How can local authorities, health and other local public services link and share data in order to identify and support vulnerable people in their communities this winter?

As the cost of living and energy crises continue and we move into winter it will be essential that the most vulnerable do not slip through the net and left without vital support. Local public services will need to collaborate across organisational boundaries to firstly identify those who are vulnerable and then coordinate relevant services and support around the individual.  

Data sharing is complex, but by putting unique property reference numbers - UPRNs - in government datasets, and under appropriate information governance rules, data can be brought together to support a multi-agency approach in delivering public service challenges such as vulnerability, household support grants and energy efficiency grants.

During Covid local authorities and the NHS rapidly put in place innovative data sharing arrangements – it is time now to build on the knowledge and expertise built up during the pandemic to meet this new challenge for our communities.

Our expert panel will discuss how local services can best work with data in a multi-agency approach to support the vulnerable this winter:

• Paul Davidson, Chief Digital Officer, Sedgemoor District Council / Director iStandUK and Scalable Approach to Vulnerability via Interoperability (SAVVI)
• Jamie Tasker, BI Innovation Manager, Barnsley Council
• Jo Mann, Head of Risk & Intelligence, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service
• Richard Duffield, Head of Customer Insights, GeoPlace LLP

UPRNs

 is the central source of information for all UK addresses and streets. It manages the data that officially defines more than 42.8 million addresses and 1.3 million streets in the UK.

A joint venture between the Local Government Association and Ordnance Survey, GeoPlace LLP was created when the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government called for a standard index of addresses to be created, to help the UK work more efficiently.

UPRNs are now the common identifier used to link records together so that they can be related and centralised at a household level, typically where services are delivered to. This linked output is a strong foundation upon which to conduct analytics and gain insights.

Linking datasets together which contains UPRNs is a relatively simple and rapid process. However, as demonstrated in the early stages of the COVID-19 response, if a dataset does not contain UPRNs then this often represents the most time-consuming step in the overall process, creating inaccuracies and unnecessary barriers.

Who should attend?

Anyone working to support vulnerable people. Suggested, but not limited to Chief Digital & Data Officers, CIOs, Heads of IT, Assistant and Chief Executives, Members, Heads of Services (Social Care, Customer, Housing, Revenues & Benefits), Transformation and Change, Customer Insight, Finance, Strategy and Corporate Services, Heads of Digital, Data and Digital Leaders, Data Custodians.