To enable the visibility of safeguarding data to empower early intervention activity and true assessment results

Background: All serious case (harmful impact) reviews have at their heart problematic issues with information sharing and data visibility across community data systems, typically resulting in incorrect action/intervention at critical points in the Patient/client journey, which could have made significant changes to the eventual outcome.

 

Approach: Currently, there is no method for Community systems, Social care, Police or A&E Services to look up key information on a presented child. They only have potential access to key contact information; however, there may be more to a child’s situation / background that is crucial in making the best-informed decision and subsequent action.

The approach untaken was to enable better use of internal data to facilitate wider visibility of important information.

 

Every safeguarding report into serious harm is clear in pointing out failures in data sharing and decision making. This project improves the quality and immediacy of the information available on the most vulnerable in society by using the data that exists and displaying this data across boundaries and agencies to help with intervention decisions where immediate action is required.

 

This expands access to current data held within the Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS) solution CareDirector, allowing better visibility across the 19 Organisations (health boards and local authority sites) and looks to extend this concept through a data sharing and display hub to those further 10 sites that are currently using different systems extending eventually through to other agencies and Third sector providers across Wales. Thus further development to an All-Wales system is possible with the MAST system granting immediate access to real time quality data shared from all partner sites building a complete client/patient data view to facilitate best action interventions

 

Initial work with shared data views (dashboards) in WCCIS has exposed the Safeguarding data across 19 WCCIS sites. Our data footprint covers 75%(geographically) of Wales’s LA’s and LHB’s resulting in large time savings processing referrals.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Tracker (MAST), developed by Policy in Practice and now being deployed by partners across Wales, extends the WCCIS vision by securely connecting safeguarding headline data across health, police, fire and local authority systems. Used live across South Wales, MAST provides real-time visibility of over a million safeguarding interactions, helping practitioners see who else is involved, act and coordinate support more effectively. Early show time savings of 4+ hours per referral and estimated annual savings of over £2 million, illustrating a privacy-conscious, joined-up approach delivers the best outcomes.

 

Results: Better timed interventions from all agencies.

Professionals equipped with accurate data results in better understanding and informed decision making

Better inter agency co-operation. Cost savings in internal processes. Huge societal savings where cost of harm over lifetimes can be millions

 

Implications: Data Sharing must be fully considered, IG can be problematic and must be engaged early in the process. Data silos should be avoided. Sharing of data fully to prevent harm is a legal requirement. Cost reductions from correctly managed early interventions can save millions if considered in the context of society.