In safeguarding, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Decisions can mean the difference between safety and harm, between prevention and intervention. Yet, many organisations still operate in a reactive mode- responding to incidents only after they’ve occurred. This reactive approach is not only inefficient but also misses the opportunity to create systems that prevent incidents from happening in the first place.
To truly protect the vulnerable, organisations must embrace a proactive safeguarding strategy. At the heart of this shift is the ability to use data effectively. Data isn’t just numbers; it’s a tool for understanding patterns, uncovering risks, and creating actionable insights. By becoming data-driven, organisations can move from firefighting to foresight, anticipating and mitigating risks before they escalate.
Becoming Data-Driven
Being data-driven means more than simply collecting information. It’s about leveraging data to make informed, timely decisions that change outcomes. This requires spotting patterns that humans might miss, aggregating data at scale, and acting on hard, undeniable facts.
The role of AI and machine learning cannot be overstated in this process. Tools like LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT) are excellent for summarising documents or answering specific questions, but analysing large datasets requires advanced methods like neural networks, linear regression, K-means clustering, and nearest neighbor algorithms. These techniques transform raw data into actionable insights, helping organisations answer critical questions they may not have even considered.
However, the foundation of being data-driven starts long before implementing AI- it begins at data collection. Too often, safeguarding relies heavily on qualitative, unstructured data, such as narrative blocks of text describing incidents. While these narratives provide valuable context, they are difficult to analyse at scale. To unlock the full potential of data-driven safeguarding, organisations must focus on structured data collection
At Patronus, we’ve built our platform to enable this approach. While text-based descriptions remain vital for context, our system prioritises structured data collection through customisable, pre-defined fields. This approach makes data actionable, allowing organisations to aggregate, analyse, and extract meaningful insights at scale.
The Importance of Reporting Lower Severity Concerns
One of the most significant barriers to proactive safeguarding is the misconception that only "big events" matter. In reality, safeguarding isn’t about reacting to a single, isolated incident- it’s about identifying patterns of behaviour and environmental risks over time.
Less serious concerns, while seemingly insignificant on their own, often provide critical context when viewed as part of a larger picture. For example:
- A pattern of minor behavioural issues could signal emerging situation and risk at home before a major incident occurs.
- Repeated reports of discomfort or unease from individuals might highlight underlying cultural or systemic issues that need addressing.
- Multiple small incidents at the same location could indicate a hotspot for risks requiring additional oversight.
Encouraging staff to report everything, no matter how minor, builds a comprehensive dataset that enables organisations to connect the dots. It’s this commitment to thorough reporting that separates reactive organisations from those truly dedicated to prevention of harm.
The Types of Actionable Safeguarding Data
Here are some examples of structured data that can help organisations transition from reactive to preventive safeguarding:
Incident Reporting Data:
- What to Track: Time, location, type of incident, individuals involved.
- Actionable Insights: Spot trends in recurring incidents, identify high-risk locations, and allocate resources more effectively.
Low Severity Concerns:
- What to Track: Minor incidents, behavioural concerns, early signs of bad mental health, near misses, process failures, site security breaches, indicators of discomfort.
- Actionable Insights: Detect patterns that may escalate into larger risks if left unaddressed.
Escalation Timelines:
- What to Track: Time between report and resolution, stages of escalation.
- Actionable Insights: Identify bottlenecks in escalation procedures, ensuring critical concerns are addressed faster.
Training and Awareness Metrics:
- What to Track: Staff participation in training sessions, feedback scores, incident occurrence post-training.
- Actionable Insights: Pinpoint gaps in training effectiveness and refine programmes to address weaknesses.
Preventive Interventions:
- What to Track: Number of concerns flagged before they escalate into serious incidents, outcomes of early interventions.
- Actionable Insights: Measure the success rate of interventions and refine strategies to prevent incidents in future.
Prevention Over Reaction
This proactive approach isn’t just about organisational efficiency or liability- it’s about keeping people safe. For example, Inspiring Learning, one of our clients, exemplifies the power of being data-driven. They’ve cultivated an exceptional safeguarding culture by using Patronus to report concerns in a structured, data-driven manner. By aggregating and analysing their data, they’ve uncovered actionable insights that allow them to refine processes, anticipate risks, and effect real change.
Critically, they’ve also embraced the importance of reporting lower severity concerns. This commitment has allowed them to build a more comprehensive understanding of their safeguarding landscape, ensuring that potential risks are identified and mitigated early. Their story is a testament to why we do what we do: safeguarding isn’t just about reacting to incidents- it’s about preventing them. By prioritising prevention, organisations not only protect individuals but also build trust and a culture of safety.
A Mindset Shift for the Future
If there’s one message to take away, it’s this: being data-driven isn’t about adopting the latest technology for its own sake. It’s about creating systems that enable smarter, faster, and more effective safeguarding. It starts with collecting the right data- including low severity concerns- evolves with actionable insights, and culminates in a culture that values prevention above reaction.
With the right tools and a commitment to using data effectively, organisations can shift from being reactive responders to proactive protectors. Prevention isn’t just a goal- it should become a priority.