The Ministry of Justice has published details of four pilot projects to run as part of its Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.
They are to focus on reducing homelessness, supporting victims of crime, reducing substance misuse and reducing reoffending.
The MoJ is working on BOLD – aimed at supporting vulnerable people with complex needs in England and Wales – with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Health and Social Care, Public Health England, Public Health Wales and the Office for National Statistics.
It has now published guidance on the four pilots to run until the end of 2024, each aimed at providing better data and evidence to support policy and the design of services.
One will aim to provide a stronger understanding of why some people repeatedly become homeless, which services are most effective in preventing prison leavers from becoming homeless and what role drug treatment services can play.
The victim pathways pilot will focus on how government and third sector services can most effectively support victims of crime in coping with the effects, recovering and seeking justice.
Rehabilitation from addiction
The project on reducing substance misuse will look at factors driving successful rehabilitation from addiction for particular groups such as prison leavers and rough sleepers. As part of this, the Welsh Government aims to ensure that challenges unique to Wales are addressed.
Finally, the effort on reducing reoffending will link data to better understand the impact of specific interventions, particularly in terms of linked outcomes on employment, health, housing and family.
The guidance also covers the safeguards on the use of the data, including that it will only be shared when there is a legal basis under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, that each share will be subject to a data protection impact assessment, and it will be governed by a data sharing agreement.
It adds that no health and social care data that has not been fully de-identified will be analysed.
“The Ministry of Justice led BOLD programme has been created to demonstrate how people with complex needs can be better supported by linking and improving the government data held on them in a safe and secure way,” the document says.
