Agencies need better capabilities to connect the dots and help them spot the early signs of abuse and act on them, writes Natalie Sands, Justice Advisor at NEC Digital Studio.
Joined up data is critically important in tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), but solving the multi-agency data sharing problem is the holy grail of public services.
Piecing together isolated fragments of information from statutory bodies, private organisations and specialist providers to build a coherent story is incredibly challenging.
It’s not because these organisations don’t hold enough data, but because they lack the capabilities to help them share that data in a timely way, safely and purposefully, so they can identify the warning signs of VAWG and intervene early to prevent abuse.
Multi-agency data sharing is a system-wide problem, and creating a system-wide solution is a challenge. But it’s a goal we have to work towards to protect women and children from harm. These are some of the steps involved in achieving that goal.
Recognising indicators of risk
A lot of small warning signs can appear insignificant on their own, but together they create a full picture of measured risk – a red flag - that needs attention. The challenge is knowing where those small signs fit into a larger pattern of violence or abuse.
If a woman tells her GP she is too anxious to leave her home, that information alone might not meet the threshold to be a risk marker. However, if we could link this to the safeguarding concern raised when the woman’s child became quiet and withdrawn at school, or the police were called to an address, it would start to ring alarm bells.
Likewise, low-level changes in a perpetrator’s behaviour might not seem unduly concerning – an aggressive outburst at work, a missed anger management session, or a neighbour’s complaint about a noisy argument. But viewed together could suggest an escalation of violence.
Too many opportunities for early intervention are missed, not because individuals haven’t tried to flag risk, but because the mechanisms weren’t there to pull the risk markers together. Sadly, those missed opportunities can lead to devastating outcomes – an independent review of the Sara Sharif case suggested that it was the system that failed to keep her safe.
However, technology is offering new possibilities to connect seemingly fragmented information from multiple datasets, and to make the links we’ve previously missed. Meanwhile, organisations involved in addressing VAWG are increasingly recognising how their individual pieces of information could form part of a wider pattern.
Experts round the table
Data sharing is an enabler of effective collaboration, not just a technological solution. It helps bring the right people together to share information, build a common understanding of the signs of risk, and agree on the action needed to respond.
However, getting the right people round the table at a multi-agency safeguarding meeting isn’t always as easy as it sounds, particularly when the people involved in tackling VAWG are already stretched to the limit with high caseloads and complex cases.
We need to create the conditions for relevant information to be shared across social care, the local authority and schools, ensuring that a broad and joined-up picture of each case can be built. Then, the right people can review the complete information, apply their professional judgement and make informed decisions about the most appropriate action, knowing that no vital information has been missed.
Specialist agencies, including domestic abuse services, third-sector organisations and victim support services, play a vital role in statutory safeguarding processes. Their expertise and direct insight into victims’ experiences are essential to building a fuller understanding of risk, ensuring the voices of women and families are heard, and informing decisions about the support they need. It is important that these agencies’ contributions are recognised, valued and embedded in safeguarding processes, so their knowledge continues to inform effective, coordinated responses.
That’s why NEC Digital Studio is working closely with the specialist and statutory sectors to explore systems that support the essential processes of information sharing, triaging and decision-making.
Insight for intervention
Earlier information sharing, both through connected data and informed conversations, will enable practitioners to step in early to protect a woman at risk, or help a perpetrator make positive changes to their behaviour.
However, as agencies have evolved over time, differences have emerged in how they work, including how they record and share data, the terminology they use and the thresholds they apply when assessing risk. These inconsistencies can make it harder to build a consistent, joined-up picture of risk across agencies
With a whole system sharing information in a uniform way, everyone could work to the same set of principles. It would also provide clarity on how to intervene in a situation where someone is at risk of VAWG, and when to escalate a case to the police.
Some of the tools to help practitioners identify who’s at high risk of harm are a good example of this. DASH (Domestic Abuse Stalking and Harassment) is a checklist that helps police and other agencies assess the level of domestic abuse a person is exposed to. While DARA (Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment) helps responding police officers identify abuse.
Tools like these are instrumental in creating an agreed understanding and terminology for VAWG.
It will take time, resources and the collaboration of experts to achieve interoperability between systems and enable multi-agency data sharing. But in the meantime, organisations are taking great strides towards supporting early intervention to keep women and families safe.
