# Adoption **URL:** https://forum.openreferral.org/c/adoption/8.md [Latest](https://forum.openreferral.org/latest.md) · [Categories](https://forum.openreferral.org/categories.md) · [Tags](https://forum.openreferral.org/tags.md) --- ## [About the Adoption category](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/about-the-adoption-category/29)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 0
Making the business case, procuring and implementing processes that adopt Open Referral. --- ## [Lowering the Adoption Barrier: Could Data Dictionaries and Decoupled Mapping Layers Encourage Adoption?](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/lowering-the-adoption-barrier-could-data-dictionaries-and-decoupled-mapping-layers-encourage-adoption/875)
**Author:** [@jeff\_cumpsty](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/jeff_cumpsty)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 18, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/lowering-the-adoption-barrier-could-data-dictionaries-and-decoupled-mapping-layers-encourage-adoption/875 "2026-10-18T18:17:46Z")
Hi everyone, I have held onto this thought since I was on the OpenReferralUK project. I know I currently sit (slightly) outside the ecosystem, but during my time on the project I grew quite passionate about this concep… --- ## [Discussion about the Open Referral Airtable template](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/discussion-about-the-open-referral-airtable-template/860)
**Author:** [@bloom](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/bloom)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 10, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/discussion-about-the-open-referral-airtable-template/860 "2026-08-10T15:56:42Z")
Hi folks – We’ve fielded some interest from new partners in developing new features on the Open Referral Airtable template, and we know that since the last formal update there have been people working on it and learning … --- ## [Integrating Open Referral UK with LocalGov Drupal](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/integrating-open-referral-uk-with-localgov-drupal/103)
**Author:** [@willguv](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/willguv)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [November 27, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/integrating-open-referral-uk-with-localgov-drupal/103 "2025-11-27T13:52:40Z")
Hello, we’re a fellow MHCLG funded project and were involved in the Discovery phase of Open Referral UK. It’s great to see how far you’ve come. We committed at the time to implement the standard in LocalGov Drupal, and … --- ## [New ORUK use cases - we want your feedback](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/new-oruk-use-cases-we-want-your-feedback/746)
**Author:** [@jeffc](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/jeffc)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [November 2, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/new-oruk-use-cases-we-want-your-feedback/746 "2025-11-02T22:22:36Z")
Hi everyone, We’ve recently published new use cases on the Open Referral UK website. Thank you to everyone who’s contributed to them so far. If you have 5 minutes, we’d love to know what you think. Your feedback is cru… --- ## [LLM Powered Image to HSDS Transformer](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/llm-powered-image-to-hsds-transformer/767)
**Author:** [@CheetoBandito](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/CheetoBandito)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/llm-powered-image-to-hsds-transformer/767 "2025-10-22T19:21:56Z")
Hey all, its been a while since I have posted here. I am working with Connect211 to build solutions for 211s, help seekers, governments, and other innovators, and I wanted to share an MIT licensed repo I made. IMAGE → … --- ## [Bradford - Open Referral Plan](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/bradford-open-referral-plan/522)
**Author:** [@Ben](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Ben)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 10, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/bradford-open-referral-plan/522 "2025-04-10T13:50:03Z")
Hi all, In Bradford we have begun scoping the possibility of using Open Referral to support a network of directories which shared their information, using open access data through Open Referral. The plan behind this is … --- ## [AI and sports club directory in England](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/ai-and-sports-club-directory-in-england/613)
**Author:** [@Julz](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Julz)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/ai-and-sports-club-directory-in-england/613 "2025-02-25T13:27:45Z")
We are Yorkshire Sport Foundation - a subregional wing of Sport England for West Yorks and South Yorks. Directories of organisations and activities is always a challenge. Working with Nautoguide, they have used AI to c… --- ## [Adoption by NHS Service Finder](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/adoption-by-nhs-service-finder/529)
**Author:** [@kellyhewitt8](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/kellyhewitt8)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/adoption-by-nhs-service-finder/529 "2024-05-24T14:25:29Z")
Hi all, Kelly from Dorset here - I was wondering whether any other projects have made attempts at reaching out to individuals responsible for maintaining information being currently held in NHS Service Finder in their r… --- ## [Adoption of local and national taxonomies - particularly in England](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/adoption-of-local-and-national-taxonomies-particularly-in-england/515)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [April 26, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/adoption-of-local-and-national-taxonomies-particularly-in-england/515 "2024-04-26T16:00:01Z")
One English council has raised concern that there is little correlation between the taxonomies used by its filters and the English Local Government taxonomies maintained by the Local Government Association (LGA). (The LG… --- ## [Local Digital work to accelerate adoption of Open Referral in the UK](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/local-digital-work-to-accelerate-adoption-of-open-referral-in-the-uk/495)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 7, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/local-digital-work-to-accelerate-adoption-of-open-referral-in-the-uk/495 "2024-03-07T12:54:53Z")
The UK Government Local Digital fund has today announced “An initial fund of £600k will be allocated to drive further adoption and to set up a Cross-Government Advisory Group”. This builds on recommendations of the Scali… --- ## [Open referral adoption cost](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/open-referral-adoption-cost/281)
**Author:** [@mbpalmer](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/mbpalmer)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/open-referral-adoption-cost/281 "2022-12-23T15:39:54Z")
Hi there, I wonder if people could help me with a stab at estimating costs for the below? • How much might it cost a Local Authority to change their existing directory to meet the open referral standards? • How much w… --- ## [Open Referral to support Cost of Living pressures & listing community assets](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/open-referral-to-support-cost-of-living-pressures-listing-community-assets/247)
**Author:** [@Abigail](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Abigail)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 26, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/open-referral-to-support-cost-of-living-pressures-listing-community-assets/247 "2022-10-26T17:19:24Z")
Hi all, We have been using the standard (in partnership with Bristol) for our adult directory data for a few years now. I have recently been drawn into conversations re; planning for the impact of the CoL pressures, and… --- ## [Project initiation documents](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/project-initiation-documents/167)
**Author:** [@Annie](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Annie)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/project-initiation-documents/167 "2022-05-12T22:10:07Z")
Hi all We have just completed a Discovery phase in Somerset and have the user stories and evidence we need to move forward with adopting Open Referral and a support finder tool to help people surface the services they n… --- ## [Our Model for Place-based DoS](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/our-model-for-place-based-dos/154)
**Author:** [@Marcus-DigiCoproduct](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Marcus-DigiCoproduct)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/our-model-for-place-based-dos/154 "2022-03-10T15:26:27Z")
We have been working with Digital Gaps and Placecube to develop an interoperable model. I thought it would be good to share the core concepts in delivering a robust place-based approach. See the Model for a Place-based D… --- ## [Enhancements to OR UK - Proposal to add Assurer email address](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/enhancements-to-or-uk-proposal-to-add-assurer-email-address/123)
**Author:** [@Ian-DigitalGaps](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Ian-DigitalGaps)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/enhancements-to-or-uk-proposal-to-add-assurer-email-address/123 "2022-02-24T16:26:48Z")
Proposal to add Assurer email address We think it is a useful enhancement to include the email address of the accountable assurer of the service i.e. the person/organisation carrying out the assurance on the last\_assure… --- ## [Enhancements to OR UK - Proposal to add Target Audience as a field](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/enhancements-to-or-uk-proposal-to-add-target-audience-as-a-field/122)
**Author:** [@Ian-DigitalGaps](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/Ian-DigitalGaps)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2022, 1:03pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/enhancements-to-or-uk-proposal-to-add-target-audience-as-a-field/122 "2022-02-14T13:03:44Z")
Proposal to add Target Audience as a field. We think Service-Type is great and is really easy for a service provider to use (as long as applications use the subset functionality and apply group headings to break the lis… --- ## [Support for small voluntary sector groups](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/support-for-small-voluntary-sector-groups/128)
**Author:** [@MattWH](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MattWH)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/support-for-small-voluntary-sector-groups/128 "2021-08-31T14:32:31Z")
What support is available to small voluntary sector groups - many whom have no funding, or expertise - to do this sort of work? This question was asking during our Open Referral UK launch event in June 2021. --- ## [Involvement of social prescribing software providers](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/involvement-of-social-prescribing-software-providers/112)
**Author:** [@MattWH](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MattWH)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 12, 2021, 9:31am UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/involvement-of-social-prescribing-software-providers/112 "2021-07-12T09:31:43Z")
Have you involved any social prescribing software prescribers in the work to date? This question was asking during our Open Referral UK launch event in June 2021. --- ## [Support to bids under Spending Reviews for adoption of data standards](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/support-to-bids-under-spending-reviews-for-adoption-of-data-standards/111)
**Author:** [@emanukgb](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/emanukgb)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/support-to-bids-under-spending-reviews-for-adoption-of-data-standards/111 "2021-06-30T12:18:09Z")
The current allocation for the Shared Outcomes Fund (SOF) under SR20/21 (see chapters 8 and 9) is approx. 400 million (200 each). There are opportunities for bids to be submitted that could potentially cover costs incurr… --- ## [Responding to the Data Standards Authority Challenge](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/responding-to-the-data-standards-authority-challenge/38)
**Author:** [@benunsworth](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/benunsworth)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2021, 11:51am UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/responding-to-the-data-standards-authority-challenge/38 "2021-06-30T11:51:36Z")
An important step in the adoption of the Open Referral UK data standard is having it recognised by government. We have started the formal process by submitting a challenge on the Data Standards Authority GitHub Data stan… --- ## [New case studies on Buckinghamshire and Hull implementations](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/new-case-studies-on-buckinghamshire-and-hull-implementations/94)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 11, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/new-case-studies-on-buckinghamshire-and-hull-implementations/94 "2021-06-11T17:01:43Z")
We’ve recently made three additions to our cases studies page describing implementations of the standard in two councils. Buckinghamshire upgraded their Family Information Service to a new system supporting the standard… --- ## [Better family information services and local offer](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/better-family-information-services-and-local-offer/37)
**Author:** [@benunsworth](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/benunsworth)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2021, 9:28am UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/better-family-information-services-and-local-offer/37 "2021-05-28T09:28:14Z")
While working on the alpha phase of the project to develop the standard, there was an opportunity to work with Buckinghamshire’s childrens services as an early adopter of the standard. As with all good projects, the foc… --- ## [Making data public](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/making-data-public/61)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 14, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/making-data-public/61 "2021-05-14T14:14:04Z")
I’ve been discussing with a council what data should be made open via an Open Referral UK data feed - through the API. Data you will not want to expose includes: services for internal use that are not available to peo… --- ## [Bristol data live and cleansed](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/bristol-data-live-and-cleansed/58)
**Author:** [@MikeThacker-iStandUK](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/MikeThacker-iStandUK)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/bristol-data-live-and-cleansed/58 "2021-05-12T15:17:19Z")
The lovely people at Placecube have told me that data in their Open Place Directory for Bristol is now fully cleansed following a review of the services available post-pandemic. You can see the data feed here in our API… --- ## [Towards easier identification of local services for lonely people](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/towards-easier-identification-of-local-services-for-lonely-people/34)
**Author:** [@TimAdams](https://forum.openreferral.org/u/TimAdams)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [April 28, 2021, 9:47am UTC](https://forum.openreferral.org/t/towards-easier-identification-of-local-services-for-lonely-people/34 "2021-04-28T09:47:27Z")
Towards better connecting local services to citizens’ needs As programme manager at the Local Government Association (LGA), my entire twenty-year career here has been focused on moving the local government sector toward…