re-proofed the SSD specification by including fields for this in the draft specification, and for other relevant identifiers • Ad hoc data requests to LAs – potential to provide SSD extract script alongside request to expedite LA responses • Improvement of statutory returns – potential to use SSD as a combined stat return with higher information density, or to select SSD items for inclusion in statutory returns • Data flows – potential to use SSD as the LA-DfE interface for any higher frequency data sharing between LAs and DfE • Quarterly benchmarking – potentially to dramatically expand reach of quarterly benchmarking without increasing admin burden for individual LAs • Responding to DfE data requests – potential to share scripts for answering DfE requests • Improving CMS – potential to use SSD as standard output layer for a new modular CMS specification • PLO/pre-proceedings – potential to incorporate to SSD for shared national analysis approaches • Other data development – potential to reduce implementation overheads of new data requirements for LAs (notwithstanding CMS supplier costs would remain) 8. Benefits realisation / measuring impact / measures of success We endorse the DfE vision of a standard safeguarding dataset in use by every LA to improve data collaboration within the sector and between LAs and DfE. As such, the most obvious questions to ask of a project like this are “how many LAs are using it?” and “what good is it doing?” These measures are outside the scope of the current project, which concludes with the delivery of the specification and the methods for producing the dataset. We look forward to working with DfE and colleagues in LAs to design the next stage of work which should answer these questions. In the meantime, we’ll measure success of the cu