The adoption of the Open Referral UK (ORUK) data standard continues to increase across local government, highlighting the impact of the dedicated community. Here’s a look at the progress so far and a glimpse of what’s to come this year.

A reflection of our 2024 progress

50 councils on the path to ORUK adoption 

Across the country, councils are taking steps to adopt the ORUK standard. They’re setting a strong example of how standardising service data can lead to better, more accessible community services. We look forward to supporting many more! 

Over 60 representatives welcomed to our first event

In October 2024, we welcomed more than 60 representatives from councils to our first ORUK event. The event was a great platform to share experiences, discuss challenges, and develop the ORUK community. We look forward to hosting you again soon.

Department for Education Family Hubs data feeds set for validation

We’re on track to achieve a key milestone with the Department for Education’s (DFE) Family Hubs data feeds. By the end of the 2024/25 financial year, these feeds will undergo ORUK validation testing, marking the next step in advancing service data standardisation. 

A productive technical meet-up

We hosted a technical meet-up in November focused on the technical aspects of implementing ORUK. From data schema discussions to integration tool demonstrations, the meet-up was well received for its practical focus. The input we received has directly informed the next steps in supporting councils with technical implementation.

Steering group progress

In July 2024 we established the ORUK steering group, which has been instrumental in shaping the direction of ORUK so far. Over the past few months, the group has made notable progress in identifying priority use cases for councils and service providers and refining implementation guidance to address common challenges.

The insights and leadership of this group are ensuring ORUK is both practical and impactful for the local government sector.

Co-creating adoption assets with councils

A key part of our approach has been co-creating adoption assets with council representatives. By collaborating directly with those who are actively working to implement ORUK, we ensure that the resources we develop are practical, relevant, and tailored to real-world needs. This partnership-driven approach is helping to build a stronger foundation for widespread adoption. The resources will be released later this month. 

Coming up in 2025

2025 promises to be another year of significant progress for ORUK. Our second event, ‘Meet early adopters of ORUK’, where councils along with their supplier partners, will share their implementation journeys and insights. This event will take place on Tuesday 28 January, 11am to 12;30pm via Microsoft Teams. Be sure to register to join us. 

Additionally, we’ll be launching new resources to support adoption, including an executive summary, project initiation document (PID) template, business case and a technical overview. 

Building on this, there are also updates planned for the ORUK website later this year. These will continue to support councils and partners with practical guidance and tools, aligned to the latest version of the ORUK standard.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to ORUK’s progress so far. By working together, we’re building a more connected and accessible future for local services.

Find out more and get involved

For further updates on how to get involved, follow our channels:

• visit the ORUK website
• connect with us on LinkedIn
• follow us on X
• subscribe to our newsletter
• subscribe to the MHCLG Digital blog