Data to Insight is not a software supplier in the traditional sense -- we're here to help local authority (LA) colleagues get work done and share it with each other. The best thing about Data to Insight is the community of analysts who are doing and sharing great work through this network.
We recognise that different LAs want different levels of engagement with our work. As such, we offer four key collaboration approaches to suit different users’ information needs.
CLA Placement Modelling Tool
We're building a free web-based tool that allows you to quickly see estimates of demand for residential, fostering, and supported accommodation placements, and to model policy changes you are considering – such as the creation of in-house provision, or a step-down service​. Sign up below to try it out!
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
A little background information:
​
Thanks for your interest in Data to Insight's demand modelling work! Led by local authorities with support from the ADCS, DfE, Ofsted, and MHCLG, we're working to help LAs make better use of data in children's services.
This placement demand modelling tool has been created with funding from MHCLG, expertise from data scientists at the non-profit organisation Social Finance, and plenty of input from local authority analysts and commissioning managers. We started with an Excel prototype and are now turning that into a web-based tool which should be easier to use and generate more valuable insight for local decision-makers.
​
All our tools are free to local authorities, and all of them are "open" so you can see exactly what they're doing. They come out of a community of analysts who want to work together to make better tools available to everyone.
​
​
Excel prototype
Demand Modelling Tool for CLA Placements | Data to Insight
We developed an Excel prototype which is in use in several LAs around the country. The tool is accessible to all LA and trust colleagues and can be accessed via the D2I website in its latest iteration (see link above). You’ll need to be a site member to access it, but signing up is straightforward – you just need to supply a LA/trust email address via the log in / sign up link, and we’ll approve the membership.
The tool takes your standard SSDA903 outputs and asks you for some estimated average weekly costs for different types of placement. That’s all you need for getting started, but there are lots of filters and options to play with, so it’s worth having a look and then getting in touch if you’re struggling.
The Excel tool runs the same “transition rates” model as the regional web tool we’re currently developing, and contains full explanatory notes.
Regional web tool and python model
data-to-insight/cs-demand-model
SocialFinanceDigitalLabs/cs-demand-model-regional: CS Demand Model webapp for regional analysis
Since launching the Excel tool, we’ve been working with Social Finance to act on the two key bits of feedback we receive from LAs: first, that the Excel tool is sometimes confusing to use, and second, that analysing a single LA’s data in isolation is much less useful than analysing across the LA in question plus its neighbours, or indeed across a whole region.
The demand model linked above sits independent of the web app we’re using to deploy it. This means you can use the code yourself and integrate it in your local analysis processes. However, we expect most users to be regional partnerships of LAs providing or purchasing some level of technical support for implementation and maintenance.
​​