London Boroughs of Richmond & Wandsworth

Summary 

DataRich and DataWand are open data hubs providing easy access to information from across the boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth. The data is automatically updated by GeoWise (now Esri UK) and organised into themes so users can get a detailed view of the areas and see how they compare nationally.

The sites were originally commissioned to get public health information out to communities for a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) but following this, the councils wanted to be able to optimise the sites for their specific needs. In the summer of 2018, the two sites were relaunched with the GeoWise (now Esri UK) hosted service.

Emily Heades is an intelligence analyst serving Richmond and Wandsworth councils. Here, she talks about the value the new sites have delivered.  

What has been the impact of the data hubs on you and the users?

Since the relaunch, we have been directing many more people to the sites for data requests. This has freed up time so that teams can focus on more in-depth analysis. For us, this has enabled further development of business intelligence tools, such as our Population Slicer, a dashboard which allows users to analyse different population groups based on equalities information – age, religion, sex, and ethnicity. We have also been able to incorporate ArcGIS maps and StoryMaps, which enables users to explore trends and events through more interesting, visual and user-friendly formats. 

As for users, a wide range of individuals can access the data from GPs to community providers and voluntary organisations. We have had positive feedback from community groups on the sites and how it supports them to access data. The websites enable local organisations and council officers to aggregate the data and build up their own collections from the smaller geographical areas. A good example of this is the Children’s Services department in Wandsworth, which was able to create geographical cluster packs to support a new locality-based way of working. The Custom Area Reports provided teams with holistic insight into their areas to help them understand the population and its needs. 

What have been the main benefits of the new data hubs?

We know that we are using information from credible sources and a wide range of people now have access to the same data. It is one version of the truth, which makes comparison easier. We also wanted to enable a wider audience to access the data and allow users to create their own bespoke reports which is now happening.

This means we are seeing much smarter requests. Rather than asking us to identify trends, we are being asked what could be behind the trends they are seeing.

The hubs are also great signposting tools – the metadata service from GeoWise (now Esri UK) provides a link back to the original data, the Data Explorer allows users to see lists of indicators and we’ve been able to host our own Links & Resources page to get users accessing appropriate data sources.

Can you give us an example of how the data hubs are being used?

The ward-level data on DataRich and DataWand has been useful for council officers completing Needs Assessments and Community Safety Ward Panels accessing ward-level crime data. Community groups are using the demographic data on the websites to support funding bids including the Mayor’s Young Londoners Fund and it has helped to provide information for the upcoming JSNA.

Is the website meeting expectations?

We have seen huge growth in the number of people using the sites. As of October this year, for example, DataWand had 553 users, compared with 185 in October 2018.

The feedback we have received has been positive – people find it easy to access the data they need and know it is reliable. A lot of people have said the new sites are more useful than they used to be. We recently presented the sites to the Health and Wellbeing Boards and members were excited about the benefits they offer. To ensure the websites meet user requirements, we are continually seeking feedback and development suggestions. We run regular training sessions to teach new users and update our ‘How To’ tools based on changes to the websites. 

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