Transforming Keyworker Sessions Across the Prison Estate
How Purple Scribe and the Keyworker Continuous Improvement Tool reduced administrative burden by 87% and nearly doubled the number of high-quality keyworker sessions.
The Challenge
Key workers in prisons are responsible for building relationships with people in custody, supporting rehabilitation and documenting every session. But the reality of traditional note-taking meant staff were constantly stopping conversations to write things down, then spending hours afterwards turning rough notes into formal records.
The administrative burden was significant. Staff were spending more time on paperwork than on the people they were there to support. Session quality was inconsistent and a large proportion of records were scored as insufficient or poor.
Phase 1: 2024
Removing the Administrative Burden
Purple Scribe was deployed to remove the documentation burden from key workers. Staff record their sessions on a mobile device, upload when connectivity is available and receive a structured write-up ready for review. Audio is automatically deleted from the device after upload.
The human-in-the-loop workflow means staff review and approve every record before submitting into the national offender database. They remain in control of the final output while Purple Scribe handles the heavy lifting.
87%
reduction in administrative burden
75k+
sessions processed
6x
faster than manual write-up
With the admin burden removed, key workers could be fully present in their sessions. Conversations became more natural and more engaging. People in custody felt listened to rather than competing with a notepad for attention. But removing the burden was only the first step.
Phase 2: 2025
Driving Continuous Improvement
In 2025, the Purple Scribe Keyworker Continuous Improvement Tool was introduced. Built over two years of collaboration between Made Purple and prison staff, this proprietary tool gives key workers real-time feedback after each session: what they did well and specific areas to improve for their next session.
The results were immediate and measurable. With the administrative burden already removed by Purple Scribe, staff could focus on the quality of their engagement. The Continuous Improvement Tool gave them the feedback loop to keep getting better.
The Results
Assessed across approximately 7,350 keyworker sessions per year with total session volume remaining stable at over 75,000 sessions.
Quality Up
98%
Increase in high-quality sessions (Scores 3 and 4). "Good" quality sessions (Score 4) nearly doubled, rising from 694 to 1,379.
Poor Quality Down
38%
Reduction in low-quality sessions (Scores 1 and 2). "Insufficient" sessions fell from 2,249 to 1,379. Invalid and poor entries decreased by nearly 40%.
Meeting Standard
59%+
Of all 2025 sessions now scored as "Reasonable" (Score 3) or above. The majority of sessions now meet the expected quality standard for the first time.
Stable Volume
75k+
Total sessions with volume remaining stable year on year. Quality improvements were achieved without reducing the number of sessions conducted.
What Changed
Staff stopped writing and started listening
Without the need to take notes during sessions, key workers could give their full attention to the person in front of them. Conversations became more natural and more productive.
Documentation quality became consistent
Purple Scribe produces structured, complete records from every session. The quality of the documentation no longer depends on the writing ability of individual staff members.
Staff received feedback and kept improving
The Keyworker Continuous Improvement Tool gave staff constructive feedback after each session. Over time, the quality of engagement improved measurably across the entire team.
Ready to see similar results?
Purple Scribe is deployed in prisons operated by Serco and G4S within the MOJ estate. Made Purple products are trusted across the wider prison estate including Sodexo and Mitie. Book a demo to see how it could work in your establishment.