Branch Chairs have told us that greater visibility of SSAFA activity within their local communities would help them better understand what is happening across their Branch area.
In response, SSAFA is providing Branch Chairs with access to the Welfare Operations Reporting Dashboard, bringing together greater visibility of casework and Community Engagement activity in one Power BI reporting suite.
The reports are designed to turn information SSAFA already holds into useful local insight, helping Branches understand their communities, plan activity and identify where Community Engagement could have the greatest impact.
This is about making existing information more visible and useful, including Community Engagement activity reported by Branches.
New to Power BI?
Don’t worry if you haven’t used Power BI before. It is Microsoft’s reporting platform, which allows information to be presented through interactive reports, charts, maps and filters. The Welfare Operations Reporting Dashboard has been designed to be simple and straightforward to use, even if you have no previous experience of Power BI.
There are two distinct sources of information within the reporting suite.
Casework activity
The casework reports provide an aggregated geographical view of support being delivered across your Branch area.
They can help you understand:
- where casework activity is taking place;
- the geographical spread of support;
- patterns in activity across your area; and
- how activity changes over time.
The information is intended to provide local insight, not access to individual casework.
Community Engagement activity
The Community Engagement reports show the events and engagement activity taking place across your area.
They can help you see:
- where Community Engagement is happening;
- the type of activity taking place;
- areas where activity may be limited;
- patterns of activity over time; and
- the wider reach of SSAFA across local communities.
Community Engagement information relies on activity being recorded and made available through Branches and Regional Community Engagement Managers.
Keeping the two sources separate
Although both are available through the same reporting suite, casework and Community Engagement remain separate datasets. They should be considered alongside one another rather than treated as a single dataset.
The reports are primarily there to help inform local planning and Community Engagement.
For example, your Branch might identify an area where there is evidence of significant casework activity but little recorded Community Engagement activity.
That could prompt the Branch to consider:
- whether SSAFA is sufficiently visible in that community;
- whether an awareness-raising event could be useful;
- whether relationships with local Armed Forces or veterans' organisations could be strengthened;
- whether there are potential new community partners;
- whether volunteer activity could be targeted differently; or
- whether the information supports an existing Branch priority.
The reports can also help Branches describe SSAFA's local presence and impact when planning activity and talking to stakeholders.
Insight, not instruction
Insight, not instruction
The dashboard should not be used in isolation to decide what a Branch should do.
It is one source of insight and should be considered alongside:
- local knowledge;
- existing relationships;
- Branch plans and priorities;
- Regional Community Engagement Manager insight; and
- wider regional priorities.
The reports give Branches greater awareness of casework activity, but they do not change responsibility for delivering or managing casework.
Direct delivery of casework remains the responsibility of the Regional Office. Branch Chairs are not expected to investigate individual cases or take action on the basis of individual casework activity.
Protecting beneficiary information
The version released to Branch Chairs is intended to contain aggregated information rather than individual beneficiary records, names, addresses or case notes.
Step 1: Your access
SSAFA will provide the necessary Power BI licence. Branches do not need to purchase their own licence.
Step 2: Sign in
Sign in using your individual SSAFA Microsoft 365 account.
Step 3: Open the reporting app
Use the link provided to open the Welfare Operations Reporting Dashboard.
Step 4: Select the report
Use the navigation within the dashboard to move between the casework and Community Engagement views.
Step 5: Explore the information
Use the filters, maps, charts and other controls to explore the information relevant to your area.
Step 6: Reset your view
Use the reset or clear filters option where available to return the report to its original view.
Walkthroughs of each page in the reporsts are available below
Dashboard access is linked to the individual Branch Chair's SSAFA Microsoft 365 account and Power BI licence. Access should not be shared with another volunteer. If another Branch Officer requires access, this needs to be arranged separately.
The dashboard is intended primarily to support internal planning and understanding. Screenshots, exports or detailed dashboard information should not be shared externally.
Check your filters
Before drawing conclusions from a report, check:
- which Branch or area is selected;
- the date period selected;
- whether other filters have been applied; and
- when the information was last refreshed.
Remember that the datasets are different
Casework and Community Engagement information come from different sources and may be updated at different times.
A difference between the two reports does not necessarily mean activity is missing.
Use the information in context
The reports can help identify patterns and opportunities, but the information should be combined with local knowledge before deciding what action to take.
The casework information available to Branch Chairs is aggregated and is intended to provide insight into patterns of activity across an area. It does not provide access to individual beneficiary records, case notes or identifiable personal information.
The dashboard should not be used to try to identify individual beneficiaries or individual cases.
New to the dashboard? These short videos will show you the main features and how to use them.
- Understanding the Casework Postcode View
- Using the Community Engagement Activity Map
- Using the Community Engagement Events Calendar