CASCADE™ Safety Learning System

The CASCADE™ safety learning system is a structured methodology developed by patient safety specialist Aderonke Opawande for healthcare organisations implementing PSIRF. It provides NHS trusts and healthcare organisations with a consistent approach to capturing safety intelligence from incidents, complaints, and audits; translating recommendations into frontline clinical workflows; and producing transparent governance evidence that meets board and regulatory expectations.

PSIRF — the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework — is the NHS England framework that replaced the Serious Incident Framework in 2023. It requires NHS organisations to investigate patient safety incidents proportionately, respond in ways most likely to promote learning, and embed a just culture of openness. PSIRF shifts the focus from blame and compliance to learning and improvement. The CASCADE™ safety learning system was designed to help organisations build the operational infrastructure to deliver on PSIRF's learning expectations.

PSIRF requires NHS trusts to move away from standardised investigation tools and towards proportionate, learning-focused responses. CASCADE™ supports this by helping teams build the infrastructure for sustained learning — connecting what safety intelligence reveals to what clinical teams actually change in practice, and to what the board can evidence has improved. It works alongside existing PSIRF documentation and governance structures rather than replacing them.

CASCADE™ is delivered through SoughtOut SafeSystems Ltd, Aderonke Opawande's specialist patient safety consultancy. Engagements range from diagnostic reviews and embedded implementation programmes to team training workshops and practitioner development. Detailed methodology is shared only through authorised engagements. To explore whether CASCADE™ is right for your organisation, start with an introductory discovery call via SoughtOut SafeSystems.

The CASCADE™ Workbook, available through the Patient Safety 101 book series, introduces the system's core concepts and provides structured tools for individual practitioners and teams. It is designed both as a standalone learning resource and as a practical companion for teams working alongside an organisational CASCADE™ implementation.