Signal Presentation Report
Signal at VCEL
We recently had the pleasure of hosting Signal (and a number of attendees from across the third sector and beyond) at our office in Tranent for a fantastic series of presentations and discussions showcasing the Signal platform, its rollout in East Lothian, and how it fits into local and national plans. Our key speakers were:
Andy Cox (Signal): Gave us a rundown of Signal’s technical features and how it can be used.
Robert Webb (Signal): Talked about engaging the community and how real-time data can improve services.
Maureen Allan (Chief Officer of VCEL): Highlighted how Signal can support East Lothian’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and broader prevention strategies.
The main focus was on how Signal can empower communities, help make better decisions, and create sustainable, data-driven service models.
You can find the full presentation from Signal here, or check out our summary of the key points below.
What is Signal?
Signal is an innovative tool designed to map individual and community well-being across multiple dimensions, including income, education, health, housing, and social participation. Through its ‘Life-Map’ feature, individuals can self-assess their circumstances, providing organisations with valuable, real-time data to allocate resources effectively and foster strategic partnerships.
Aligned with Scotland’s national frameworks—such as the Christie Report’s emphasis on prevention and the Feeley Report’s advocacy for person-centred care—Signal delivers actionable insights, promoting community resilience and a fairer society. Signal’s functionality also supports LOIPs and community planning by enabling data-driven decisions that reflect local needs.
How Will Signal Integrate With Existing Frameworks in East Lothian?
Signal will complement and support the various pre-existent frameworks, including:
The East Lothian Plan will benefit form Signal’s data-driven insights, which will support the LOIP’s development and implementation.
The Community Planning Outcomes Profile (CPOP). Up to date, reliable data will enhance collaboration among Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs).
Fairer Scotland Duty. Signal will enable organisations to assess socio-economic impacts and develop targeted interventions.
By integrating Signal into East Lothian’s area partnerships, stakeholders will be able identify service gaps and direct resources where they are needed most.
How Does Signal Support the Community?
A key point that came to light in discussion on the day was the importance of embedding Signal’s communication tools within the community. These tools help build local capacity and long term capacity so it is vital that support/training programmes are in place for community groups. In addition, measures will be put in place to expand opportunities for peer-led conversations, where lived experience groups and individuals in similar circumstances can facilitate open, honest dialogue.
Stakeholders will work together to develop a local training model, integrating Signal’s tools into existing support networks and prevention frameworks.
Using and Sharing Data
Signal provides detailed, anonymised data that can guide service delivery and policy-making. Several opportunities were identified by participants:
Creating an online dashboard to display anonymised, aggregated data for stakeholders.
Sharing findings from the over-50s pilot with stakeholders such as Lorna Bellany, Mark Urwin, and Ageing Well.
Aligning data-sharing practices with East Lothian’s LOIP and the Poverty Data Profile.
Cost and Scalability
Concerns were raised about the affordability and scalability of Signal. Financial pressures are ever-present, but barriers around cost could be addressed in the following ways:
A tiered pricing model based on organisation size or the number of Life-Maps used could make signal more accessible for smaller organisations.
Advocating for council subsidisation to make Signal accessible for smaller organisations and replace traditional consultation processes.
Exploring grant funding and multi-year partnerships to secure long-term viability.
Prevention and Early Intervention
Participants highlighted the need to demonstrate Signal’s value in prevention. Stakeholders will work together to:
Signal data will be linked to cost comparisons of crisis interventions.
Showcase the benefits of early intervention through real-life case studies.
Develop metrics to quantify the cost-effectiveness of preventative approaches, using Signal’s data to support a shift towards early intervention.
Challenges and Mitigations
Several key challenges and potential mitigations were identified on the day. See below.
Challenges
Affordability for smaller organisations.
Embedding skills locally.
Sustainability beyond the pilot.
Transparent data-sharing practices.
Engaging diverse groups (e.g., youth, lived experience).
Mitigations
Introduce tiered pricing models or council-funded access for third-sector groups.
Develop a local train-the-trainer programme to build community capacity.
Secure multi-year funding through partnerships and advocate for council adoption.
Create dashboards and integrate data with LOIP reporting frameworks.
Include peer-led models and youth ambassadors in future pilots.
Recommendations and Next Steps
Much work remains to be done, and a number of targets and actions were identified during discussion.
Data Sharing and Transparency:
Share over-50s pilot findings with relevant stakeholders.
Launch an anonymised data dashboard for community and policy engagement.
Local Training and Sustainability:
Implement a train-the-trainer model to embed Signal’s skills in East Lothian communities.
Explore council funding to subsidise costs for third-sector organisations.
Prevention and Early Intervention:
Develop metrics comparing prevention outcomes to crisis intervention costs.
Highlight prevention benefits in future reports to attract funding.
Lived Experience and Peer-Led Approaches:
Include individuals with lived experience in future pilot designs and delivery.
Train youth ambassadors to support peer-to-peer engagement.
Signal provides a transformative opportunity for East Lothian to lead the way in data-driven, person-centred, and sustainable service delivery. By addressing cost, training, and data-sharing challenges, East Lothian can fully realise Signal’s potential, aligning its impact with local and national priorities for a fairer, more resilient society.