Introducing Open Referral UK

Open Referral UK data is a standard that gives a consistent way of recording and sharing information about services.

Currently in the UK most organisations in the public sector (such as local authorities and health, housing and voluntary organisations) have a form of directory that is used to store and list local services. In each locality, directory content is often duplicated across the public sector.

Open Referral UK defines a standard structure to meet this need for a consistent way of gathering and using data.

The standard has online guidance and a Github repository. The repository holds resources, a sample service directory and service finder open-source application. There’s a growing community of software suppliers supporting the standard with data feeds and tools.

The Open Referral UK data standard is an open standard. This means the documentation and tools are open to anyone to use.

Defining open data standards

A data standard is like a language for data. Just as language has rules such as grammar and spelling, a data standard has rules and guidelines for using information. Adopting a data standard leads to consistent information and a better shared understanding. In 2022, the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) has formally endorsed Open Referral UK (ORUK), recognising its value in standardising service data across sectors.

Open data standards are:

• publicly available and free to use to provide fair access
• well documented with extensive tools and resources available
• supported by the market to demonstrate the independence of platforms, applications and vendors
• released for use with a royalty free licence which is irrevocable unless there is a breach of conditions
• compatible with both open source and proprietary licensed solutions

To find out more, watch our short What is Open Referral UK? explainer video.