SPSS - Customers

Kent County Council

Situation

Kent County Council, one of the largest councils in the United Kingdom, appointed Dr. Tony Alderton, researcher for early years and childcare, to lead the Economy of Childcare project. The goal was to examine the factors that are instrumental in the supply and demand of childcare within Kent and to improve future services.

Challenge

To begin, it was necessary to conduct surveys of parents, employers, childcare providers, children, and certain disadvantaged groups within Kent, such as teenage parents and refugee and asylum seekers. This data would allow the Kent County Council to predict more accurately where childcare staff would be needed and what training would be required.

Solution

Kent County Council invested in SPSS Inc.’s software to analyze the data and report on it.

“Literally hundreds of intervening variables have been identified and SPSS Inc.'s software has proven invaluable in determining which of these have the most impact when planning and delivering services,” said Dr. Alderton. “This project could not have been managed without PASW Statistics. It would take literally thousands of person hours to sort and analyze the data. There would not be the resources available for such a task.”

Interested in Kent County Council? Download the PDF

Results

Initial results enabled Kent County Council to create a new and innovative typology of both childcare providers and parents. By matching the two, Dr. Alderton and his team are convinced that they will be able to improve the quality, availability, and affordability of childcare. This clearly saves money and resources: it allows for more structured funding and training for providers, it offers parents more choice in childcare providers, and it reduces the benefits burden on society.

More importantly, it offers parents hope for a better future and enables their children to thrive in a more comfortable environment.