Awards

LARIA Summer Webinar Series: Registration now open

Tickets are free of charge for LARIA Members (Full Individual, Additional Corporate, Corporate and Full Corporate Members). For Non Members and LARIA Associate Members, sign up to membership today to gain access to the webinars. For more information on the different memberships and benefits available, see here: LARIA Membership benefits

Webinar 1
Friday 10 July 2026, 10:00 – 11:30 BST

Session 1: 10:00-10:45
Ageing in Place Spatial Risk Model: An evidence-based approach to tackling inequalities in ageing
The Ageing in Place Spatial Risk Model has been developed to support evidence-informed policy development, strategic planning, and place-based decision making to address social isolation and healthy ageing across Greater Manchester. Developed as part of the Ageing in Place Pathfinder in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, the model provides a consistent analytical lens through which policymakers and neighbourhood-based teams can understand how spatial, social, and demographic factors enable or constrain residents aged 50 and over to age well in their communities.

By bringing together multiple indicators linked to deprivation, health, mobility, employment, ethnic diversity, social connection, and access to assets alongside the voice and lived experience of older residents, the model helps identify where risks to ageing well are concentrated and where they overlap. This enables more targeted and preventative responses to be co-produced with residents, supporting interventions that are tailored to local community needs and address inequalities in mid and later life. The model directly informed delivery across 10 neighbourhoods, supporting partners to engage socially isolated residents, identify priority areas for action, and co-design Ageing in Place Action Plans. The approach is now being scaled within the Greater Manchester wide approach to Live Well in Later Life.
Sandaru Weerasinghe, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Ageing Hub)

Session 2: 10:45-11:30
From Data to Action: Tackling Health Inequalities in Gamesley Through Community-Led Insight The Gamesley Community Needs Assessment (GCNA) provides a robust, mixed-methods investigation into one of the most deprived wards in Derbyshire. Using a neighbourhood approach and through detailed ward-level epidemiology, ACORN segmentation and qualitative engagement with 23 residents and professionals, the project uncovered inequalities masked at district level, including Gamesley having the highest standardised incidence ratio for colorectal cancer in England alongside lower screening uptake. The research illuminated the lived experience of local people, revealing interconnected themes: strong community ties, limited transport and opportunity, financial hardship, safety concerns, living with poor health and a history of “project-fatigue”.

The findings directly informed evidence-based decision-making across Derbyshire County Council and partners. Four actionable recommendations were agreed: a targeted communication plan, a Health Equity Audit of screening and behaviour change services, a deep dive into mental health, and ongoing community-led monitoring. Early outcomes include a well-attended community feedback event, reinvigoration of a residents’ association, establishment of a new Community Neighbourhood Group, and co-production of a mental health guide with local residents.

The GCNA demonstrates how rigorous local area research, grounded in authentic community participation, can shift practice, strengthen partnerships and drive improvements in health equity.
Caroline Mackie, Derbyshire County Council Public Health

Webinar 2
Tuesday 14 July 2026, 12:30 – 14:00 BST

Session 1: 12:30-13:05
Independent 3-month evaluation of the new Kent & Medway Multi-Agency Risk Assessment (MARAC) Hub Model
This entry presents the independent 3 month evaluation of the newly implemented Kent & Medway MARAC Hub model. The evaluation was commissioned to understand whether the redesigned multi agency framework had begun to improve risk management, information sharing and coordinated safeguarding for
high risk domestic abuse cases. The project addressed two core questions: what enabled successful implementation, and what barriers were limiting the effectiveness of the new model.

The research used multiple data sources including interviews, focus groups, surveys, meeting observations, referral audits and analysis of the new Case Management System (CMS). A total of 43 professionals participated in qualitative sessions, 92 professionals completed the survey, and several MARAC meetings were observed to examine practice in context. CMS analytics, referral data and case reviews provided insight into emerging operational patterns.

The evaluation generated a robust understanding of successes such as improved partnership working, strengthened information sharing, and early benefits of digital transformation. It also produced practical recommendations related to licensing, training, role clarity, referral quality, action planning, and meeting structure. Findings have already informed adjustments to MARAC processes, and the report will guide the upcoming 12 month review.

The work demonstrates how local research can support system learning, strengthen accountability and improve safeguarding outcomes.
Sarah Collins, Kent County Council

Session 2: 13:05-13:25
LG Inform App: Engaging Decision-makers Through Clear, Accessible Data Insights
The LG Inform App, developed by the Local Government Association, provides senior officers and councillors with clear, accessible and timely insight into council performance. Designed to complement the comprehensive LG Inform platform, the app presents a curated basket of 110 metrics across 11 topic areas,
enabling leaders to monitor performance quickly and meaningfully. It has been shaped by extensive engagement with councils and professional networks, ensuring the chosen metrics genuinely reflect sector priorities.

The app responds directly to a key communication challenge: decision-makers need rapid, unambiguous insight without navigating complexity. The app achieves this through streamlined visualisations, contextual notifications and intuitive comparisons across relevant groups—including statistical neighbours, region or geographic neighbours. For multi-tier areas, responsibilities are handled clearly, greyed out where not relevant, and with intuitive prompts.

With integrated alerts, simple sharing functionality and direct links into deeper LG Inform content, the app supports better-informed conversations, scrutiny and strategic decision-making. It has already generated high levels of interest due to its clarity, simplicity and alignment with sector needs.
Alex Rigge, Local Government Association – LG Inform Programme

Session 3: 13:25-14:00
The Intervention Index: Data-Driven Prioritisation of £1.58 Billion Transport Investment in Liverpool City Region
The University of Liverpool’s Geographic Data Service, in partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), developed the “Intervention Index”, which is a composite spatial indicator framework that directly informed the allocation of £1.581 billion in transport infrastructure funding, the largest settlement in the city region’s history.

The research integrated multiple open and administrative datasets to create a bespoke index measuring compound inequality across four domains: Transport Accessibility, Deprivation and Socioeconomic Status, Economic Development, and Housing Opportunities. The methodology was co-produced through extensive consultation with LCRCA officers, Merseytravel, and six Local Authority partners.

The resulting evidence base and interactive dashboard became the primary tool for strategic decision-making in the Transport for City Regions (TCR) programme bid. The index enabled objective identification of areas experiencing intersecting disadvantages and provided transparent criteria for evaluating competing transport proposals.

The Department for Transport praised the approach which, in December 2025, allowed LCRCA to be the first Combined Authority nationally to confirm how it would spend its funding. Liverpool City Region was subsequently ranked third among 400 European cities in the European Capital of Innovation awards, an achievement the Metro Mayor specifically attributed to this data-driven approach to policy development.
Alex Singleton, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) & Geographic Data Service, University of Liverpool

Webinar 3
Wednesday 15 July 2026, 10:00 – 10:45 BST

Session 1: 10:00-10:45
Survivor Voice Ambassadors: Embedding Lived Experience in Domestic Abuse Policy, Training and Public Communication
The Survivor Voice Ambassadors (SVA) programme amplifies the lived experiences of domestic abuse survivors to inform commissioning, strengthen training, improve public communication and enhance service design across Kent and Medway. The programme invites survivors to share their experiences safely, with trauma informed protocols embedded throughout all stages of involvement. Ten ambassadors representing a range of backgrounds, identities and experiences have contributed to a range of local and national outputs. Their voices shape the Domestic Abuse Partnership website, media campaigns, professional training, and strategic policy discussions. They have provided insights that informed the commissioning of cybercrime support and specialist mental health input. Ambassadors have co produced content for public awareness campaigns, contributed testimonies to radio and press coverage, and recorded material for online training. The programme demonstrates meaningful involvement of survivors in shaping communication, service improvement and public understanding. It advances inclusive and ethical research practice by positioning survivors as partners rather than subjects. This entry shows how local research and engagement can drive organisational change, strengthen public messages, improve practitioner confidence and directly enhance support pathways for victims. The programme meets LARIA criteria through high quality engagement and demonstrable impact on decisions, service development and communication strategies.
Sarah Collins, Kent County Council

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LARIA Webinars

Recordings and presentations are now available in the members area, sign in to view.

Webinar 1
Tuesday 13 May 2025, 14:00 – 15:30 BST

Session 1: Unlocking Local Insight: Exploring LG Inform Data with Power BI and the Birmingham City Observatory
Discover the art of the possible with LG Inform data and Power BI in this inspiring webinar from the Birmingham City Observatory. We’ll showcase how to turn performance and finance metrics into powerful, comparative insights across local authorities. Learn how to harness the LG Inform API alongside Power BI to explore trends, benchmark against peers, and uncover stories in your data that drive better decision-making. Perfect for analysts, strategists, and anyone curious about turning public data into meaningful local insight.
Danny O’Neill, City Observatory Lead, Birmingham City Council & Mark Williams, Senior Data Adviser, Local Government Association

Session 2: Mind the gap: how patients experience hospital discharge
Mind the Gap was a research project commissioned by Southwark council and its NHS partners to improve the hospital discharge process, particularly for patients transferring from hospital to home with at-home support. The research used ethnographic methods, including interviews and observations in hospital before discharge and later at home, to capture the experiences of patients and families. Key findings revealed gaps in patient understanding and anxiety about the discharge process, and a lack of family-carer involvement. We co-opted community researchers to bring local context, ease communication, and build community research skills. The findings led to the establishment of the Returning Home from Hospital Project which is implementing improvements like accessible patient information, new roles to provide discharge advice, and better coordination with family-carers. Two of the community researchers who were involved in Mind the Gap continue to work with Partnership Southwark, and one is using the experience to support her ambitions to become a social researcher.
Ben Lee, Director, Shared Intelligence

Session 3: Tackling the cost of living together in Stockport
A look at how in Stockport, a highly polarised borough in Greater Manchester, the council has worked together with partners to use data as the key to unlocking inequalities and to close the gap between our most deprived and our most affluent areas. Our approach has allowed us greater insight into emerging trends and helped target financial support to the most vulnerable households in the borough.
Imogen Fox, Delivery Manager – Financial Inclusion & Tom Plant, Anti-Poverty Lead, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Webinar 2
Wednesday 14 May 2025, 10:30 – 12:00 BST

Session 1: Using qualitative research and partnership working to tackle fuel poverty
Qualitative researchers in Wirral Council’s Public Health team have been using ethnography and interviewing to see and hear how residents are affected by fuel poverty, including those that may be hidden from the national statistics on fuel poverty. Hear how the insights have been used to shape a partnership approach to tackling fuel poverty in the borough.
Abi Yeates, Qualitative Insights Researcher – Public Health, Wirral Council

Session 2: Tackling the Digital Divide: The Digital Exclusion Risk Mapping Tool
Digital inclusion is essential for modern living and ensuring health and wellbeing equality.
To address concerns about digital exclusion in Essex, ECC’s Data and Analytics team explored data and research on infrastructure, affordability, and digital literacy and created an engaging visual to illustrate the county’s digital divide. In this session ECC will share how they created the Digital Inclusion Mapping Tool, an interactive dashboard available through Essex Open Data, which pinpoints at-risk populations at the LSOA level, and how the tool is enabling ECC to work with partner organisations to inform the design and delivery of inclusive local services.
Melody Cremer, Analyst & Amos Turn, Data Science Fellow, Essex County Council

Session 3: Unlocking the power of address data: A data-driven infographic report for benchmarking and transformation
We developed an innovative method to create a bespoke, data-driven infographics report for each of the 318 planning authorities in England and Wales. The target audience was senior local government leaders (Chief Execs, Directors, Heads of Digital Services and Transformation).
The aim of the report was to highlight in a non-technical, visual way how effectively their authority was utilising address data and its Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) across multiple departments.
This was achieved through a range of techniques:

– Benchmarking to quantify the level of UPRN integration
– A summary page highlighting current progress and trend against the national average.
– A service-level view indicating where attention is needed most.
– Creation of an “integration infographic” depicting the current state.
– Assignment of a “UPRN Integration maturity level” and ways to improve
– Key action points to improve

The reports have been hugely successful in supporting local authority officers responsible for creating and maintain their address data (Address Custodians) and engaging senior leadership, building their awareness of address data and critically gaining their buy-in and support of it. The project had no budget and was achieved by using existing tools and staff time alone.
Join Luke Studden, Data Integration Lead at GeoPlace where he will explain in depth the methodology of how we created the reports and why.
Luke Studden, Data Integration Manager, GeoPlace

Webinar 3
Thursday 15 May 2025, 11:00 – 12:30 BST

Session 1: Adopting a blended data approach to weather the storm of change
At a time where we’re seeing increases in our daily cost of living which affects multiple community group as well as decreases in available budget to provide local services, it is critical for the public sector to assess the impact of change faced by its residents. Whether you’re focusing on challenges such as child poverty, fuel poverty or housing affordability, it is essential to be able to access and use detailed up-to-date data to evidence decision-making. This session will examine ways in which public sector organisations can adopt a blended data approach to predict likely future change and assess the impact on communities in order to weather the storm of change.
Stewart Eldridge, Associate Partner – Communities & Government
Ed Sewell, Partner – Customer Insight
Val Kirillovs, Principal Consultant – Solutions Design
Patrick Tate, Director – Location Intelligence (live demo)
CACI

Session 2: Harnessing Council Data to Understand Unmet Need in West Lothian Council
There’s a lot of data out there that tells us about the places and people who are getting the support they need, but how do we identify and find those who are missing out? In this session we will cover a project undertaken by the Improvement Service and West Lothian Council to understand and identify this unmet need. The session will describe the background to the project, how data has been used to identify the areas of interest, how West Lothian have used the findings to inform interventions, and next steps for building on and improving this approach. The approach is easily replicable and should give participants some ideas about how they could use their own data in a similar way.
Nick Cassidy, Research Manager, Improvement Service

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Awards

LARIA Webinars: Recordings

Sign in to the members area to view the recordings.

AI: What is it? Why is it? Where is it?
The world is awash with references to AI, despite it not being a new practice. The recent advancements and easy accessibility of AI tools mean it’s the buzzword of the moment. But, for many of us there are still many foundational questions when it comes to AI – what is it? why is it? And where is it?

In this session CACI’s AI and Data Science experts Sue MacLure, Director of Data and AI Ethics, and Edward Sewell, Data Strategy Partner will share the journey we’ve been on at CACI as we adopted advanced AI techniques to enhance our data insights products, as well as the use of generative AI in the interpretation and application of those data insight products – bringing to life the what, why and where of AI at CACI.

They will also dive into the ethical and legislative challenges of adopting AI techniques to undertake data insight practices, and how we’ve addressed them – sharing our key learnings with you, so your data scientists can act with integrity, always considering the ethical side of AI in their day-to-day work.

Finally, we’ll bring this all to life with some real-life use cases of how organisations are adopting these AI driven tools to improve consumer and resident experiences.

We’re confident you’ll walk away with:

• Insights on how you can embrace the AI & Data Science opportunity for your organisation.
• A deeper understanding of the key ethical and legislative considerations that all organisations seeking to adopt AI should be aware of and considering.
• A clearer view of the variety and potential of ways in which data science and AI can drive tangible benefits to organisations across the Public and Commercial sectors both now and in the future.
Ed Sewell, Partner – Data Strategy & Sue MacLure, Director of Data, CACI

Developing skills for AI: how and why
This session will provide delegates with inspiration for how their councils can take practical steps to develop data science skills to take advantage of the opportunities that AI presents. Attendees will also hear from two councils who will give examples of AI projects that showcase the benefits of investing in these skills.

In this session, hear from Anna Gibson, Senior Data Analyst at Hackney Council, about her experience participating in a level 7 AI apprenticeship. Anna will explain how she has put the skills she developed to practical use in an exciting project that aimed to predict which council-managed properties and associated households were most at risk of damp and mould, to help prioritise proactive interventions for the most vulnerable of residents.

Simone Thomas, Senior Manager for Strategic Data Systems at Cheshire West and Chester Council will describe the Data Hive skills development programme the council has implemented to build data culture and skills across the organisation. Simone will also tell us how her Data Science and Engineering team is developing a predictive modelling project that focuses on SEND pupils to help support sufficiency planning and budget forecasting.

Finally, Kate Cooper will outline the support available from the LGA to help councils develop data skills and build capacity around AI, as well as the opportunities available to participate in networks to share learning and build relationships with other councils also working in this area.
Anna Gibson, Senior Data Analyst, Hackney Council, Simone Thomas, Senior Manager for Strategic Data Systems, Cheshire West and Chester Council
Chaired by Kate Cooper, Programme Manager – Data and Transparency programme, Local Government Association

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The key criteria are that award winners should show us excellence in research that is making a real difference to the people they serve. The awards focus on research impact based on a sound evidence base. We will also be looking for entries that are demonstrating citizen/user involvement/engagement, partnership working, delivering positive outcomes, achieving efficiencies, and embracing innovation.

A: Best use of local area research – Sponsored by the Local Government Association (LGA)

To win this award the successful entrant will show how their research has led to a greater understanding of a local area or an issue that is locally important. This could be based on primary or secondary analysis. Not only that, but they must also show that this has led to evidence-based decision-making within at least one public sector body. Judges will be looking for submissions that show a well-argued methodology, clear reporting of the findings and impact. Ideally the winner will also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation, and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner

• Cambridgeshire County Council – Crime and Community Safety: Yaxley Area Profile

Highly commended

• Cumbria County Council – Solway Views – Art and Storytelling in Health Inequalities Research

Shortlisted

• Essex County Council – Risky Businesses: Essex Data Programme

B: Best use of social care or health research

To win this award the successful entrant will show how their research has led to a greater understanding of a social care or health issue. This could be based on primary or secondary data analysis. Not only that, but they must also show that this has led to evidence-based decision-making within the social care or health sectors. Our definition of social care and health sectors is in the broadest sense and includes public health. We would welcome entries that address issues relating to health and social care integration. Judges will be looking for submissions that show a well-argued methodology, clear reporting of the findings and impact. Ideally the winner will also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation, and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner

• Worcestershire County Council – Predicting self-funder pick-ups

Highly commended

• Essex County Council – From Tea Drinkers to Collaborative Thinkers
• Manchester City Council –  Understanding the impact of new integrated care models in Manchester

   

C: Best use of data

To win this award the successful entrant will show how they have successful used data to aid understanding of a local area, community or health issue. Not only that, but they must also show that this has led to evidence-based decision-making within at least one public sector body. Data for the purposes of this award is defined as the use of big data, open data, business intelligence and statistical analysis. Judges will be looking for evidence that data has been analysed and presented to a high standard for a specific business purpose or issue. The use of the data will have delivered an insight that has aided decision making. We would welcome entries that show the use of data in the day-to-day management of a service. Judges will be looking for submissions that show a well-argued methodology, clear reporting of the findings and impact. Ideally the winner will also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation, and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner

• Oxfordshire County Council / Thames Valley Police- Community Impact Zones: Stronger Families/Safer Communities

Highly commended

• Essex County Council – Preventing escalating domestic abuse: Essex Data Programme
  
• Oldham Council – Thriving Communities Index

D: Most engaging communication of local area research

To win this award the successful entrant will show how they have successfully communicated local area research to aid understanding of a local area, community or health issue. The audience for this communication could include senior decision-makers, staff, the media and the public. The format of the communication could include (but is not limited to) a written report, conference presentation, event/seminar, videos, infographics, an online portal/website or use of media. Judges will be looking for submissions that show a creative approach that understands the needs of the audiences receiving the information. There should be evidence that research findings have been reported clearly and are fairly represented by the communication of it. Ideally the winner will also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation and the outcomes that have been achieved locally. In entering the category submissions can include a copy of the actual communications, including full or edited reports or links to online resources.

Winner

• Kirklees Council – Don’t Stop Believing: Using Animation for Better Communication

Highly commended

• Essex County Council – A library is more than a book: Essex Libraries research findings.

Shortlisted

• Manchester City Council – State of the City 2018 – Getting complex local research across in a simple way
• Westminster City Council – City Plan 2019 – 2040 Public Consultation

E: New researcher of the year

This award is given to a researcher with under five years of experience in a research field who has made an impact. This could be a person of any age. The entry could be based on a particular project they have led, an innovation they have pioneered or a particularly strong skill set. Their career to date should show a researcher who is able to conduct research that provides insightful analysis, promotes citizen/user involvement/engagement, presents information well, and helps develop evidence-based decision-making in the public sector. We will accept entrants who have had a longer career in research than five years, but have moved into a new research field of which they have under five years of experience. The researcher cannot nominate themselves for this award.

Winner

• Daniel Unsworth – Senior Researcher, Manchester City Council

The post LARIA Research Impact Awards 2019 – Winners appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Summary

Last year, the Kirklees Public Health Intelligence (PHI) team carried out a survey of year 9 students (aged 13 and 14) to gain valuable insight into life as a teenager, including their views and behaviours, especially around aspects of health and wellbeing.

The online survey was co-produced with young people and key stakeholders and distributed to secondary schools for completion. The results were analysed, fed back to schools and partners and used to refresh the local Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). However, a gap was identified in relation to informing wider audiences of the results, including the participants themselves.

PHI used online software to create a short animation as a method of disseminating key findings in a more innovative and accessible way. The planning, scripting, recording and design were undertaken in conjunction with partners and young people. The look and feel of the animation are an amalgamation of ideas.

The feedback from schools and wider stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive. Not only can the video be used as a stand-alone report, it can help facilitate further conversations about a variety of important and sometimes sensitive topics.

Synopsis

Val Flintoff, a Kirklees Learning Partner who supports schools as a project manager and consultant, has spoken about the reach of the animation:

“The Kirklees Young People’s Survey animation has been used with senior leaders and Personal, Social, Health & Economic (PSHE) education co-ordinators in Kirklees schools. They plan to use the animation with staff and governors to improve their understanding of health and education priorities across Kirklees and to underpin their planning for evidence based PSHE lessons. It is also being shared with a much wider audience of young people across the region, challenging them to reflect on improvements to their own health and in support of their peers. The animation is engaging for both young people and adults, presenting complex and potentially sensitive and challenging information in an accessible format. It has raised important questions for all stakeholders about the health needs of groups of pupils and it challenges us, in particular, to improve our support for LGBTQ+ young people. I have been engaged with the Kirklees YPS for many years and I am confident this animation will ensure that key information becomes accessible to a wider audience for the first time.”

The primary objectives were to deliver key findings from the YPS to a broad audience in an accessible way, and deliver important health messages to improve awareness that public health is everybody’s business. Previous feedback from young people dictated that traditional methods of dissemination weren’t fit for purpose. Therefore, the PHI team opted for a more fun and appealing approach. It was important that the output could be used by as many people as possible, so it had to be easy to follow, suitable for those with sensory impairments, as well as being sensitive and light-hearted where appropriate.

Mary White, Kirklees Commissioning and Partnerships Manager, utilised the animation to facilitate discussions between partner organisations:

“I used the video at an event for the Children and Young People’s Partnership with a cross-sector audience of colleagues (including front line and senior managers from the council, schools, health sector, voluntary and community sector). The video was the centrepiece of a session looking at data and intelligence to enable participants to understand the needs of our Children and Young People’s population and set shared strategic priorities. The video presents a breadth and depth of complex information accessibly. It worked well to generate an informed, evidence-led discussion, and to give a disparate audience a shared understanding of the issues. Participants commented on its quality and presentation values, with many attendees (including the police superintendent) wanting to use it to raise awareness in their own organisations. It’s voiced by a local young woman who had participated in the survey, which adds to its authenticity.”

Plans are now underway for the 2019 YPS. The animation makes it easier for PHI to contextualise and promote the survey to schools which were previously reluctant to take part. It also provides reassurance to the young people involved that their voices are important and are being heard.

What should LARIA members learn from your award entry?

Taking a different approach to presenting local area research can have wide-reaching benefits:

It can allow the people who participate in social research to better understand their results compared with traditional methods, bridging the gap between the oft-monotony of survey completion and discovering insight.

It can make evidence accessible for a range of audiences and change the thinking behind using it.

It can initiate difficult conversations and facilitate discussion.

It can improve recognition of the survey as a brand and enhance future surveys in terms of having a wider range of stakeholder expertise on board.

It can also be entertaining!

Involving your intended audience in the production process can ensure your final product is appropriate and engaging.

Further Information

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ydweR7Xso&feature=youtu.be

The post Award Winner 2019 – Kirklees Council appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Summary

Local councils, the police and health services combined data to identify wards where outcomes are worse than surrounding areas. This used nationally published data e.g. deprivation, nationally submitted but not published data e.g. school attendance by ward, and locally held data e.g. date and time of crimes against children to help understand why outcomes were worse for some people.

The results were shared with local communities to see if it mirrored their stories. Communities then identified the issues and the places (geographies) that defined their community. We took these issues and geographies to layer information from different services into new micro communities to provide greater insight of what was happening to families in these streets. We are now looking to analyse qualitative and quantitative data to develop a model of predictive indicators to help families at an earlier stage.

This project is led by the input of the local community (including voluntary sector and faith groups) who are defining the place we are working in and shared success measures.
All partners will then review the services they provided in these areas deliver improved outcomes.

Synopsis

This project used open data (e.g. demography), nationally collected but not reported data (e.g. school absence by ward) and local service data (e.g. social care referrals) to spotlight areas which had consistently had poor outcomes for people despite considerable resources being placed in that area. The work identified different issues in different areas – e.g. in one area the population was very transient, in another very stable. Analysis showed the inter-relationship between services on people’s lives and moved the focus from service data to people’s life story e.g. identifying an increase in children as victims of crime with growing school absence and 30% of those crimes being in school time.

Active engagement took place with the local communities to identify whether they recognised the description of where they lived, the key issues they faced and the underlying issues behind this. This led to changing the way we described communities – moving from traditional geographical boundaries to local descriptions of communities.

Building on agreed data sharing through the troubled families initiative we identified the number of families within one zone that we would look to support differently, focusing both on the individual support to that family and infrastructure support to the wider local community (e.g. supporting local clubs; placing additional PCSOs in that area). This was done with all partners and the project board. The work remains constantly evolving, reflecting feedback from local practitioners, the local voluntary sector and the local community.

Partners, communities and the board are provided with simple information to inform what is happening in the agreed geography through a number of different visualisation tools. Data from different services is layered over each other to show any commonality and inter-relationships that each may have with the any other. This has led to the targeting of specific streets, engagement with all the houses in those streets about the changes they are looking to see in their neighbourhood.

This is now very much a local community project. It is run by a steering group with an independent chair. A local charity is providing support to organize and evaluate the project.

What should LARIA members learn from your award entry?

Data makes sense to people when it describes their lives, rather than services provided or activities that have happened. There is always a risk and considerable evidence that any amount of data can be ‘Trumped’ with a good personal story, whether this is a true story or not.

The data you have must tell a story. The story that you tell must chime with those whose story it actually is. They must believe that story and that story needs to add to their own story. Data that challenges a person or communities’ story must be told sympathetically until it either becomes that story or is jettisoned in the wider narrative.

The data and the subsequent story remain limited without an idea for change – the policy or behaviours that will change. This must be generated with and led by those who need that change.

So our learning was … data can create a story, which if shared appropriately will generate  the idea to genuinely improve lives

The post Award Winner 2019 – Oxfordshire County Council / Thames Valley Police appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Summary

Self-funder pick-ups are where someone was funding their own social care, but deplete their assets to the point where they become eligible for council funding. Signposting to relevant community based services and provision of information and advice on social care options could help reduce the costs of social care to Worcestershire residents and also to the Council through reductions in self-funder pick-ups.

Supported by NHS Digital, Worcestershire County Council undertook a project to produce analysis of the characteristics of self-funder pick-ups and predict those at most risk of becoming self-funder pick-ups, to inform targeting of information and advice on social care options.

The analysis of self-funder pick-ups has been well-received and will help inform the approach to targeting information and advice on social care options. The research has demonstrated that it is possible to combine social care data with geodemographic data to better understand the household types that use council funded social care and to gain insight into the characteristics that may influence demand for social care. This approach can be used beyond self-funder pick-ups and will be drawn on in future research to identify risk factors and predict the risk of needing council funded adult social care more widely.

Synopsis

Self-funder pick-ups are where someone was funding their own social care, but deplete their assets to the point where they become eligible for council funding. Signposting to relevant community based services and provision of information and advice on social care options could help reduce the costs of social care to Worcestershire residents and also to the Council through reductions in self-funder pick-ups.

Supported by NHS Digital, Worcestershire County Council undertook a project to produce analysis of the characteristics of self-funder pick-ups and predict those at most risk of becoming self-funder pick-ups, to inform targeting of information and advice on social care options.

The analysis of self-funder pick-ups has been well-received and will help inform the approach to targeting information and advice on social care options. The research has demonstrated that it is possible to combine social care data with geodemographic data to better understand the household types that use council funded social care and to gain insight into the characteristics that may influence demand for social care. This approach can be used beyond self-funder pick-ups and will be drawn on in future research to identify risk factors and predict the risk of needing council funded adult social care more widely.

What should LARIA members learn from your award entry?

The research provides evidence of variables that may be important in predicting risk of self-funder pick-ups. It also provides a method which others can use to identify household types which are likely to have self-funder pick-ups in order to inform targeting of information and advice on social care options.

The research has demonstrated that it is possible to combine social care user data with geodemographic data to better understand the household types that use council funded social care and to gain insight into the characteristics that may influence demand for social care. This is an approach that can be used beyond self-funder pick-ups to predict the risk of needing council funded adult social care more widely.

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Summary

The Huntingdonshire Community Safety Partnership needed to understand the underlying socio-economic factors contributing to poor levels of Community Safety in the Yaxley area compared to elsewhere. What was the existing service provision (public, private, voluntary) in the area and where were the gaps/barriers to accessing services.

Our analyst Jack produced a research report that had a profound impact. It was presented to the community partnership, immediately translated into an action plan and used as the basis for successfully bidding for a range of addition resources for the area. Locally it’s been highlighted as a high-quality example of place-based research, replicable across other areas where crime and community safety is identified as a problem.

Synopsis

This entry meets the entry criteria for this award as it is the most comprehensive local area provide for Yaxley produced and has helped a number of local agencies to gain a stronger understanding of local issues. The objective, to enable evidence led decision making, was fully met.

The other objective of the report was to support the community safety partnership in working to their strategic priority of identifying and responding to issues in vulnerable places. The nature of the research meant that very specific local factors could be identified such as the fact that the geographical location on the other side of the authority boundary from Peterborough (in Cambridgeshire) means that residents are often unable to access some nearby resources and the advantages that being within this boundary this would bring.

The report made clear recommendations for action to the community safety partnership for future activity. The local evidence base has also been used by the local community to evidence need and secured investment into local services.

Through the research project, Jack engaged with a range of local services/agencies and community groups including:

• Police
• District Council
• Parish Council
• Yaxley Partnership
• Yaxley working group
• Social Care
• Children’s Services
• And many more..

Jack also showed innovation by maximizing the use of our local data visualization website cambridgeshire insight. Throughout the report, a range of the interactive maps and reports from the site were embedding into the report. The site is designed to provide a range of users, including local community groups, the evidence base to understand their community together but this was the first time the data tools on the site had been utilised to efficiently provide the most relevant insight for a given area in one document.

What should LARIA members learn from this project?

LARIA members should learn that providing localized evidence base, there can be a direct impact on a local community, as evidence through decent funding bids through the Yaxley Partnership. By engaging with local stakeholders, the research was able to be incredibly useful in demonstrating the gaps in provision as well as a way of celebrating all of the good things that are happening in Yaxley.

Further Information

The full strategic assessment has been published here.

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Best use of local area research – Sponsored by the Local Government Association (LGA)

To win this award the successful entrant will show how their research has led to a greater understanding of a local area or an issue that is locally important. This could be based on primary or secondary data analysis. Not only that, but they must also show that this has led to evidence-based decision-making within at least one public sector body. Judges were looking for submissions that show a well-argued methodology, clear reporting of the findings and impact. Ideally the winner also shows strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation, and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner: 

• Revealing Reality (ESRO)/London Borough of Waltham Forest – The value of making friends: How a deeper understanding of user need has created a brighter future for children in Waltham Forest

Highly commended:

• Lancashire County Council: Breaking the boundaries – service planning based on need not construct

Shortlisted:

• Lancashire County Council & Lancashire Constabulary: Integrating data encouraging collaborative working to reduce alcohol related harm
• Manchester City Council: Neighbourhood Intelligence
• Staffordshire County Council: Improving Educational Outcomes in Staffordshire; an exploration of what impacts on a ‘good’ education and how it can be improved

Best use of social care or health research

To win this award the successful entrant will show how their research has led to a greater understanding of a social care or health issue. This could be based on primary or secondary data analysis. Not only that, but they must also show that this has led to evidence-based decision-making within the social care or health sectors. Our definition of social care and health sectors is in the broadest sense and includes public health. We welcome entries that cover more than one sector. Judges were looking for submissions that show a well-argued methodology, clear reporting of the findings and impact. Ideally the winner also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation, and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner:

• Miller Research and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – Formative evaluation of the ‘In One Place Programme’

Highly commended:

• Lancashire County Council: Saving the children – making infant deaths everybody’s business
• Revealing Reality (ESRO)/Wirral:  The Barriers of Binary Thinking: Tackling Health-related Worklessness on the Wirral

Shortlisted:

• Essex County Council and Rural Community Council for Essex, British Red Cross, Age UK and Essex Neighbourhood Watch: Demonstrating the impact of a new community run prevention initiative ‘Community Agents’ in Essex
• Manchester City Council and Manchester CCGs Business Intelligence Team: Understanding Health Demands in Manchester

Most engaging presentation of local area research

To win this award the successful entrant will show how they have successfully presented local area research to aid understanding of a local area, community or health issue. The audience for this presentation could include senior decision-makers, staff, the media and the public. The format of the presentation could include (but is not limited to) a written report, conference presentation, event/seminar, videos, infographics, an online portal/website or use of media. Judges were looking for submissions that show a creative approach that understands the needs of the audience receiving the information. There should be evidence that research findings have been reported clearly and are fairly represented by the presentation of it. Ideally the winner will also show strong partnership working, citizen/user involvement/engagement, innovation and the outcomes that have been achieved locally.

Winner:

• Oxfordshire County Council – Creative responses to local Data Users’ needs: Data Stories and R-Area Profiles

Highly commended:

• Suffolk County Council: The Suffolk Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

Shortlisted:

• Kirklees Council – Public Health Intelligence: Getting animated about presenting survey findings to young people
• Manchester City Council: Confident and Achieving Manchester Performance Framework
• Staffordshire County Council: Engaging and thought-provoking Performance Management information: Staffordshire’s development and introduction of interactive performance dashboards

New researcher of the year

This award is given to a researcher with under five years of experience in a research field who has made an impact. This could be a person of any age. The entry could be based on a particular project they have led, an innovation they have pioneered or a particularly strong skill set. Their career to date shows a researcher who is able to conduct research that provides insightful analysis, promotes citizen/user involvement/engagement, presents information well, and helps develop evidence-based decision-making in the public sector. We accept entrants who have had a longer career in research than five years, but have moved into a new research field of which they have under five years of experience. The researcher cannot nominate themselves for this award.

Winner:

• Sarah Thurgood – Kirklees Council

LARIA volunteer of the year

The volunteer of the year award is in the gift of the LARIA Council and recognises the work of a volunteer who has progressed the work of LARIA but does not sit on the LARIA Council. We are a voluntary organisation and without the work of our members we would not be here today. The winner this year has contributed for a number of years in helping LARIA make new contacts in the public health world, and helping to establish a strong public health element to the work of LARIA.

Winner: 

• Coryn Barclay

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Essex County Council – From monster mother to local leader

Summary

This project has achieved real impact by engaging decision makers and practitioners through innovative presentation of local area research to coproduce an All-Age Autism strategy.

We changed our usual way of developing strategy by modelling the principles of coproduction. In collaboration with parents of children with Autism, we presented local stories and research to an audience of senior commissioners, policy officers, education, health and social care decision-makers.

We have been on an inspiring journey with our partners and citizens that started with a system which parents felt, “…is set up to create monster mothers who are fighting for the rights of the child in a maze of professionals who write a lot of letters but not much else”, to building reciprocal and respectful relationships between the public sector and citizens, and now a future investment into local peer support and local empowerment.

Wow factor

It is possible to create such an environment, based on research, where a senior Director of Commissioning can feel confident and compelled enough to make an instant commitment to invite families to be a greater leader in addressing their own local community issues.

Video of the coproduction workshop

Synopsis

Instructed by the citizens’ choice
We asked local families how they would like to give their views on their experience of seeking advice, support and treatment for their autistic children, offering a range of engagement methods. The resounding response from parents was that they would prefer to do this through an online survey.

Tales of despondence and disillusion but also local peer support
The most poignant finding from the survey was that there was a significant breakdown of relationship and an alarming lack of trust between parents and practitioners. Regardless of the quality of services that were available, parents felt so disillusioned and mistrusting of public services from not feeling listened to, leading to poor outcomes for families. However, within this distrust emerged evidence that some families were coping through seeking local peer support.

Our Objective – Doing the insight justice
We recognised that a standard survey report would lose the powerful insights such as the extent to which families were feeling abandoned and was not a sufficient mechanism for building the case for change. So our objective was to win hearts and minds through a more creative presentation of the survey findings to a range of multi-agency senior decision makers. Instead we decided upon a coproduction event that modelled and promoted both the theory and practice of coproduction.

A Call to Action and Repairing Relationships
We designed a workshop where four exemplary case studies drawn from the survey findings were clearly presented, telling the stories of families’ journeys through the system. Compelling survey quotes were presented around the room on large posters.

To repair relationships, we invited survey respondents to attend the event and carried out individual pre-briefings in local libraries to those interested in attending the workshop. We went to parents, we shared our ambitions with them and we sought their views on the design and potential effectiveness of the workshop.

We invited some respondents to present their experiences first-hand at the event. In particular, we worked with one respondent to write a 6 year account of her family’s experiences. Her story was an exemplary representation of the opinions of other survey respondents’ so we sent her written account to this tailored audience the day before the event.

We invited some respondents to co-write the autism strategy with us.

Our Impact – A commitment to change

Two powerful things changed on this day. Firstly there was some reparation in relationships achieved through the facilitation of parents to feel empowered to challenge the local authority through a positive dialogue focused on finding solutions.

Secondly, presentations given by parents evidenced the effectiveness of peer support and gave confidence to ECC’s consideration of peer support as a demand management strategy. The case made by parents was so impactful that a Director of Commissioning publicly made a commitment to work and support parents in their ideas.

Lessons learned

From coproduction to investment
The insight from the parents’ presentation on peer support was so convincing and compelling; the Director of Commissioning offered at the workshop a commitment to invest in piloting the peer support approach that had worked so well for those two families.

Before this work began we took these two significant steps to take the organisation on a journey to do things differently:

1. Leader endorsement to embed coproduction principles
We’ve been flying the flag for coproduction intensively in the last 24 months. This began with a coproduction paper with reference to the expert guidance of leaders in the sector like Tony Bovaird from Governance International. The paper was endorsed by ECC’s Corporate Management Board and the Executive Director for People Commissioning.

2. Socialising coproduction ambitions with key decision-makers
We’ve also designed our own Collaboration Tree, adapted from Governance International’s Coproduction Tree to socialise the council’s ambitions and seek further commitment to coproduction principles and practices.

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