The post LARIA Research Impact Awards 2021 appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

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.

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

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.

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

Evaluation of Manchester’s Community Assessment Support Service (CASS)

Summary

The research evidenced how designing services to fit how people use them instead of within traditional organisation structures can deliver additional benefits for both the people who use them, and to the systems within which they operate (i.e. in terms of reducing demand and creating sustainable funding models).

CASS is an integrated service delivery model that aims to avoid hospital and social care admissions, reduce length of stay, and improve citizen’s/carer’s experiences through better access to the right intervention, at the right time, delivered by the right health or social care worker. The service was trialled in the Manchester’s North Locality (one of three localities in the city), with over 2,500 people using CASS during its first year of operation. (http://www.pat.nhs.uk/our-services/cass.htm) The complex evaluation of CASS provided a robust methodological and evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness of an integrated approach to H&SC services. The findings have led to significant investment to expand the service across the whole of the city. The methodological approach provides a proof of concept that now forms a foundation for on-going evaluation of new delivery models in Manchester. The evaluation used evidence from a number of sources and applied qualitative and quantitative methods to assess impact. The work demonstrated the power of combining data from multiple sources/organisations. Primary evidence was gathered from service managers, staff, service users; along with secondary quantitative data from performance management tools and an integrated data warehouse containing patient level health and social care activity and costs data.

Synopsis

The evaluation of CASS operating in the north of the city provided an opportunity to develop evaluation methods to understand and test the assumptions and theories that underpin the CASS model. The methods involved a mixed-method approach applying a realist approach to understand what works for whom, in what context and how. A theory of change was used to formulate the theories of how the activities in the service would lead to short and medium term outputs.

The purpose of the evaluation was to evidence whether or not a new delivery model provided value for money, could demonstrate changes in behaviour amongst patients and staff and support the theory that people who had used the service would have a lower demand for acute care in the future.

Staff have embraced the new way of working shown through delivery of a successful service. The evaluation drew evidence from the performance management dashboard developed by Manchester City Council’s performance team, patient monitoring data from Manchester CCG business intelligence team, social care and hospital services data on patient/staff experiences, financial data from hospital and social care finance teams, and the integrated H&SC data warehouse containing primary, secondary and social care activity data on Manchester residents.

An important test for the service was satisfaction. This was evidenced using qualitative analysis that included gathering staff experience of working in an integrated service, and patient experience using “I statements” to gain insight into experience and the friends and families test. Results showed sustained good patient satisfaction with the service from all those who responded. Analysis of performance indicators showed upward trends for numbers of patients avoiding emergency admission to hospital, being readmitted to hospital within 30 days and a reduction in residential care admissions. The trends seen in the performance indicators were tested and validated by analysing patient level hospital activity and social care activity for the cohort of 2,500 patients by matching them within the health and social care data warehouse.

By applying cluster analysis to patient characteristics, previous hospital activity and risk of future admission score a comparison group of similar patients from other parts of the city was identified. Applying statistical models using linear and generalised linear regression techniques the difference between expected activity from the comparison group and the actual activity of the CASS cohort evidenced a reduction in hospital activity for patients who had used CASS.

A cost – benefit analysis used the quantitative demand reduction data matched to cost data from finance teams to show that by investing in this integrated service a fiscal saving of £1.69 was achieved for every £1 spent. The outcome from the evaluation provided strong evidence for integrated working. The evidence was used in a successful bid for £10.7million of new investment over the next 3 years to scale up and add to this service up to operate city wide. The methodological approach developed for this evaluation now forms the basis of future evaluation of all new models of care being implemented across Manchester.

What should LARIA members learn from your project? 

Understanding the complexities of evaluations involving service users and integrated services is an important step in designing evaluations and the methods to use within them. As health and social care services become integrated it is crucial that systems and data can be joined too in order to understand the changes happening in the system and provide insight into its performance. Ensuring good quality evaluation evidence feeds in to service design and implementation is an important aspect of how the services are shaped in the future. It is important to take into account the context within which the service or intervention that is being evaluated operates and will operate if it is scaled up or rolled out in other areas as the model might need adjusting to fit or work in other areas. This is the advantage of the realist approach in understanding how and who a service or intervention works for. If this understanding feeds into service or intervention design as it is moved into other geographical areas there is a greater chance of success. Including service users in service evaluation is important to ensure all views are captured.

Further information

More information on CASS: http://www.pat.nhs.uk/our-services/cass.htm

The post Award Winner 2018 – Manchester City Council appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Using the principles of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis to prioritise areas which would benefit most from a Selective Licensing scheme in Wirral

Summary

Frontline services in Wirral have struggled for decades to engage successfully with vulnerable residents in communities experiencing deprivation and poor health. This project has demonstrated that when resources are increasingly scarce, accurate targeting of an intervention through research and data analysis has allowed more intensive targeting of appropriate services. It has enabled a focus not simply on areas with poor property condition and environmental quality, but also residents that are the most vulnerable and most likely to need support.

Suitable housing that is safe and warm is one of the foundations of wellbeing, but the only housing option available to some of the most vulnerable people in society is often poor quality housing in the private rented sector. If implemented effectively, Selective Licensing schemes can improve housing quality in the private rented sector. Wirral Council decided to introduce Selective Licensing (SL) in four carefully chosen small areas, in order to monitor its impact and ensure appropriate oversight. There were a number of indicators mandated nationally that Local Authorities were obliged to consider as part of their evidence before implementing schemes; all of these needed consideration. We therefore used a locally adapted method based on the principles of Multi-Criteria Decision analysis, to prioritise areas which would benefit most from the initiative. Four LSOAs were prioritised, and the considerable subsequent work carried out by the Council’s Housing Team demonstrated such an impressive level of impact on poor housing in the pilot areas, Cabinet have asked for the scheme to be rolled out across the borough.

Synopsis

This was a joint piece of work between the Public Health Intelligence Team & the Housing Strategy Team of Wirral Council which was designed to improve housing condition and quality of life for Wirral residents. Previous research indicated that 1 in 3 privately rented homes in Wirral did not meet the decent homes standard and Selective Licensing schemes are a way of improving housing quality in this sector. The Housing Strategy Team therefore wished to find a way in which multiple indicators of housing need and poor condition could be appraised and used to pinpoint areas where Selective Licensing would be most effective. In addition, national guidelines stated that any submission from Local Authorities to introduce Selective Licensing must include certain indicators, for example, evidence of low demand. Public health were keen to include indicators such as home injuries and educational attainment, so a methodology was required that could take into account multiple criteria (not all with the same level of influence on low demand) and prioritise the most appropriate areas for Selective Licensing.

We decided upon a process based on the principles of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). MCDA can be used in several ways, for example: – To choose from a set of alternatives – To understand which criteria are most important in making a decision Together with the Housing Strategy team, the context and identified options to be appraised (Lower Layer Super Output Areas or LSOAs were felt to the most appropriate geographies) were agreed; as were identified strategic objectives/outcomes (e.g. improved housing condition).

This then generated indicators/criteria against which to judge and rank Wirral’s 206 LSOAs. Each criterion was then scored 1-3 depending on their relevance to low demand (as this is the main basis on which Local Authorities can apply for Selective Licensing). The top/bottom 5% of LSOAs in Wirral (which corresponded to 10 LSOAs) were scored and entered into a matrix (see page 30 of report at link above for matrix). This analysis and the resulting matrix were part of the business case which was endorsed by Council Cabinet who agreed that they constituted robust evidence.

Despite prior declarations that this would be the case, the process was not challenged by local landlords. In fact, following a 2 year implementation period, Cabinet have recently requested that the methodology be refreshed so that the initiative can be rolled out to encompass a larger number of areas in Wirral.

In terms of impact, the scheme commenced in July 2015 in 4 LSOAs and identified that almost half of properties (41%) were privately rented. To date, 99% of properties are licensed, there have been 27 individual prosecutions with 3 more pending for failure to obtain a licence and associated offences and 340 Selective Licensing compliance checks completed. Only 28% of properties inspected met minimum standards and informal notices were issued for 57% of properties; Enforcement notices have been served on 18% of properties, and 3 Prohibition Orders have been issued.

What should LARIA members learn from this project?

The results from the Selective Licensing have demonstrated that the method used for targeting the intervention has accurately identified the intended areas of poorest property condition and low demand housing which is evidenced by 72% of properties inspected being below the required standard. The same datasets can be analysed at regular intervals to measure the impact of the intervention. Selective Licensing is an initiative that relies on behaviour change of both landlords and tenants over time and therefore it is not anticipated that results will not be seen for 5-10 years. However monitoring the same data over time can be used to monitor the improvements over time. The same principles could be applied to many specific areas, not just housing related interventions, by selecting relevant data sets that are contributing to a specific problem or issue and then developing a scoring matrix that weights the factors according to their influence on the problem.

Further information

The technical evidence document outlining the methods used is available online.

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/housing/housing-information-and-advice/private-landlords-and-managing-agents/selective-licensing#wgSM-0

Go to ‘Further Information’ and then select ‘Evidence Base’

The post Award Winner 2018 – Wirral Council appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Multi-agency geo-mapping of gangs and child exploitation

Summary

The entry shows the power of joint insight. Using existing data, in a joined up way across organisations, rather than silos to develop a local view of what is happening in an area and displaying it in a simple, engaging, interactive and dynamic way makes a real difference to how people perceive what is going on and identify what actions need to be taken by whom.

There has been a shift in the delivery of data and information regarding threats and vulnerability in relation to Child Exploitation to a more visual and dynamic way of presenting. We can now map out the information provided from a number of organisations into District / Ward / Street level and can overlay information on these maps so we can either pin point specific queries; for example, which locations within a town/city are actual risk locations (hotspots), or we can look at wider themes or questions; for example, what are our vulnerable locations around our hotspots? This information is now been used to drive actions and interventions by partnership organisations during monthly MACE (missing and child exploitation) meetings. Multi-agency organisation includes Childrens social care, education, youth service, children’s society, ESCB, community safety partnership leads, CRC, probation and police.

Synopsis

The children’s intelligence & insight team have worked with Essex police analysts to develop a new offer to drive timely decision making at MACE partnership meetings. Instead of continuing to produce a monthly performance report from each organisation (which was resulting in the wrong types of conversations). ECC lead the development of a dynamic & interactive way of presenting insight. This has resulting in the following successes:

• Identification of vulnerable locations. The dynamic maps reflects where schools, care home, semi-independent accommodation, B&Bs, Hotels etc. locations are. We can map out our transport networks, bus stations, etc. and through this over time understand better how such facilities may play a role in increasing vulnerability and/or risk.
• Targeting disruption and enforcement activities. It seeks to deliver information regarding disruption and enforcement; for example, it will detail the location of child abduction warning notices and closure notices.
• Evaluating proactive work carried out by the partnership. The mapping facility seeks to answer queries as well as pose questions to the group of core members that attend MACE 2, who are predominantly strategic leads across the partnership. It seeks to identify areas for early prevention activities and raising awareness

An important element towards its success is buy in from across the partnership as it relies on comprehensive data and intelligence being fed in and then regularly reviewed/sense checked within the meeting. Through this process we can then deliver a product which can be adapted to be shared with frontline workers and managers to use in team meetings, development sessions, BAPs, local district tasking meetings etc.

Through the delivery of this information to the multi-agency workforce we seek to directly impact on decision-making and planning for families across Essex as this better equips us to recognise areas of risk when making decisions and working with families around safeguarding and care planning.

What should LARIA members learn from your project?

To improve partnership working and speedy decision making the most simplistic of ideas are always the most effective. Using what we already know differently gives us better results than going it alone and helps us all understand an issue and local area better in order to intervene in the a better and most cost effective way for an improved outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in society.

The post Award Winner 2018 – Essex County Council appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.

Annual Research Seminar Series (5th Year)

Summary

The seminar has been recognised locally as a forum for raising awareness of research within the local authority and also an opportunity for collaboration of academic and non-academic partners, especially the third sector. It provides the space to network and initiate research that can make an impact to local communities.

On 23rd November 2017, Birmingham City Council hosted a conference themed ‘Rising to the challenge of collaborative research’, aimed to showcase research undertaken either by the council or in collaboration with its partners. This was an opportunity for council staff to network with external partners involved with research.

This was the fifth in a series of annual seminars held since 2013. It was chaired by Steven Rose (Head of Strategic Research) and introduced by Hashum Mahmood (Service Manager Public Health – Innovation), with keynote speeches from Dr Martin Reeves, (Chief Executive, Coventry City Council & Honorary President, LARIA); Professor Graeme Betts (Corporate Director Adult Social Care & Health, Birmingham City Council); and Stella Manzie, (Interim Chief Executive, Birmingham City Council). The audience included colleagues from academia and from local public sector and third sector organisations and colleagues from within Birmingham City Council.

The objectives of the event included:

• Raising the profile of research within the council;
• Showcasing examples of collaborative research conducted by the council with external partners;
• Identifying challenges to collaborative research, including resolution methods;
• Developing research networks with local stakeholders;
• Providing opportunity for council staff and students from local universities to exhibit research posters.

Synopsis

The research seminar series has been running since 2013 and was set up to raise the awareness of research and develop staff research skills within the local authority. Each year the seminar has a particular focus, which in the past has ranged from partnerships to evidence based practice and practice based evidence. The overall aim is to provide a forum of networking between academic and non-academic partners for further collaboration.

The evolution of the seminar over the five years has seen it benefit and providing a voice for local university students to come and present poster presentations of the research and dissertation work they have been conducting. Many of the presentations within the seminars have been delivered by staff with the authority, as well as representatives from community organisations. Each year the level of interest from delegates has exceeded the expectations of the organisers, with an average attendance of sixty delegates from a plethora of organisations.

Evaluations of the seminar have provided much learning for the organisers, with many delegates having attended previously and new faces emerging as well. The format of presentations followed by a panel discussion has been a highlight of the events, with many delegates commenting on this seminar series as a really great initiative that should be replicated in other areas. Presentations and previous seminar evaluations are available via the Birmingham Collaborative Research Support Network (BCRSN) group on Knowledge Hub.

The ability of the seminar to attract a high calibre of key note speakers, which have included the chief executive of the authority, senior representative from LARIA and a local Member of Parliament all indicate the importance and prominence strategic leadership value the importance of research to inform public policy. However, the support and enthusiasm by staff to engage and be a part of this seminar has been the driving force that has enabled it to run for five years and hopefully for many years to come.

Adrian Phillips, Director of Public Health Birmingham City Council considers that “Public Health is a data-led specialism and a strong evidence-base is crucial to developing effective services. The importance of sharing outcomes and building on research through collaboration partnership working results in synergy that’s greater than initial research undertaken and is integral to developing and maintaining services suitable for citizens’ needs. Each event has proven to be a fantastic vehicle for people involved in research in Birmingham to come together to share knowledge, whilst learning from one another. Over the last 5 years I’ve witnessed the team constantly strive to ensure the next event has greater impact than the last, encompass an ever-greater range of people who use this opportunity to highlight their research and constantly strive to ensure each event is current and appropriate to the audience’s needs. I am delighted that this ever-expanding annual event has become a fixture in the research calendar for Birmingham”.

What should LARIA members learn from your project?

The research seminar has since its inception enabled the creation of a multidisciplinary forum to help the merger of theory and practice by placing individuals from both paradigms to network and collaborate. It has highlighted the importance of research and intelligence to inform local policy and demonstrate how even non-academic organisations such as local authorities can produce peer reviewed articles that have the potential to have great impact, given their “real world” “living lab” remit of work. The positive comments and encouragement shown by staff of all levels, as well as external partners from all sectors has shown that this enterprise would be beneficial in other local authorities, in order to bridge the chasm between theory and practice.

The post Award Winner 2018 – Birmingham City Council appeared first on LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association.