Case study: Wakefield Council


Wakefield use Local Knowledge to share data and analysis across its partnerships

Wakefield Council is located at the heart of England, serving high speed transport links and connections via road, rail and air. The district covers some 350 square kilometres and is home to 315,000 residents. Wakefield council wanted to share a common dataset of information and analyses about the district and its people across its multi-agency network of core service providers in health, housing, and more.

"We believe the decision to share Local Knowledge across all partners, has given us significant benefits in terms of both access to information and analysis, and reduced overall costs and duplication across the partnership."
Paul Hayes, Corporate Policy & Planning Manager

The Wakefield Together Partnership (WTP) has used Local Knowledge across its partner agencies since 2006. These include the Council, NHS Wakefield, West Yorkshire Police and Wakefield and District Housing.

Local Knowledge has provided the WTP with a common accessible dataset of information and analysis about the district and its communities. This has provided the multiagency partnership with significant benefits in terms of both access to information and analysis, and it has reduced overall costs and duplication across its agencies. Local Knowledge data and analysis has been used to inform Local Strategic Partnership policy, development and research helping to transform the communities they work in.

Among the many its many applications in the work of the Council, Local Knowledge has been a key data source for work on the Wakefield Local Economic Assessment – which is now being taken forward into their Economic Growth Plan that underpins the Wakefield Economic Partnership and the Council’s work with the Leeds City Region LEP.
Case Studies

  • Wakefield Borough Council - Use Local Knowledge to share data across its partnerships

  • Local Government Leadership - we support them in many ways, for example by providing an invaluable evidence base for the Connected Communities programme.

  • Thames gateway London Partnership - we have provided research and consultancy services and have developed the Thames Gateway Knowledge Platform.

  • Nottinghamshire County Council - use Local Knowledge and a SMART Observatory to inform a range of research and policy development work.

  • BT - have used our consultancy and online services for research and analysis. We have also helped BT to organise study tours and inform partnership working.

  • King's Lynn & West Norfolk Council - have used our research and consultancy services and also have a SMART Observatory.

  • The Community Foundation Network - have used our consultancy services, Place Profiles and Local Knowledge to encourage local giving.

  • Eastbourne Borough Council - utilised our Customer Knowledge and Local Knowledge services to inform policy and improve their performance journey.