Across the UK, professionals in local authorities are developing innovative ways to use data to improve the first, formative years of a child’s life. But great innovation thrives on connection, so it’s vital to provide opportunities to share ideas and learning between professionals from different parts of the early-years system and different areas of the UK.

This one day in-person event is for professionals working with data in the early years and creates a welcoming and open space to come together and share ideas on how data can improve services for children and families.

Event attendees will get to take part in two interactive workshops. They will hear from Nesta and GMCA on the work they’re doing, hear different proposals for data uses for the early-years sector and hear from our keynote speaker, Leon Feinstein, Professor of Education and Children’s Social Care at Oxford University and former Director of Evidence at the Children’s Commissioner’s Office.

Attendees will have the chance to hear different approaches being used to put data at the heart of improving early-years services. You will find out about the challenges that colleagues have faced, the solutions they’ve developed and what they learned along the way. We hope you’ll also get to form new partnerships and links with early-years colleagues.

You also have the opportunity to share your work and contribute to the event by submitting a proposal for a 5-minute talk.

This event is for professionals interested in the use of data to improve children’s lives. You might work in early-years services, in a local authority, in business intelligence or an NHS service such as health visiting, speech and language therapy, midwifery or in a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) role.

Speakers include:
• Tom Symons, Deputy Director, fairer start mission, Nesta
• Dr Rachel Wilcock, Senior Data Science Lead, fairer start mission, Nesta
• Miriam Loxham, Programme Manager Early Years, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• Leon Feinstein, Professor of Education and Children’s Social Care and Director of the Rees Centre, Oxford University.