We are thrilled to announce that Hippo and the Department for Education (DfE) have won the Best Transformation Team award at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards.
This fantastic recognition celebrates the dedication and hard work of the DfE Eligibility Checking Engine (ECE) Project Team. It highlights our shared commitment to building services that not only function well but truly make a difference in people’s lives.
Transforming vital services for families who need them
Over the last couple of years, our joint digital delivery and policy teams have been on a mission to completely renew the outdated legacy service used to check children’s eligibility for free school meals and childcare support. Together, our primary goal was to create a modern system capable of handling an increased number of checks, improving user engagement, and ultimately boosting the uptake of these vital services for families who need them.
Empowering schools with an adaptable service
One of the most important aspects of this service transformation is shifting control closer to the people who understand children’s circumstances best. By building the infrastructure that allows schools to eventually carry out eligibility checks directly, we are reducing the reliance on local authorities and making access consistent.
This approach will provide a profound impact through:
- Faster support: It enables quicker access to essential support, potentially reducing the time it takes for a child to receive a meal.
- Cost savings: It provides the mechanism to eliminate service charges previously levied on schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).
- Fair access: It removes the “postcode lottery,” ensuring that access to support is consistent and fair, regardless of local authority participation levels.
Transformation through partnership
Behind the scenes, close collaboration was key to the project’s success. By working closely together, digital and policy teams successfully aligned technical implementation with critical policy decisions. Together, we have replaced an out of date system with a new flexible service model that moves the power to provide help right into the heart of the communities it serves.
Thank you to iESE for the recognition of this important work – and to everyone across the DfE and Hippo who has contributed to this journey over the last two years.
