For local authorities
Digital platforms that connect people with the right support
Step provides digital platforms that help residents understand their options, connect with the right services and take the next step. From local service discovery to digital referrals and outcome monitoring, our technology can be shaped around your communities and priorities.
Beyond service listings
More than a directory of services
A directory of local services is a valuable starting point. But publishing information alone doesn't necessarily help residents understand which services are right for them, whether they're eligible, or how to access support.
Step combines a continually maintained network of over 80,000 support options with intelligent digital tools that help people navigate services and take action. Residents can explore support based on their individual needs, while organisations benefit from more structured pathways into local and specialist services.
Our approach brings together service data, guided journeys and connections between organisations - providing a foundation for digital platforms that do more than list what's available.
01 / Find the right help
Digital triage and signposting
Help residents find the right support, without expecting them to know which service to contact before they begin.
Residents can describe their situation in their own words, then follow a guided journey that helps clarify their needs, circumstances and preferences. Step matches these to relevant local and specialist services, with clear information about available options and practical next steps.
This can make complex support landscapes easier to navigate, help residents discover services they might otherwise miss, and give local authorities a flexible way to connect people with support beyond traditional council services.
02 / Connect services
Digital referral pathways
Connect residents and partner organisations with the services best placed to help them.
Step can support digital referral journeys that gather relevant information, explain eligibility and suitability, and help people understand what to expect. Referral partners can have a clearer route into services, while residents can prepare for the next stage rather than being left to navigate the process alone.
Where a service isn't the right fit, Step can help identify alternative support. This creates opportunities for a more joined-up approach across council teams, commissioned providers and community organisations - reducing avoidable dead ends and helping people find a suitable route forward.
Explore digital referrals ↗
03 / Keep the journey connected
A digital passport for residents
Help people carry relevant information about themselves and their support journey between services.
When residents work with several organisations, they can be asked to explain their circumstances repeatedly. Important information about their needs, preferences and previous support can be difficult to carry between services, creating extra work for both residents and practitioners.
Step's digital passport provides a way to build a record of relevant information and share it when accessing further help. It can support greater continuity between services, reduce unnecessary repetition and help practitioners build on what is already known - with sharing and access arrangements designed around appropriate permissions and privacy safeguards.
04 / Understand the difference
Outcome and impact monitoring
Understand what happens after someone is signposted or referred - not just how many people used a service.
Measuring outcomes can be time-consuming, particularly when it involves choosing frameworks, collecting information consistently and following up with residents after support has ended. Step can help embed measurement into onboarding and referral journeys, with recommended frameworks that can be adapted to local priorities.
Simple, visual tools can help practitioners and residents capture progress together. Alternatively, digital follow-up can gather feedback during or after support, including in residents' own languages. This gives local authorities better evidence of whether people accessed help, whether it made a difference and where further support may be needed.
Open standards
Open Referral compliant
Step supports Open Referral, helping service information be shared in a consistent, structured way across different systems and platforms.
Open standards can make it easier to connect service directories, digital tools and referral pathways without relying on one closed system. For local authorities, this can mean better opportunities to reuse existing service data, reduce duplication and make information available across the wider support ecosystem.
