Safety in data: Building data infrastructure that keeps Young Carers seen and safe
For vulnerable children and young people, data is a critical tool for ensuring they receive the support they need, but it must be handled with care. This report explores how we can design data infrastructure that prioritises safety, ethics, and inclusion, to ensure young people feel safe to share information with services, and are able to access the support they deserve.
Young Carers are often overlooked, despite facing significantly worse outcomes than their peers across education, health, and safety.
56%
experience psychological distress
43%
have long-term physical health conditions
2.34x
more likely to be excluded from school than peers with no caring responsibilites
Young Carers’ needs often go unnoticed, either because they fear unsafe involvement from the state, or because their caring responsibilities are overshadowed by more urgent concerns such as exploitation or exclusion from school.
This lack of visibility leads to unmet support needs, and further exacerbates the challenges they face.
Our report outlines how data-driven solutions can improve the identification and support of Young Carers, whilst maintaining a strong focus on safety and ethics.
By transforming the systems that surround Young Carers, we can ensure they are properly seen and supported — without unintentionally causing harm, particularly for those from marginalised backgrounds who are at greater risk of discrimination and overreach by statutory services
1. Data is accurate, relevant and ethically collected.
2. Data is used responsibly to inform decisions without causing harm.
3. Collaboration is promoted in a way that safeguards trust and security.
On a national level, we would encourage three key actions:
- Investment in a national audit of datasets relating to Young Carers.
- The development of a more ambitious and nuanced understanding of Young Carer identities through improved utilisation of existing datasets.
- A new, public conversation on what‘safety in data’ means, starting with Young Carers.
We believe all three of these will contribute in the long-term to making Young Carers feel safe to be seen.
At Social Finance, we are keen to work with local authorities, health authorities, central government, charities, education and all those who align with our vision for Young Carers. If you are interested in discussing this report with us, please get in touch.
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