Coming Soon: New and Improved Insights for SEND

In the coming weeks, our Formulate for SEND users will be able to access new and improved data insights within our Formulate Portal platform – our online tool for estimating SEND Top-up Funding.

As well as updating and redesigning existing insights to make them more actionable, we have introduced some brand new insights to help our customers to get the best out of the system, as part of our ongoing commitment to improving our tools collaboratively with our clients.

Read on for a summary of the changes and how they will benefit our users.

Improvements to existing insights

An initial set of Insights was added to the system in 2023 – these have been well received and our intention was to use them as a basis for more in-depth Insights, following consultation with users.

A redesign of the existing Insights tab brings performance and useability improvements, allowing users to get the data they want more quickly. We’ve also introduced more flexibility about time periods that users can report on. More detailed reporting will also be available, with the introduction of data tables alongside the existing charts, now presenting both visual and data-focused views.

New insights for real-time monitoring and improved practice

New insights relating to quality, strategy and accuracy have been introduced, to improve practice, identify areas of concern, and enable real-time monitoring of the data in the system.

One of the new insights highlights forms which have three or more calculations. This will assist local authorities to identify where the tool may not be utilised correctly, allowing them to address any issues through additional training or process reviews.

New insight: Forms with three or more calculations

Another new insight presents users with a breakdown of Education Bands within a specified timeframe split out by the education setting type of each pupil. This allows users to monitor in real-time what their data looks like, to identify potential issues before they become real problems.

New insight: Education Bands by education setting

Improving the quality of your data

The changes have been implemented following collaborative work with our SEND customers, who have shared with us their ideas and priorities when it comes to reporting on their data, plus feedback on the initial, more basic insights, introduced in the tool in 2023.

The aim of the changes is to help make data more actionable, and to support LAs to identify training needs, as well as highlight where configuration decisions may need reviewing, to ensure our users are getting the best out of the system.

Hayley Prescott, SEND Customer Success and Product Manager, said: “We’re excited about the upcoming release and the benefits it will bring to our customers. The new and improved insights mean that our customers will have a better oversight of the overall ‘health’ of the system, which will ultimately help them to improve data quality”.

Next steps

The new version of Formulate Portal is expected to be released in mid-February. Existing Formulate for SEND customers will be notified directly when the upgrade is taking place.

If you’re not yet a Formulate customer, please get in touch for more information or to arrange a demonstration.