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A personal risk assessment is an individual-level evaluation designed to identify whether a specific person faces increased risks due to their health, personal circumstances, or work environment. Unlike general workplace risk assessments, which apply to all employees, personal risk assessments focus on unique vulnerabilities such as disability, pregnancy, age, medical conditions, or mental health issues.

These assessments are essential for ensuring that reasonable adjustments are made to protect individuals and comply with legal obligations like the Equality Act 2010 (UK) or similar legislation elsewhere. The goal is not to exclude individuals but to support inclusion, safety, and wellbeing by tailoring controls to individual needs.

When Is a Personal Risk Assessment Required?

You should carry out a personal risk assessment in the following situations:

✔ An employee discloses a medical or health condition (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, mental health conditions).
✔ An employee is pregnant or has recently given birth — this is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions once notified in writing.
✔ A worker has a disability or impairment, including sensory, neurological, or physical challenges.
✔ A young or inexperienced worker is hired.
✔ After a near-miss or incident involving a specific individual.
✔ When an employee raises safety concerns related to their personal circumstances.
✔ During major job or workplace changes that may affect an individual differently.

Key Steps in Conducting a Personal Risk Assessment

Identify Hazards: Look at physical, chemical, ergonomic, psychosocial, and environmental hazards present in the workplace or daily life.
Determine Who Is at Risk: Focus on the individual, but also consider how others (colleagues, clients, family) might be affected.
Evaluate the Risk: Assess both the likelihood and severity of harm using a consistent scale (e.g., low, medium, high).
Implement Control Measures: Apply the hierarchy of controls:

Elimination (remove the hazard)
Substitution (replace with safer option)
Engineering controls (e.g., machine guards)
Administrative controls (e.g., adjusted hours, training)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (last resort)

Document Findings: Keep records of the assessment and actions taken.
Communicate: Share results with the individual and relevant staff, ensuring confidentiality and sensitivity.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Employers have a legal duty to protect vulnerable workers and make reasonable adjustments under laws such as the Equality Act 2010. Failure to conduct proper assessments can lead to breaches of health and safety law and employment law.

Ethically, assessments must be:

Person-centred: Involve the individual in decision-making.
Evidence-based: Avoid assumptions; use data from incidents, observations, or medical input.
Least restrictive: Choose options that preserve the person’s independence, choice, and human rights.
Confidential: Respect privacy while balancing safety needs.

If there are concerns about mental capacity, a formal assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 may be required. Even if someone lacks capacity, their wishes, feelings, and beliefs must still guide decisions made in their best interests.

Examples of Personal Risks

Risk Category	Examples
Health/Impairment	Slips/falls, inability to cook safely, medication mismanagement
Environmental	Poor housing, fire risks, hoarding, unsafe sanitation
Medication	Wrong dosage, overdose, interactions, self-harm risk
Substance Use	Impaired judgment, financial instability, neglect
Abuse/Neglect	Exploitation, domestic violence, self-neglect
Social/Emotional	Isolation, aggression, refusal to engage in care

These risks should be assessed with transparency and support, helping individuals make informed choices about taking risks that may enhance their wellbeing.

Review and Monitoring

Risk is dynamic, not static. Personal risk assessments must be:

Reviewed regularly
Updated after any change in health, role, or environment
Monitored proactively by all staff involved

A review ensures that control measures remain effective and that new risks are identified early. In care settings, the assessment should be part of the individual’s support plan and accessible to all relevant personnel.

Remember: the aim is not to eliminate all risk — risk-taking is part of growth and independence — but to manage it safely and positively.

Personal budgetsFebruary 19, 2026

Personal budgets and the types to choose from

Why should we budget in the first place?

People should budget to gain control over their finances, avoid debt, and achieve financial goals.

Key reasons include:

Track income and expenses to ensure spending aligns with earnings.
Prioritize savings for emergencies, retirement, or big purchases like vacations.
Prevent overspending by distinguishing between needs and wants.
Prepare for emergencies with a dedicated fund (typically 3–6 months of expenses).
Reduce financial stress and improve overall well-being.
Reach long-term goals such as buying a home, traveling, or retiring comfortably.

Even millionaires budget to maintain wealth and avoid lifestyle inflation.

Some budgets include tithing or giving because it reflects personal values, promotes generosity, and is often a financial priority for individuals, especially in faith-based communities.

Key reasons:

Values Alignment: Budgeting for giving helps align spending with personal or religious beliefs (e.g., tithing 10% of income).
Intentional Generosity: It ensures charitable contributions are consistent and planned, rather than impulsive or overlooked.
Financial Discipline: Treating giving as a fixed expense encourages discipline, similar to savings or bills.
Emotional and Social Impact: Regular giving can increase gratitude, reduce materialism, and support causes that matter.

As noted in many financial guides, many recommend starting the budget with giving, reinforcing its importance alongside savings and essential expenses. Many super wealth individuals teach their children the art of giving to ensure their success by using this time old principle.

The 50/30/20 Budget

This method divides your after-tax income into three categories:

50% for Needs: Rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments.
30% for Wants: Dining out, entertainment, hobbies, subscriptions.
20% for Savings and Debt Repayment: Emergency fund, retirement, vacation fund, extra debt payments.

Holiday expenses fall under savings or wants, depending on whether they’re planned. For example, setting aside $100/month into a “Holiday Fund” ensures you’re not scrambling in December

Zero-Based Budgeting

Every dollar is assigned a job—whether it’s for spending, saving, or debt repayment. At the end of the month, your income minus allocations equals zero.

You can create categories like:

Holiday Savings
Gifts
Travel Fund
Emergency Fund
Vacation

This method gives full control over your money and ensures savings aren’t an afterthought.

Envelope Budgeting

This tactile method involves allocating cash into labeled envelopes for each spending category. While traditionally physical, digital versions exist (e.g., apps like YNAB or Monefy).

You can have envelopes for:

Groceries
Utilities
Entertainment
Holiday Fund
Vacation
Savings

When the envelope is empty, no more spending in that category.

Pay-Yourself-First Budget

In this approach, you prioritize savings by transferring a set percentage (e.g., 20%) of your income to savings or investment accounts immediately after payday.

Common allocations:

20% to savings (including holiday fund)
50% to needs
30% to wants

This ensures you save consistently and treat savings like a non-negotiable expense.

Sample Monthly Budget

Category	Amount ($)	Notes
Income
Salary (After-Tax)	$3,500
Freelance Income	$2,250
Total Income	$5,750

Living Expenses
Rent / Mortgage	$2,000
Utilities	$200
Phone / Internet	$100
Insurance	$40
Transit / Car	$300
Groceries	$400
Clothing	$100
Other	$300
Total Living Expenses	$3,440

Personal & Entertainment
Meals / Take-Out	$200
Hobbies / Subscriptions	$100
Gifts	$100
Travel / Vacation Fund	$200	Holiday savings
Total P/Ent Expenses	$600

Payments
Credit Card	$100
Total Payments	$100

Savings
Emergency Fund	$500
Investments	$410
Total Monthly Savings	$1,110	Includes vacation

All values above are guesstimates and should be substituted by your real values

Summary

Total Expenses (Living + Food + P/Ent + Payments): $4,640
Total Income: $5,750
Remaining: $1,110 → Allocated to Savings (20% of income)

This budget follows the 50/30/20 rule:

50% Needs: $2,890 (Living + Payments + Groceries + Transit)
30% Wants: $900 (Personal & Entertainment)
20% Savings: $1,110 (including $200/month for holiday)