Across public services, data about people at risk is captured in different ways, by different organisations, using different systems. This fragmented approach can delay support for people who need help quickly. A frontline housing officer may hold information that social care employees cannot access. A GP may spot early signs of risk a local council cannot act upon. A school safeguarding team may have insight no other agency has. Without a shared approach, these signals remain disconnected.
Identifying people who may be at risk requires a joined-up, multiagency approach, underpinned by more consistent use of data across the public sector.
The next step is agreeing a shared approach. To support this, the Vulnerabilities Working Group has published the Alpha release of the Vulnerabilities Data Standards, now available on GOV.UK.
Ben Cheetham, Deputy Director, Local Digital, MHCLG, said:
"We hear time and again how the lack of consistent access to data hampers a council's ability to identify and provide the right support to people at risk. The Vulnerabilities Data Standards reflect a collaborative approach, supporting earlier intervention while respecting local decision-making and diverse local needs."
How the Standards were developed
These standards are the result of collaboration across central government, local councils, and partners in the SAVVI (Scalable Approach to Vulnerability Via Interoperability) programme. SAVVI brings together organisations working to share data more effectively to help people who need support. They are developing shared artefacts to help organisations capture, understand and lawfully share the minimum data needed to support people at risk.
The SAVVI standard was developed by iStandUK - a not-for-profit organisation that supports data standards in public services - with funding and support from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Local Digital programme. It helps organisations combine multiple data sources to identify people at risk earlier and refer them to the right services. It is designed to work alongside other standards, such as Open Referral UK standard, which provides a consistent way to describe and publish information about services.
MHCLG is now supporting a joint SAVVI and Open Referral UK pilot with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, testing how the standards work across organisational boundaries and capturing lessons to inform adoption across England.
How the Standards work
1) Data models for vulnerability
Conceptual and logical data models help organisations think through the journey of a person at risk and the minimum data required to support them. Developed through the SAVVI programme and refined by the cross-government Vulnerabilities Working Group, they set out:
* how organisations can capture consistent information about people and households
* how to structure data to support multiagency exchange
* principles for lawful, ethical and transparent data sharing
Laura Sato, Assistant Director, Data Architecture, NHS England, said:
“The publication of the Vulnerabilities data models for use across public sector services is an exciting achievement of the SAVVI programme and sets the foundation for improved collaborative service planning and reduced effort in identifying people who need support.”
2) Taxonomy of risk factors
Our taxonomy is a reference list of individual risk factors that may apply to a person or household, deliberately designed to support proportionate data sharing. For example, rather than sharing a full date of birth, an organisation can indicate that a person is over State Pension age.
The taxonomy provides clear definitions, a structured hierarchy across domains such as health, safety and housing, and multiple formats including document, spreadsheet and RDF (Resource Description Framework).
The governance documents explain how taxonomies will be created, maintained and updated, giving organisations confidence that standards will remain consistent and reliable over time.
Why this matters for frontline services
Data is captured on the frontline, by people supporting individuals and families every day. These standards are designed to reflect real-world practice, not be a technical exercise carried out in isolation.
Councils, housing associations and local partners hold the richest contextual data about households. Their continued collaboration will ensure the standards work in practice as we move towards Beta.
How to get involved
The Alpha phase is an opportunity to test, learn and refine the data standards before any wider adoption. We are keen to hear your views on the Alpha release, now available on GOV.UK, and whether the standards are practical and usable in real-world settings. We would particularly welcome feedback on how they fit with existing systems, any implementation challenges, and areas where further development may be needed. Please send your feedback by 21 August 2026 to data-standards-authority@dsit.gov.uk
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