Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Imagining a Centre of Excellence

With DfE funding, we're working to design a “Centre of Excellence” - a support offer for data and digital work in Children’s Social Care.

We’re taking a sector-led approach, learning from what works and proposing to change what doesn’t. We’re starting by laying out what we think we know, and asking colleagues to challenge and improve our understanding. From there, we’ll start designing services.

Below, you'll find answers to some of the early questions we've heard from colleagues.

Scope & Objectives

What is the Centre of Excellence for data and digital work in children’s social care?

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) for data and digital work in children’s social care is expected to be a national support initiative funded by the Department for Education (DfE). It is currently being scoped and designed. Its purpose is to help local authorities and safeguarding partners improve their data and digital maturity, enabling better outcomes for children and families.

Why is the Centre of Excellence needed?

Councils face increasing pressure to use data effectively for planning and reporting. However, approaches vary widely, creating inefficiencies and missed opportunities. The Centre will provide a range of support such as consistent standards, practical tools, and training to help every council make the most of data and digital technology.

How does the CoE project fit into the government’s wider reform agenda for children’s social care?

The Centre of Excellence helps deliver the government’s Stable Homes, Built on Love plans by improving how councils use data and digital tools. We expect it to do this by setting clear standards, making data more reliable, and supporting decisions based on evidence. By encouraging councils to work together and share what works, the Centre will help make services for children and families more joined-up, open, and focused on better results.

Who is funding and supporting this work?

The Centre of Excellence is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) as part of its investment in improving data and digital capabilities in children’s social care.

What organisations are involved in designing the Centre of Excellence?

The work is being delivered by the Data to Insight (D2I) consortium, which includes Data to Insight, Coram, the Local Government Association (LGA), Social Finance, and ICT Revolutions. These organisations bring sector expertise and collaborate closely with local authorities to design and implement the support offer.

Will this help with multi-agency information sharing and the Single Unique Identifier?

Yes. The Centre of Excellence will support the development of consistent data standards and frameworks that enable secure, effective information sharing across agencies. It will also contribute to work on a Single Unique Identifier by promoting interoperability and alignment with national initiatives, ensuring that data can be linked accurately while maintaining privacy and compliance.

What types of support will the Centre of Excellence provide to local authorities?

Our project’s goal is to answer exactly this question. We published an engagement paper sharing some ideas about what this support might include, but these are not confirmed policy. You can read the paper here: The D2I Consortium: Imagining a Centre of Excellence - The D2I Consortium: Imagining a Centre of Excellence

When will the Centre of Excellence be operational?

The Centre of Excellence is currently in the design phase. The programme is currently engaging with local authorities and stakeholders to shape its support offer. The design work will run for approximately nine months, starting from late 2025, with sector-wide engagement and experimentation planned during this period. This means the CoE is expected to become operational after the design and evaluation phase concludes in 2026.

Collaboration & Governance

How will the Centre of Excellence improve outcomes for children and families?

Ultimately, this work is about making better use of data and technology to keep children safe, and helping local authorities to run high quality services for children. The Centre of Excellence is intended to form part of the government’s wider reform agenda for children’s social care, which seeks to address key challenges in the system and improve outcomes for children and families. It is expected to help build capacity in the sector to explore and adopt data and digital changes linked to significant reform. This may include supporting the introduction of national objectives such as a Single Unique Identifier and improvements to multi-agency information sharing. Over time, the Centre could serve as a sustainable resource for sector-led improvements in local authority data and digital work. If successful, it might help improve data quality, promote consistent data standards, and enable more insight-led decision-making.

What benefits will local authorities and safeguarding partners gain from this initiative?

We expect that local authorities and safeguarding partners will benefit from a national support offer which helps them to improve data quality, benefit from consistent national data and technology standards, and access better digital tools for front line professionals. The initiative aims to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing, which could help partners meet national reporting requirements more efficiently. It is also intended to build capacity and skills for using data and digital solutions, enabling more insight led decisions that may lead to earlier interventions and more effective support for children and families.

How can local authorities and practitioners contribute to the design process?

Local authorities and practitioners play a vital role by sharing their insights, challenges, and examples of best practice. They can participate in workshops, provide feedback on proposed standards, and collaborate on pilot projects. This ensures the Centre of Excellence reflects real-world needs and supports practical, effective solutions for improving services.

What role will ADCS play in this initiative?

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has written in support of this project, and will be a key strategic partner as we develop our work, ensuring the initiative reflects the realities of local authority practice. ADCS brings the voice and expertise of Directors of Children’s Services, helping shape standards, advise on implementation, and champion approaches that improve outcomes for children and families.

How will evidence and evaluation inform the design?

Evidence and evaluation are central to the design process. The Centre of Excellence will draw on research, sector data, and lessons from existing practice to identify what works. Continuous evaluation of pilots and feedback from local authorities will shape standards and tools, ensuring they are practical, effective, and improve outcomes for children and families.

How can we develop a national benchmark to define what a good local authority looks like, including its capacity and skills for using data and digital solutions?

The Centre of Excellence will work with local authorities to agree on clear, practical guidelines. These will cover things like managing data well, using digital tools effectively, and having the right skills to deliver services. By sharing good examples and checking progress against these guidelines, we can create a benchmark that helps every council see how they’re doing and what they can improve.

How does this project relate to other data and digital initiatives elsewhere in government?

We’re keen to align well with wider government initiatives – we've already made connections with DfE and DHSC standards programmes, as well as the new “GDS Local” programme recently launched by DSIT. We envisage a Centre of Excellence which fits well into the existing systems which support data, digital, technology, and children’s services work, contributing to other initiatives and learning from them.

How can I get involved with the Centre of Excellence?

You can keep up to date with the latest developments by joining our mailing list on our main Centre of Excellence webpage.

You can email us at d2i.coe@eastsussex.gov.uk