When Risk Outweighs Happiness: A Reflection on Restrictive Practices and Human Rights in Support Services

By Rhiannon Ansemous

Introduction

Across the UK, individuals with autism and learning disabilities are supported by services that are expected to promote safety, wellbeing, and a meaningful life. Yet in many settings, the concept of “risk” has become a dominant organising force—often at the expense of autonomy, dignity, and happiness (Beadle-Brown et al., 2016; CQC, 2020). When risk management eclipses a person’s right to joy, connection, and agency, the result is not safety, but stagnation and suffering (LaVigna & Willis, 2012; McGill et al., 2010).

Services that prioritise compliance and containment over emotional safety often inadvertently contribute to increased distress and long-term dysregulation (Allen et al., 2011). Repeated restrictions, even when well-intended, can retraumatise individuals—particularly those with a history of loss, trauma, or unmet emotional needs (Bloom & Farragher, 2011). The very systems meant to provide support can become sources of harm when the drive to eliminate risk outweighs the effort to understand it.

This article explores the psychological and systemic implications of risk-dominant service cultures. It centres around the anonymised story of Daniel, a 40-year-old man with autism and learning disabilities whose distress behaviours escalated in response to unacknowledged trauma and mounting environmental restrictions. Drawing on psychological theory, trauma-informed practice, and human rights principles, this article argues for a shift in culture: from containment to compassion, from risk avoidance to relational safety (McDonnell, 2019; NICE, 2015; British Institute of Human Rights, 2020).

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