Improving access to directory services information

Angus Claydon, director of operations at the Care Forum, Bristol describes their journey to adopt the standard.

Introduction

The Care Forum has provided a directory of services of local organisations for many years. It has always been our mission to constantly improve the way in which the information held in it can be accessed and used. In 2010 we were working with 3 local authorities and primary care trusts and branded the directory ‘Well Aware’.

Adopting an open data standard was a natural step towards ensuring one dataset. That meant we could maximise its reach and enable multiple applications to use the same data simultaneously.

Process

Very early versions of our database were built using proprietary software that was very inflexible and costly to change. After moving to a more flexible system our developer worked with us and our local authority to look at the open data model using an extract from our live site.

We were proud that our model of periodic assurance of data on services and organisations could be built into a product such as Placecube’s. We also incorporated a method to allow organisations to maintain their own records which we then assure. There were a few unexpected twists and turns. An example would be when some functionality needed to be incorporated after our data had been transferred.

Working with our commissioners and our technical leads such as Doc and Tee and Placecube in a truly co-productive way has allowed us to build strong relationships. It's meant we kept a person-centred approach at the core of the project.

Challenges

Working with large and complex datasets always poses challenges. As an independent organisation we were anxious about handing over control of the dataset. We viewed the data as a core business asset which we had spent many years refining and maintaining. It was a bit of a challenge to prepare the data on our existing database before the final snapshot was taken for export to the Open Data platform. With a highly granular dataset we needed to be sure the differences between some of the contact types matched the new framework, for instance contacts for certain providers and services were stored differently.

Benefits

Adopting a standard that is open and national

As we’re the organisation tasked with moderating the data, it’s beneficial for us to adopt an open standard that has input nationally.

Maintaining the integrity of the data

While we perhaps had more control when the data was hosted by us we were constantly under pressure from some influential organisations listed to add features that could sometimes be detrimental to others.

Accurate mapping of provision

It is important to us that we are working on a dataset that enables better reporting across regions and that more accurately maps provision and need for services in hyper local areas.

What we learned

It is worth investing time in data analysis expertise to really assess your existing data and how that will be presented on the Open Data platform. A key part of the search feature is built on how ‘needs and circumstances’ are mapped to ‘service types’. It is useful to explore the nuances here and how they match your current classification systems.