Data-sharing improvements set to reduce costs and support troubled families

Troubled families in Greater Manchester, and eventually the rest of the UK, are set to benefit from the findings of a project which is leading to the improvement of information sharing between public service institutions.

The twelve-month project, ‘Improving Information Sharing and Management’ (IISaM) has led to improvements in the circulation of live birth data between the NHS and local authority children’s centres in Greater Manchester.

This now means that ante-natal and post-natal support can be offered more efficiently via local authorities, reducing costs and leading to better outcomes for local people.

IISaM is a national project supported by central government, enabling three local authorities – Greater Manchester, Bradford and Leicestershire - to improve their public services through appropriate information sharing.

The findings and recommendations of IISaM will be used to inform best practice in public services across the rest of the UK.

The Greater Manchester branch of the project is being delivered by New Economy.

IISaM forms part of the wider work being undertaken across Greater Manchester in its role as one of four UK Government ‘Community Budget’ pilot areas, an initiative which seeks to improve public services by reducing influence from Whitehall and instead providing more control at a local level.

John Curtis, project manager of IISaM, said: “If information is appropriately shared at an earlier stage in someone’s life then there is a greater chance that more serious issues will not occur in their later years, because their needs can be met sooner rather than later.

“Our work in Greater Manchester is part of a wider UK effort and whilst there is still plenty more to be done, I’m pleased to say that we’ve reached a particular milestone.

“By successfully pinpointing some of the inefficiencies in sharing data, we’ve developed various new processes to improve the secure flow of information across public services, particularly between the NHS and local authorities.

Baron Frankal, director of economic strategy at New Economy, said: “Data sharing is one of the trickier issues that so many parts of the public services systems face. This project is an attempt to join up work at a local level to increase effectiveness and reduce costs and duplication.

“The data-sharing project has given Greater Manchester a good chance to create workable solutions and tools that are applicable to all different parts of local and central government, and to get us working together much better to eliminate previously established boundaries.

“We will be sharing our findings and recommendations with the UK’s network of public services in the coming months and it is hoped to have a long-term impact for the better on the places that engage.”