ABSTRACT
This chapter explores two dominant themes within mental health care today—risk and recovery. It focuses on professional practice in England where evidence-based practices have had a significant influence on policy makers since the 1990s. The chapter highlights different interpretations of risk and recovery before considering how they have been adopted within mental health law and policy. It shows how risk assessment tools have been developed as a means of improving risk prediction. The chapter considers tensions amongst professionals about the use of such tools. It highlights the way in which policy makers have drawn selectively on professional knowledge, largely emphasising the arguments of professionals in support of risk management tools. The chapter argues that whilst policies set up to enable community care initially placed more responsibility for risk management with the individual, subsequent policies have been adopted to reassure the public that professionals are identifying and managing high-risk groups.
