andard way. Doing this can empower LA colleagues – both to benefit from good practice shared across the sector, and to maximise the value of the time they spend locally on data work. The core service maintains Excel data tools, web tools, Python code libraries, in-year data collections, learning opportunities and support documents. We also provide community support, collaboration support, and advocacy. We also work on funded projects doing things like data validation, demand modelling, new data standards, and user research. LA colleagues can sign up to join us at www.datatoinsight.org 3 1. Getting started This document offers an overview of the system, stakeholders, common local practice, and necessary knowledge for data professionals working in Children’s Social Care. It draws on the work of sector professionals and service leaders, to whom we are grateful for generous support, advice, and in some cases direct contributions. • Children’s Social Care (CSC) is a unique national system, operated by individual local safeguarding authorities (LAs) supported by a range of national, regional and local organisations and other stakeholders. The legislative framework is complex, and local implementations can take a range of shapes. There is also an extensive statutory data requirement, as well as independent regulation. The importance and complexity of safeguarding services in this context can make the data landscape difficult to understand, particularly given that technical factors – including the typical sizes of datasets, and common software restrictions within LAs – can mean that not all standard data approaches are appropriate in this context. This document is neither exhaustive nor authoritative; we do, however, believe it represents a reasonable introduction to CSC, and C