Risk Management Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to a range of common questions from State authorities about the State Claims Agency's risk management service. These frequently asked questions are reviewed and updated regularly.
The Enterprise Risk Management Unit consists of a multidisciplinary team comprising engineers, health and safety professionals and scientists, who are specialists in the area of enterprise risk management (including governance, insurance and indemnity, health and safety, environmental management, fire safety, maintenance and facilities management, procurement risk, public health etc). We work to minimise the incidence of claims against State authorities. We also have an administrative team to help deliver our work programme.
State authority risk personnel have a designated Enterprise Risk Management Unit contact to liaise with on risk matters. Where you do not know your Enterprise Risk Management Unit contact, or for general queries, please get in touch by using our contact form or via stateclaims@ntma.ie.
Risk management services are coordinated through each State authority’s Enterprise Risk Management Unit contact. General queries can be sent to stateclaims@ntma.ie.
A risk management system audit is a systematic examination to determine whether the State authority’s risk management governance and systems conform to planned arrangements and is implemented effectively and suitable for managing its risks.
Our audit service is certified to ISO 9001 and all team members are lead auditor qualified. The Enterprise Risk Management Unit carry out risk management system audits in line with OHSAS 18001, ISO 45001 and ISO 31000.
In addition, it conducts risk reviews which are tailored to client requirements and their systems and processes.
The Enterprise Risk Network is a professional network for risk management professionals in the State sector in Ireland, which is facilitated by the Enterprise Risk Management Unit in the State Claims Agency.
The Enterprise Risk Network has proven to be an effective vehicle for State authorities and the State Claims Agency to engage with each other in relation to the key enterprise risk management issues impacting the State. The Enterprise Risk Network also has a knowledge-sharing function whereby individual members can share learnings, insights and experience, as well as join in discussions with other State authorities.
The State Claims Agency’s Enterprise Risk Network Recognition Awards celebrate best practice enterprise risk management in the State sector. The Enterprise Risk Network Recognition Awards are aimed at State authorities covered under the General Indemnity Scheme.
The Awards showcase the progress of organisations and their commitment to continuous improvement in the area of risk management to colleagues and management, peer organisations, the State Claims Agency and other external stakeholders.
The State Claims Agency's Enterprise Risk Management Unit periodically review all new claims and incidents of concern using NIMS, the National Incident Management System. The purpose of these reviews is to identify possible opportunities for learning and improvement to help prevent future incidents and claims arising within State authorities. From time to time, your Enterprise Risk Management Unit contact may reach out to you following an incident and claim risk review to ensure that all appropriate steps are being taken to fully investigate/review incidents and implement any recommendations arising.
To help determine key risk projects, the Enterprise Risk Management Unit reviews State authorities covered under the General Indemnity Scheme and consider their governance maturity, potential exposures and where claims may arise, themes arising from audits/reviews, and recurring risk/indemnity related issues that arise. This allows it to consider a client-specific project or national projects, where similar risks arise across State authorities.
The Clinical Risk Unit is a multidisciplinary team comprising professionals from a range of clinical, research and legal backgrounds. It works to improve patient/service user safety and thereby reduce the risk of claims against health and social care services. It also has an administrative team to help deliver our work programme.
Health and social care services have a designated Clinical Risk Advisor to liaise with on clinical risk matters. The Clinical Risk Advisor is a member of the Clinical Risk Unit. For general queries or in in the event that you do not know your Clinical Risk Unit contact, please get in touch by using our contact form or via stateclaims@ntma.ie.
Health and social care services are welcome to send requests through our contact form or by email to stateclaims@ntma.ie. Requests for clinical risk advice or education and training sessions will be reviewed by a member of the Clinical Risk Unit.
The Clinical Risk Unit conducts ongoing surveillance of incidents reported on NIMS related to the care of patients/service users. It also undertake more in-depth analysis of specific issues and derives learning from the analysis of claims. It shares learning from this analysis with health and social care services through a variety of means, including by publishing reports, issuing Patient Safety Notifications, developing learning resources such as the Clinical Risk Educational Video Series and the Clinical Risk Insights newsletter, delivering its annual webinar and events programme, and liaising directly with the relevant health and social care services.
Sharing learning from the analysis of incidents and claims is central to the work of the Clinical Risk Unit. It provides education and training for health and social care personnel and students in higher education institutions.
Education and training content is informed by data analysis, current national standards and policies, professional regulatory requirements, relevant medico-legal case law and relevant research. It aims to ensure that education and training is tailored to suit the audience.
You can also check out our State Authority Learning and Events hub to keep up-to-date on our upcoming conferences, webinars and other learning events organised by the Clinical Risk Unit.
The Clinical Risk Unit's education and training programme covers a range of topics including, but not limited to:
- Incident management and reporting, including use of NIMS, the National Incident Management System, and the National Incident Report Forms (NIRFs)
- Clinical risk issues, such as documentation and consent
It has also developed a range of self-learning learning resources on key topics such as the Clinical Risk Educational Video Series and the Clinical Risk Insights newsletter. The Clinical Risk Unit delivers an annual schedule of learning webinars and events for health and social care professionals. If you would be interested in joining the mailing list for these learning events, get in touch with stateclaims@ntma.ie.
Many of the education and training sessions and other learning events are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits.
Clinical Risk Insights is the regular newsletter issued by the Clinical Risk Unit of the State Claims Agency for health and social care workers in Ireland. View past editions here.
We produce and disseminate a range of guidance documents, articles, notifications and reports for the health and social care services to enhance learning, for example, Patient Safety Notifications, Clinical Risk Educational Video Series and Clinical Risk Insights. These are published on our State Authority Learning and Events hub, as well as being issued directly to stakeholders.
We hold various general education and training events annually, such as seminars and webinars. These events are of broad interest to a range of health and social care personnel and other stakeholders.
Check out our State Authority Learning and Events hub to keep up-to-date on our latest events.
If you are employed in a health and social care service covered by State indemnity, you can also sign up to receive our emails by getting in touch through our contact form or via stateclaims@ntma.ie.
