Jade Alsop, Commercial Director at Policy in Practice, spoke at Housemark's Ten Days of Data festival about embedding a data driven culture within organisations such as housing providers, local authorities and others. Commitment to embrace data-driven decision making is needed at all levels of an organisation to realise the full value of insights. At this event Jade joined the speaker panel with Charlotte Carpenter from Karbon Homes and Colin Sales from 3C Consultants to explore how to lead by example to ensure what we do, say and ask, fosters a data-driven culture and embeds the use of data across an organisation. For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk

1. Embedding a data-driven
culture
Policy in Practice
Jade Alsop

2. Agenda
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
● A climate of change and uncertainty
● Why a data-driven culture is important
● Big issues facing our clients, and how they’re tackling them
● Three case studies
● Takeaways and top tips
● Questions and answers

3. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
A team of professionals with extensive knowledge of the welfare
system. We’re passionate about making social policy work
We help over 100 local authorities use their household level
data to identify vulnerable households, target support and track
their interventions
Our benefit calculator engages over 10,000 people each day.
We identify the steps people can take to increase their income,
lower their costs and build their financial resilience
Policy in Practice: What we do

4. A climate of change and uncertainty
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
By June 2020 DWP received over 3.2 million
individual declarations to Universal Credit. That’s
2.6m households and 1.1m advance payments.
By August 9.6 million people were on furlough
2.6 million people claimed SEIS, worth £7.5bn
Since April 750,000 people have lost their job
(OBR)
This could rise by up to 960,000 by October (10% of furloughed people).
The number needing support via benefits is likely to increase

5. Support and help is available
www.policyinpractice.co.uk/coronavirus
1. Job Support Scheme
(furlough scheme)
2. Self employment scheme
3. Social security and
Universal Credit
4. Emergency provision for
those who are missing out

6. Why a data-driven culture is important
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
● Need to see an holistic view of a household’s financial circumstance by
bringing all elements such as debt, benefits, housing together
● It’s the quickest and most effective way to get support to the right people
● Prevention is critical, particularly in the Covid world. Data analysis helps you
understand your customers and the action you need to take
● Cost avoidance/social impact

7. Big issues facing our clients
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
● Limiting and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 now and into the future
● Really understanding how their community is changing, now and in the future
● Demand from and risk to both current low income households and those who
are newly financially vulnerable due to COVID-19
Our clients need to limit the risk of:
● Evictions and unsustainable tenancies
● Increased household debt
● Increased homelessness applications and repeat homelessness cases
● Increased poverty that affects residents and, in turn, disrupts the council’s
ecosystem

8. How our clients are tackling these issues
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

9. Case study
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
“Do we have a data problem, or a people, processes and culture problem?”
Data insights Objective 1: Improve the
financial resilience of carers
ROI
● Proactively contacted
45% of households
● 62% had an action to
claim
● £710k economic gain
● £218k fiscal gain
Objective 2: Overcome
internal barriers
Lessons learned
1. Commit to quarterly
campaigns and
horizon scan opps
2. Agree a model and
funding for delivery
3. Trust information
governance owner
236 households mixed
age partners not claiming
£9,841 per family
£2.3m borough wide

10. Case study
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
“Data is already used to detect fraud and chase arrears, so why not use it to help citizens?”
Data insights Activity Return on investment
● £10.9m cost
avoidance by better
use of discretionary
funds
● £14.8m raised by
benefit maximisation
● Rough sleepers
down to 13, YOY
reduction

11. Case study
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Data insights Activity
Before: Lettings, Customer
Support and Customer
Accounts all used different
software to track customer
interactions.
Preparing to move 15,000
customers to UC
Now: one digital solution
Return on investment
● Maximised benefits
for 1 tenant by
£7,000
● Improved customer
interactions
● Improved staff
engagement rates
● Better lettings made
● Better arrears plans
“The Benefit and Budgeting Calculator has changed the way we work completely across
different teams. It's speeded up processes in a way that we didn't think would happen.”

12. Takeaways and top tips
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
● Secure commitment across your organisation to taking a preventative
approach
● Work cohesively across teams. Be prepared to invest time up front on data
sharing agreements and setting up the multi disciplinary partnership. It's
difficult for one team to own alone
● Engage your third party and support networks to maximise impact
● Consistency is key. Your frontline agents need to have the same support
conversations (and use the same tool)
● The future is challenging, but there are positive things we can do. Using data
will be critical, particularly where budgets are tight

13. 131313
Questions and answers
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

14. ● For up to date information on the welfare support available see
www.policyinpractice.co.uk/coronavirus
● Follow up email with slides, with links
● You are invited to join our webinars to hear more:
○ Wed 11 Nov: How to find the right debt solution for everyone
○ Wed 9 Dec: 2020: A policy review of the year, and look forward to 2021
Practical tools that can help
www.policyinpractice.co.uk/events

15. 151515
Thank you
Jade Alsop, Policy in Practice
hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
0330 088 9242
www.policyinpractice.co.uk