What works?: Christine Davies CBE, director, C4EO

We know that service delivery is more successful when it is targeted effectively and reflects the needs of local communities or children and families using those services. Accurate and meaningful local data is essential in ensuring personalised service delivery, as well as the successful commissioning of services. It is particularly critical when examining the case for early intervention. As resources become tighter, it is essential that the data we collect and analyse has a clear purpose; namely that the services we provide are genuinely making a difference and improving outcomes for children and young people.

To support the sector, C4EO has developed a series of data, cost-effectiveness and outcomes-based accountability tools to provide a framework for improving the effectiveness in the use of data. C4EO's data specialists also provide advice and support to local authorities on whether the systems they have in place are able to deliver the information needed to make informed decisions. C4EO's data specialists can help avoid some of the common pitfalls, such as collecting data for its own sake and consequently becoming "data rich, but information poor".