Digital Intelligence & Safeguarding Centre

Who we are

                                                                                        www.disc.support

Digital Intelligence & Safeguarding Centre (DISC) is a University College London - based social venture supporting schools, charities and youth organisations with specialist digital safeguarding intelligence.

We help safeguarding professionals better understand and respond to the fast-moving online risks affecting children and young people, including harmful social media trends, online exploitation, cyberbullying, sextortion, online radicalisation, AI-generated harms and emerging digital threats.

DISC combines safeguarding expertise, open source intelligence techniques, research and technology to deliver practical, prevention focused support for frontline safeguarding teams. Our services include intelligence briefings, threat assessments, online or sociao media horizon scanning, digital safeguarding tools and specialist support designed specifically for Designated Safeguarding Leads, pastoral teams and safeguarding professionals.

Our work is grounded in public protection, evidence-based practice and real-world safeguarding challenges. DISC was developed through research in Security and Crime Science and exists to strengthen safeguarding capability through earlier awareness, better intelligence and more informed decision making.

Our culture and values

DISC is critical mission driven, prevention focused and built around public protection. We believe safeguarding professionals deserve better support when responding to online harms and digital risks affecting children and young people.

We value professionalism, integrity and collaboration. Our approach is practical rather than performative, and we focus on delivering clear, useful and actionable safeguarding intelligence that helps frontline professionals make informed decisions.

As a developing social venture, DISC encourages innovation, critical thinking and continuous learning. We work closely with safeguarding professionals and value honest feedback, shared expertise and ethical practice. We believe the best safeguarding solutions are shaped through collaboration with the people working directly with children and young people every day.

We are also committed to responsible use of technology, minimal handling of personal data and maintaining transparency in the way intelligence and safeguarding information is developed and shared.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

DISC is committed to creating an inclusive, respectful and fair working environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and professionalism.

We actively oppose discrimination, harassment and exclusion on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We recognise that children and young people experience online harms differently depending on their backgrounds, vulnerabilities and lived experiences. We therefore believe diversity of thought, experience and perspective strengthens safeguarding practice and improves the quality of our work.

DISC is committed to encouraging equal opportunities in recruitment, collaboration and professional development. We aim to create a culture where individuals feel safe to contribute ideas, challenge constructively and participate fully regardless of background or identity.

We are also committed to ensuring that our safeguarding approaches, intelligence products and services are developed ethically, responsibly and with consideration for the diverse communities we support.