New pilot to help councils identify and support residents at risk to vulnerability earlier

Local Digital is pleased to share that the Scalable Approach to Vulnerability via Interoperability (SAVVI) and Open Referral UK (ORUK) data standards are taking an important step forward.

The government is investing £1.1 million to test the adoption of these 2 leading data standards in real service environments. The findings will help shape future scaling across England.

Pilots with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council will help both areas identify and support vulnerable people earlier, more effectively and more consistently.

These pilots mark a major step toward a future where councils can work proactively, not reactively, using data to identify early signs of people at risk to vulnerability and connect them to the right support before issues become more serious.

Why scaling the standards matters

Councils have been clear for some time that their ability to prevent crises depends on:

earlier sight of emerging needs access to consistent, high-quality service information

Local Digital has funded and co-developed the ORUK and SAVVI data standards with councils and sector partners over the last 7 years.

ORUK helps frontline teams to connect people to the right services by providing structured service data that works together across organisations.

SAVVI, developed by iStandUK, helps councils identify vulnerability sooner by highlighting early indicators of risk, such as:

homelessness withdrawal from the workforce pressures related to health or caring responsibilities

As SAVVI and ORUK were designed to work together as part of the same data-sharing network, together, they create a foundation for public services helping councils to:

reduce pressure on crisis services save money improve outcomes for residents

From April, both data standards will be managed by iStandUK. Bringing both interoperable standards together within iStandUK offers clear advantages: councils and suppliers will have a single point of expertise, aligned governance and consistent guidance. It also means both standards evolve in a coordinated and complementary way, reducing duplication and simplifying adoption for councils.

What the pilots will tell us

The pilots will look at the work councils need to do to adopt the ORUK and SAVVI standards, looking closely at the practical steps, time and resources involved in implementation. During the pilot period, we will build a clearer understanding of how shared data standards can help councils, partners and services work together seamlessly across organisational and geographic boundaries.

The pilots will also help us identify the technical, governance and cultural barriers that councils face when embedding new data standards. This will allow us to develop the right guidance and tools to support wider adoption.

In addition, the BCP Council pilot will combine structured ORUK data with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions to provide more personalised support. It will show how emerging technologies can add value to local public services. These pilots will generate the learning needed to scale these approaches across England. They will inform delivery models, procurement pathways, timelines, staffing and value for money, so future adoption is achievable and sustainable.

Why we’re piloting with the GMCA and BCP Council

We are piloting in:

GMCA (investing £1 million across the 10 councils) to support the implementation and test the potential of SAVVI and ORUK at scale BCP Council (investing £100,000) to explore how structured ORUK data can enable innovation through AI and digital social prescribing

GMCA

Greater Manchester has been named England’s first prevention demonstrator, leading the way from reacting to problems to preventing them. This includes tackling issues such as ill health and economic inactivity. Through this pilot, each Greater Manchester council will adopt ORUK data feeds and apply the SAVVI framework to real-world prevention challenges ranging from housing instability to pressures on social care and the NHS.

Testing both standards across a large, multi-council region will help to explore one of the biggest advantages of shared standards – cross-boundary interoperability.

The insights generated in Greater Manchester will help map barriers to adoption, create reusable implementation artefacts, and shape a roadmap for scaling SAVVI and ORUK across England.

BCP Council

As one of the leading adopters of the ORUK standard, BCP Council working with its partner, Community Action Network, will use ORUK’s structured service data to deliver a digital social prescribing tool. This will help frontline workers match residents with personalised support and has potential impact particularly in adult social care and homelessness services.

The pilot will also produce technical guidance for other councils looking to integrate ORUK with AI and new technologies, demonstrating how open, structured data can lead to benefits beyond the original purpose.

The opportunity ahead

The wider opportunity for councils is significant. Adopting SAVVI could reduce crisis interventions, lower demand on acute services, and strengthen prevention work across local systems.

By improving the consistency and quality of support available, they reduce duplication, enable cross-boundary referrals, and help deliver better outcomes for residents and more efficient services.

What’s next

We’ll share updates, insights and learning with the wider local government community as implementation develops. This will include practical tools that councils can adopt straight away. To keep informed and be invited to future events about the pilots and data standards, please subscribe to the Local Digital newsletter.