Data analytics
Data analytics is the process of analysing information to gain a deeper understanding and generate insight. To do this, the council may use data stored within its systems to find trends and draw conclusions.
Why the council uses data analytics and how we do this
In order to improve the services we provide to residents, we may use your information to generate a deeper understanding of the service we provide. This is known as data analytics. We bring together information from a range of services, and sometimes partner organisations, to understand more about the needs of those living in the borough.
We may bring together your information from the services you deal with to create a ‘single view’ of you and/or your family on one system. This helps to save frontline professionals time as they do not need to look in different systems to understand your circumstances and you do not have to explain your circumstances repeatedly. It also helps us to better understand your specific needs to ensure that we're supporting you in the right way.
Data from some of our key services are brought together to form a ‘single view’ of a person, or a household to support specific needs at an earlier stage. Although this information is made available to some services, specific access permissions are in place for different roles. This means that council staff can only see the information that's relevant for them to do their job.
Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics is a set of statistical techniques including data mining and predictive modelling that uses current and historical information to make predictions about future or otherwise unknown events.
We use predictive analytics by bringing together your information from the services you deal with to help predict future demand and need, so we can help at an earlier stage. The law places a duty on councils to find ways to prevent people’s needs from getting worse by identifying and supporting earlier. Predictive analytics is used in a limited number of ways by the council, but we mainly use it to prevent circumstances from getting more difficult for our residents. For example, by using financial and housing data we can better understand the circumstances that lead to some residents becoming homeless. In this way, we can proactively offer help and support to try and prevent homelessness from happening and reduce pressure on temporary housing provision.
To protect your individual privacy, unless there is a legal reason to do otherwise, predictive analytics are only undertaken using:
- anonymised data: where your name or identifying details are removed
or - pseudonymised data: where your name or identifying details are replaced with a key
All data sharing and data analytics is carried out in line with data protection legislation.
Data that we use
Data from the following services are brought together to help us predict residents' needs. We can then use this information to help a person or a household by supporting them at an earlier stage:
- Revenues and Benefits: Council Tax, Housing Benefit, free school meals and debt
- Housing: Homes and Money Hub, tenancy sustainment, accommodation and temporary accommodation
- Homelessness prevention: social housing register, single point of access
- Children’s social care: early help, youth offending, Multi Agency Safeguarding and Support Hub (MASSH)
- Adults social care: service involvement
- Education: attendance and exclusions
We do not use every dataset for every use case. Only necessary and proportionate data is processed.
No decisions about an individual are solely made based on characteristics protected under the Equalities Act 2010. In many cases, we do not collect this information. Where used, protected characteristics may be used to monitor inequalities to prevent bias and discrimination.
Permission to use data is this way
We do not require direct consent from you to use your data in this way. This is because we consider it to be in the public interest to investigate different ways of working, in order to better serve our residents. You do, however, have the right to object to your data being processed in this way. You can find information about how to object on our Your rights webpage.