the accuracy of risk assessment, what may go wrong? You should consider government control and intervention and the impact risk assessment has on service delivery.
You need to have a conclusion. The essay should be properly referenced.
Taking account of the remit above please ensure your essay incorporates the following;
- Critical analysis and evaluation of the concept of risk in our modern society.
- The perceived risks in relation to your chosen topic
- How these risks are assessed – methods used and by whom
- Strengths and weaknesses of risk assessment methods used
- Government control and intervention
- The impact which risk and risk assessment has on service delivery
