Identifying and supporting people at risk of poor health, social, or economic outcomes is a complex task. It requires coordination across a range of public sector organisations. Better data standards are essential for identifying people at risk of becoming vulnerable and ensuring they receive the right support, at the right time.
The public sector is increasingly focused on delivering more preventative and personalised services, from identifying emerging needs earlier, to targeting effective health and wellbeing interventions. Local authorities, healthcare providers, emergency services and central government departments must work together to understand risks and provide timely support. Better use of data is critical to improving outcomes, particularly for those most at risk.
Why data standards matter
Public services rely on data to identify risk, allocate resources, and enable early intervention. However, public sector data has historically been fragmented across organisations, making it difficult to build a complete picture of a person's needs. For vulnerable groups, this fragmentation can have serious consequences: individuals may need to repeatedly provide their story, agencies may miss safeguarding risks, and support may be delayed or inconsistent.
Data standards address these issues by creating common definitions, so data means the same thing to everyone. A shared language enables systems to share information securely, supporting consistent governance and data protection practices, and helping teams make better decisions.
The Vulnerabilities Working Group
To tackle these challenges, the Government Digital Service (GDS) has established a Vulnerabilities Working Group under the Data Standards Authority (DSA), in conjunction with iStandUK, a Tameside Council programme that promotes data standards supporting efficiency and transformation of local public services.
The group is developing common data standards that enable better coordination across public services, helping agencies identify risk earlier and respond more effectively. It brings together representatives from central government, local authorities, NHS England, devolved administrations, and external partners.
The group focuses on:
- understanding how different organisations identify and support vulnerable individuals
- developing common definitions, shared concept models, and standardised terminology
- validating these through real-world use cases
- working transparently by publishing meeting notes and documentation.
The SAVVI framework
The DSA and SAVVI have established the group to review and refine concept models, logical data models, and standards ahead of formal endorsement. The group is also developing a taxonomy of risk factors to provide a shared language for identifying vulnerable people.
The group works closely with the DSA's Domain Expert Group for Core Attributes of a Person to develop definitions and standards for commonly recorded data, such as name and date of birth. The outputs of both groups will inform the development of standardised APIs, enabling systems across organisations to exchange data securely.
The SAVVI approach has already delivered real benefits for at‑risk people in Scotland. The Improvement Service used SAVVI to identify families at high risk of poverty and connected them with financial support before they reached crisis point. This demonstrates how better data sharing can help councils intervene earlier, preventing unnecessary hardship while using resources more efficiently.
Balancing intervention with privacy and trust
Working with vulnerability data raises significant ethical and legal challenges. The Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR ensure all personal data held by government is handled lawfully, fairly, and safely.
The Office of the Chief Digital Officer (OCDO) in Government Digital Service has published the Principles for Securing Personal Data in Government Services, giving practical advice for teams working with large, potentially sensitive datasets. The principles focus on building privacy and security in from the start, and set clear standards for who can access data, how much should be collected, and how it can be shared safely, helping maintain public trust while allowing data to support vulnerable people effectively.
GDS has also developed an information governance playbook, inspired by the SAVVI Information Governance Framework. This will be published shortly and tested through vulnerability use cases, ensuring better data sharing does not undermine privacy or trust.
Towards joined-up public services
The government's work on vulnerability data standards reflects a shift towards preventative and person-centred services. Standardised data models and interoperable systems aim to enable earlier identification of risk, reduce duplication, improve coordination of interventions, and provide better insight into service effectiveness. As the SAVVI and DSA partnership matures, data standards are likely to become foundational infrastructure for safeguarding and supporting vulnerable citizens across the public sector.
To find out more about SAVVI or contribute to the Vulnerabilities Working Group or Domain Expert Group, visit the SAVVI website, sign up to the SAVVI mailing list or contact the Data Standards Authority at data-standards-authority@dsit.gov.uk.
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