46. SaferSpace

Company: SaferSpace

Founders: Ruth Sparkes, Sunita Gordon and Shane Mann

Website: https://saferspace.io

About SaferSpace

SaferSpace allows organisations: businesses, uniformed services, public services and educational institutions to prevent and manage the reporting of harassment, discrimination and other forms of misconduct in the workplace.

In the UK:

58 per cent of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace,

on campus 68 per cent of students have suffered harassment.

But 79 per cent of victims don’t report it.

The horrifying statistics and daily national stories we read and see every day motivated us to create this tool, we desperately need safer environments.

SaferSpace is a mobile app that allows users to report incidents such as sexual harassment, discrimination, racism, and other forms of misconduct with just a few taps on their smartphones. Users can upload media such as video and images, and can, if required remain anonymous.

It is a simple, yet powerful tool that enables organisations to deal with these incidents promptly.

The way that we have continued to develop SaferSpace is to provide an environment for employees and students to report their concerns without fear of judgement or repercussions, which also enables the organisation to identify ‘hot spots’. By understanding the frequency and nature of issues, organisations can develop effective interventions.

The most common reason for people not reporting, is not knowing whether what they’ve experienced actually warrants a complaint. So, we’ve built an AI chatbot, trained on the UK’s Equality Act so users can ask questions before they make a complaint.

Lots of organisations have robust policies in place, but policies don’t equal protection.

The Worker Protection Act will come into play in October, this year. The Act creates a ‘preventative duty’ of sexual harassment in the workplace – meaning employers B create a culture of prevention and SaferSpace can help. Part of the Act requires that organisations must provide clear reporting mechanisms, and promptly address concerns.

SaferSpace also works as a reputation management tool to bring about positive change, to foster a safer, more respectful environment.

In time, I hope that when people are applying for jobs, they are going to look for employers who have the SaferSpace logo on their websites.

SaferSpace stands out as a female led innovation. Our ‘mission is that every work or study space, will be a safe haven’, we have dedicated ourselves to create a solution that addresses not just the challenges of physical interactions but also, promotes mental and emotional well-being in work and study environments.

Whilst creating partnerships with educational institutions, corporations, and charities, we aim to expand our reach, by providing customised solutions that meet the unique needs of diverse communities.

Our ambitions for future growth are both bold and reflective of our values. We will continue to develop new AI-driven features to support the user’s ability to identify and address unacceptable behaviour in educational and workplace settings.

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