Data to Insight is not a software supplier in the traditional sense -- we're here to help local authority (LA) colleagues get work done and share it with each other. The best thing about Data to Insight is the community of analysts who are doing and sharing great work through this network.
We recognise that different LAs want different levels of engagement with our work. As such, we offer four key collaboration approaches to suit different users’ information needs.
DfE Data and Digital Solutions Fund
In 2022 the Department for Education (DfE) launched the Data and Digital Solutions Fund (DDSF) as part of its response to the Independent Review of Children's Social Care led by Josh MacAlister.
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The fund provided local authorities with opportunities to discover, develop, and share solutions to a range of digital and data challenges faced by the sector. It represented part of the government's commitment, in its response to the MacAlister review, to "put local authorities in the driving seat of change".
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This page collates reference material about the fund, alongside the project outputs which DfE have authorised for publication. Please note that not all the conclusions and recommendations in these materials are necessarily endorsed by the DfE. Furthermore, LAs using the materials are responsible for satisfying themselves that they are suitable for their use.
The DfE retains ownership of the intellectual property of materials developed with DDSF funding. The materials are subject to the Open Government Licence: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/2/
DDSF project outputs
In total DfE funded eleven projects through the DDSF.
Hertfordshire County Council:
Standardised dataset for children’s social care
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Hertfordshire County Council has developed a standardised local authority dataset for children's social care, with the aim of supporting seamless data sharing and collaboration between authorities to inform service delivery.
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Local authorities interested in implementing the new dataset in their area will find tools and information to help them in the project’s user research report, live data specification, code and guidelines, and final report.
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​Read: Standard Safeguarding Dataset - Final Report
Read: Standard Safeguarding Dataset - Technical Workshops Synthesis
Read: Standard Safeguarding Dataset - User Research Synthesis
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Warrington Borough Council:
Improving children’s social care pre-proceedings data
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Warrington Borough Council has developed a national dataset and scorecard that track children's journeys through the Public Law Outline (PLO) framework, with the aim of measuring the effectiveness of pre-proceedings activity and identifying regional differences.
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They report recommendations for facilitating easier pre-proceedings data reporting and sharing, to inform PLO policy-making and funding decisions.
Read: Improving pre-proceedings data
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Barnet London Borough Council:
Improving children’s services expenditure data
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Barnet London Borough Council report their research into how enhancements might be made to annual children’s services budget and outturn statements, which local authorities submit under section 251 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.
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They recommend how section 251 returns might be made more dynamic and provide more insights to central and local government about children’s services spending.
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Their research included a pan-London pilot that integrated care placement costs into the children looked after data return, with the aim of creating a scalable tool for regional analysis of placement sufficiency.
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Read: Improving expenditure data (Section 251)
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North Tyneside Council:
Improving how children’s voices are reflected in children’s services data
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North Tyneside Council, in collaboration with Northumberland Council, Professor Andrew Turnell (University of Cumbria), Professor Eileen Munro (LSE), Dr Louise Caffrey (Trinity College Dublin), and Coram Voice, report their research into how to improve the inclusion of children’s and families’ voices in children’s social care data.
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They recommend a new dataset and collection methodology, including feedback forms and mobile software for capturing children’s voices.
They also report insights from the Bright Spots programme - a Coram Voice research project that helps local authorities use children’s and young people’s voices to inform service development and strategic thinking.
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Read: Improving Voice of the Child data
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Newham London Borough Council:
Research into barriers to information sharing
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Effective information sharing between safeguarding partners is crucial to protecting children.
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Newham Council conducted user research with practitioners that identified cultural and behavioural barriers to information sharing between safeguarding partners and examined ways to address these. Their insights and recommendations contributed to the content of the DfE report on Improving Multi-agency Information Sharing, which was published in 2023.
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Read: Research into barriers to information sharing
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Somerset Council:
Materials to facilitate data sharing agreements
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Somerset Council have developed templates and guidance to assist safeguarding partnerships in establishing local area data sharing agreements.
​ Read: Data Sharing – Information Sharing for professionals (external link)
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Somerset Council:
Guides to implementing a digital ‘single view’ of children and families
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Somerset Council, in partnership with Bristol Council, have produced technical and project manager guides to help local authorities interested in implementing a digital ‘single view’ in their area.
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A digital ‘single view’ helps practitioners work more effectively with children and families by bringing disparate datasets together in a single multi-agency view of the child and family.
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The implementation guides draw on Bristol and Somerset’s ‘single view’ products as case studies.
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Read: Data Sharing – Information Sharing for professionals (external link)
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Somerset Council:
Evaluation of Bristol’s Think Family Database and associated ‘single view’ products
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Somerset Council, in partnership with Bristol Council, commissioned Social Finance to deliver an independent evaluation of the implementation and impact of ‘single view’ products being used in Bristol - which include Think Family Database, Think Family Education, and associated products.
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The evaluation helped inform the ‘single view’ guides found above; and should be of interest to any local authority considering implementing a ‘single view’ in their area.
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Read: (publication to be confirmed at a later date)
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Leeds Council:
Understanding social worker recording
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Leeds Council, with Social Finance, report their research with practitioners, managers, data teams, and children and families, into the information social workers record in their case management systems, its usefulness, and challenges associated with recording it.
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Principles for valuable and efficient recording are recommended, along with ideas for operationalising these in practice.
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The project focused on recording about children in need.
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Read: Understanding social worker recording (Leeds)
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Essex County Council:
Understanding social worker recording
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Essex Council, in partnership with Camden, Sutton and Croydon Councils, report their research with practitioners, managers, data teams, and children and families, into the information social workers record in their case management systems, its usefulness, and challenges associated with recording it. They recommend ways of addressing challenges identified.
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The project focused on recording about looked after children.
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Read: Understanding social worker recording (Essex)
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North Yorkshire Council:
Reimagining digital case management
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North Yorkshire Council report on two digital tools they have prototyped:​ a ‘one click’ retrieval tool, which could greatly cut the time practitioners spend finding information in their digital systems; and a tool that automatically generates ecomaps of a child’s network, which could help practitioners identify people and places that might support or be a risk to the child.​
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The report should be of help to any local authority that may be interested in implementing similar technology in their area.
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North Yorkshire Council also report their further ideas for how digital case management might be reimagined.
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Read: (publication to be confirmed at a later date)
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Further information
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Most of the above reports contain contact details for further information. Where no contact is available, or if you have any other comments or questions about this information, please contact datatoinsight.enquiries@gmail.com