Better data in Bradford

The Better Start Bradford programme used TPP’s SystmOne clinical software to record and extract data for many of its constituent projects, including Baby Steps, Breastfeeding Support, Talking Together, Incredible Years and others. This process, while having its fair share of obstacles, proved very successful and resulted in a great deal of valuable data to feed into the evaluation of each service.

We have previously written about the benefits that SystmOne has delivered in terms of data quality and data sharing, but not much has been said about the value of the skills acquired by project staff, and the contribution that the implementation has made towards district-wide systems change.

The vast majority of staff working for Better Start Bradford’s commissioned services were not clinical (although a small number were), and therefore most had little or no prior experience of using SystmOne. This meant a somewhat steep learning curve for many individuals, who were starting a brand-new job delivering an intervention as well as learning to use a new data system for recording referrals, contacts and assessments.

In each case, staff showed great willingness in stepping up and getting to grips with the new system, putting in the time and effort to properly record data as well as delivering services directly to participants. In turn, this engagement was a result of Better Start Bradford’s approach to partnership working; the service design stage of each project always heavily involved the leadership team of our partner organisations, and this afforded us the opportunity to emphasise the importance of the evaluation and the data required to make it a success.

It was invaluable to have project partners with leadership that understood the importance of the evaluation and have them ensure that their teams engaged fully with SystmOne as a data system.

Along with my role in providing configuration, training and support, staff were able to properly get to grips with the system and be confident in using it. In many instances, we saw the emergence of ‘super users’ from within project teams – users who had the desire and aptitude to become proficient with SystmOne beyond what was strictly required for their data input responsibilities – who were able to support their peers with any difficulties. I was able to work further with these users, providing training on SystmOne’s reporting features so that they could monitor and correct data quality issues without waiting for Better Start Bradford feedback, and they were also able to extract data for their own KPIs and metrics, or those of their parent organisations.

There were several positives that resulted from this up-skilling of staff members, beyond the obvious benefit of producing good quality data for the evaluation. In the simplest cases, it meant that some individuals were able to progress to more data-oriented roles either within their current organisation or elsewhere as a result of their time working on recording Better Start Bradford’s evaluation figures.

On a larger scale, it meant that some of our partner organisations were able to submit bids for tenders that they would not previously have had the experience for. I have heard first-hand from current and former members of senior management at our partner organisations that they were successful in applying for contracts where there was a requirement for staff to be familiar with clinical systems, such as SystmOne. This of course means an additional source of income and the ability to employ or retain staff as well as provide valuable services in the Bradford area.

Late into the lifespan of the Better Start Bradford programme, we were presented with another opportunity to leverage our SystmOne expertise for the benefit of our community partners.

In early 2025, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT) began a complete overhaul of all the SystmOne units in Children’s Services, with an overall aim to improve data quality, reduce the time needed for inputting data, and to provide more accessible monitoring information for team and department heads.

As the data capture and extraction side of Better Start Bradford was winding down at this time, we were in a position to be able to offer my assistance as a SystmOne Specialist to BDCFT, to work alongside their own Clinical Systems Specialist and the Service Manager for Children’s Health.

The work with BDCFT has primarily involved using SystmOne’s new ‘visualisations’ feature to make templates and existing information more accessible for health visiting staff, as well as using automated ‘protocols’ functionality to flag up potential issues and reminders to staff, reducing the amount that they need to constantly check and remember.

The work we have done so far has been extremely successful and has already resulted in a significant time saving for Health Visitors and also increased data quality for reporting to commissioners. There are still aspects of the project ongoing, but staff are already seeing the benefits first-hand and even those who had expressed doubts about the changes to their workflow have grown to be enthusiastic about the benefits. I think that this collaboration really highlights Better Start Bradford’s commitment to partnership working, as well as the skills we have been able to cultivate and share throughout the lifetime of the programme.

It is my hope that the skills learned by staff and the benefits realised for Care Trust staff become a core part of the overall Better Start Bradford legacy. With the right drive and representation, we can keep moving towards the goal of a joined-up child record within Bradford and also further afield, as well as providing healthcare staff with the tools and capacity to provide the best possible care for parents and young children across the district.