The OCSI Blog: Data-driven Insights & Local Government Trends

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Case studies

The Welsh Community Assets Index and the Welsh Community Resilience Index – Measures of Community Need in Wales

14th March 2025

In Wales many areas face dual challenges, lacking accessible local assets like…
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Research project: developing a measure of hyper-local need

Research Projects

Developing a measure of Hyper-local Need: neighbourhood level data to inform Labour’s key missions

13th February 2025

The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) was created in September to examine…
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Resources and data

The importance of mid-year population estimates

17th January 2025

For organisations working to address social challenges, like Community Foundations, understanding who…
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Data analysis

Data Heroes: Tim Berners-Lee

16th January 2025

At OCSI, we use open data to drive social good, turning complex…
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Data analysis

Scotland’s statistical geographies: A comparison with England and Wales

4th December 2024

Looking to better understand the statistical geographies that place-based data is published…
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Data analysis

General Election 2024: Voting patterns in England by deprivation and community need

15th August 2024

The General Election 2024 changed the political geography of the UK. Labour…
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Resources and data

UKGrantmaking and Community Foundations

10th July 2024

What is UKGrantmaking? UKGrantmaking is a landmark publication on the state of…
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Data analysis

Marmot Principles and neighbourhood level data

8th July 2024

The Marmot Review, published back in 2010, still has important implications today…
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OCSI news

Announcing Local Insight 2.0, the place-based data platform from OCSI

23rd April 2024

We are proud to announce that we have successfully redeveloped and launched…
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Data analysis

What is the Scottish Community Needs Index?

5th April 2024

OCSI created the first version of the Community Needs Index in partnership…
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Research Projects

Uncovering Sussex: How OCSI’s research helps Sussex Community Foundation to tackle poverty

3rd January 2024

Sussex Community Foundation (SCF) is one of 46 community foundations across the…
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Research Projects

Everybody Needs Good Neighbourhoods: Insights from OCSI’s research on neighbourhood-based initiatives with Local Trust

20th December 2023

What is the impact of neighbourhood-based initiatives (NBIs) on community life? Do…
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OCSI news

Sport England uses Community Needs Index within their Place Partnerships work

14th December 2023

Sport England have recently announced that they are investing an additional £250…
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left behind neighbourhoods

Final report of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for left behind neighbourhoods

26th October 2023

The APPG for left behind neighbourhoods has published their final report on…
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Case studies

How Everton in the Community use Local Insight to strengthen funding bids

8th August 2023

Everton in the Community (EitC) is a leading sports charity, working to…
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Indices of Deprivation

We are updating the English Indices of Deprivation in 2025

10th July 2023

  Following a competitive tender process, OCSI has been commissioned to update…
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Research Projects

GambleAware – gambling harms data profiles

5th July 2023

GambleAware provides information to help people make informed decisions about their gambling….
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Resources and data

Community Needs Index 2023: Data updates and improvements

24th May 2023

In 2018, we were commissioned by Local Trust to develop a quantitative…
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Resources and data

Census 2021 data: What has been released, what’s new and what’s changed?

24th May 2023

ONS has published all small-area data from Census 2021 – and there…
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Research Projects

Evaluation of funding data for Northamptonshire Community Foundation

16th May 2023

Northamptonshire Community Foundation distributes grants through a range of funds. The Household…
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Research Projects

Analysis of rural deprivation in Northamptonshire

16th May 2023

We are pleased to be working with Northamptonshire Community Foundation to deliver…
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Research Projects

Statistical area definitions and guidance on socio-economic indicators for LSE

2nd May 2023

We have recently worked with a team at London School of Economics…
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Resources and data

How to access ward boundary shapefiles

26th April 2023

Wards are one of the most common units of geography that our…
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Uncategorized

Tree cover, green space inequalities and deprivation in England

12th April 2023

We have recently added tree cover data to Local Insight. The benefits…
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OCSI news

Community Needs Index used to allocate funding for Know your Neighbourhood Fund

21st March 2023

The government has confirmed the launch of the Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN)…
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OCSI news

A new look for OCSI

17th March 2023

This year we celebrate our 20th birthday. While the heart of what…
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Uncategorized

Census 2021 – Housing stress in London

9th January 2023

Housing stress describes a situation where the cost of housing is high…
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Uncategorized

Census 2021 – Economically inactive due to ill health

13th December 2022

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published small area data for…
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Uncategorized

What can Census 2021 tell us about ethnic diversity in England?

30th November 2022

For regular updates, resources and analysis on all things Census 2021, sign…
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Uncategorized

Census 2021 – Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion

30th November 2022

The Office for National Statistics (ONS)  has published small area data for…
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Uncategorized

Census 2021 data download for your neighbourhoods

7th November 2022

Census 2021 data is here. The largest and most important data release…
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Uncategorized

Demography and migration Census 2021 data available in Local Insight

4th November 2022

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published the Demography and Migration…
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Uncategorized

What has Census 2021 revealed about levels of household deprivation?

3rd November 2022

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published the first wave of…
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OCSI news

First small-area census outputs will be published on 2nd November

18th October 2022

ONS have confirmed that the first small-area census outputs will be published…
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Resources and data

How do councils present Census 2021 data?

7th September 2022

The census is one of the most important data releases for policymakers…
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Data analysis

Research for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for left behind neighbourhoods

24th August 2022

Local Trust and OCSI developed a quantitative measure of left behind neighbourhoods…
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Resources and data

How to use the ONS Open Geography Portal

1st August 2022

The ONS Open Geography Portal is a useful resource for anybody working…
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Data analysis

List of left behind neighbourhoods

19th July 2022

  OCSI and Local Trust have developed a quantitative measure of left…
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Indices of Deprivation

Consultation – Updating the English Indices of Deprivation

18th July 2022

  The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DHLUC) has launched…
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