Helping to tackle loneliness through open data on local services: research report

Author(s)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

Publisher(s):

Local Government Association

Publication year:

2020

This document sets out the findings and emerging recommendations from a project to explore how better management of data can provide a more reliable, more trusted, more accessible and more extensive set of information about local activities, services and support to tackle loneliness. From June 2019 to March 2020, three pilot areas, Elmbridge District Council, Hull City Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council, have been investigating efficient ways of collecting information, exploring how a range of stakeholders can play a role in capturing data and helping keep it up to date and testing and refining underpinning data standards and taxonomies. Section two of this report sets out the issues that exist and the benefits that can be achieved through improving how information is managed locally. Section three introduces the pilots and then relays some of the related experiences and decisions in the course of their involvement. Section four provides summary learning through a maturity model and a broad range of issues, barriers and lessons learned. Section five sets out an outline plan and provides some understanding of the costs and resources that may need to be in place. Section six introduces the technical considerations. The report makes a number of recommendations, calling on place-based leaders to champion the importance and the value of accurate and reliable information about local services in supporting the success of critical initiatives such as social prescribing; and on local partners to work collaboratively and adopt the Open Referral UK standard that has been developed in partnership with the Open Data Community. (Edited publisher abstract)