Online Free School Meals: a revolution in public service delivery

The Online Free School Meals solution is an integrated hub, with web service functionality, enabling immediate eligibility checking by local authorities or parents/carers against data from four government departments.  Connect Digitally has delivered a solution which enables local authorities to take a modular, flexible approach to implementation, meeting their technical expertise and local requirements.

The solution includes:

• Central shared service checking eligibility in real-time
• Robust, reliable, reusable infrastructure linking four central government departments and 174 local authorities
• High information security.

The project developed:

• Web services interface with local authorities incorporating high levels of security   
• Interface supporting single and batch eligibility checks
• Three tier architecture: presentation layer, application layer and database layer
• Fourth layer: GSI interconnect providing connectivity to other government departments
• Encryption of web services XML
• Scalable architecture.

The project also:

• Clarified legality of data sharing  
• Commissioned legal compliance
• Set up Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Department for Education and other government departments
• Developed customer journeys and business process models
• Implemented Service Management Framework
• Produced Developer Toolkit, including guidelines for developing local authority solutions, system integration guide and sample XML
• Developed Starter Pack to guide users through the stages of implementing an Online Free School Meals service
• Utilised Community of Practice website enabling solution transfer and information sharing.

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