Serious Risk Prevention and the new national guidance on preventing choking deaths
- Emma Reeve
- Jul 5
- 1 min read
On 1 July 2026, national guidance was launched in Parliament: The Good Practice Guide: Preventing Choking Deaths Among People with a Learning Disability. Published by Care England and hosted by Gregory Stafford MP, alongside the CQC and Learning Disability England, it sets out what good choking prevention looks like across social care, supported living and community settings. Emma Reeve, who leads Serious Risk Prevention (SRP), demonstrated the practical toolkit that accompanies the guide.
Choking is one of the most persistent and preventable causes of serious harm and death among people with a learning disability. The evidence shows the same pattern again and again. The warning signs are usually there, but they get missed, not acted on, or not followed through. Risk is treated as static when it is dynamic. It shifts with health, fatigue, environment, medication and routine.
This is exactly what Serious Risk Prevention exists to address. SRP goes into services, observes normal shifts, and leaves dated, named, defensible controls on the risks most likely to cause serious harm. It turns guidance like this into what actually happens on shift, rather than another document on a shelf.
If you are accountable for high-harm risk and want an honest view of where choking and other serious risks are genuinely under control, SRP can help.