Case Study: Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust achieves streamlined Community Payback site nominations and greater public engagement with Ordnance Survey

Digital mapping underpins local Community Payback projects in Staffordshire and West Midlands

Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust needed a better way to capture public nominations and increase visibility for Community Payback projects (litter removal, graffiti clearance, canal work, etc.) after overseeing more than 600,000 hours of work in 2012 but receiving few direct site nominations. The Trust partnered with Ordnance Survey and used the OS MasterMap Topography Layer to provide precise digital mapping and mobile geo-tagging to make nomination simple and accurate.

Using Ordnance Survey’s OS MasterMap Topography Layer, the Trust developed a prototype mobile app that captures GPS-accurate locations, geo-tagged photos and returns unique URLs to track submissions; staff can assess and allocate projects remotely, post progress on public maps/websites, and notify nominators automatically. The Ordnance Survey-enabled solution streamlines site assessment, reduces site visits, frees staff time, boosts community engagement and visibility of offender rehabilitation, and supports over £3.5M per year of community value across Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

Jason Davies

Community Payback Visibility Project Manager