London Borough of Sutton Directory Connect supports a centralised community information hub

Background: A proactive Council prioritising community engagement and collaboration
The London Borough of Sutton faced the challenge of multiple directories for statutory and community information, making it difficult for residents and professionals to access relevant support. The Council wanted to create a single, centralised hub that residents could trust and easily navigate.

With Directory Connect, which was formerly known as Ayup Connect*, Sutton aimed to provide a streamlined platform for all-age residents-from birth to end of life-bringing statutory services, local offers, and community resources into one accessible place.

Shona Harris, Commissioning Lead for Health, Prevention and Wellbeing, Charlotte Perry, Commissioning Manager for the Sutton Information Hub, and Tricia East, Digital and IT Business Partner, explain that the project was designed to deliver a more positive and simplified user journey while also supporting internal teams and community partners.

Challenge: Making complex, statutory information easy to access
Before Directory Connect, residents and professionals had to navigate multiple directories, including:

• Local Offer for children and families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• Care Leaver Local Offer
• Family Information Service (FIS)

The existing setup scattered statutory information across websites, and council searches returned results across the entire website, often without filters. Residents struggled to locate the right services efficiently, and the Council wanted a single trusted source that could serve everyone, at all stages of life.

Solution: Creating a central, user-focused platform
A newly formed project team in 2018/19 reviewed legislation, community needs, and internal processes. The team concluded that a streamlined, centralised directory would improve the experience for residents and allow everyone to rely on a single trusted source of information.

The Council undertook:

• Community mapping exercises and stakeholder workshops to capture all existing information assets
• Internal consultation across council teams to ensure all relevant services were included
• Market testing and procurement to select the right platform provider

Directory Connect was selected for its flexibility, proven local authority experience, and open-source technology, allowing the platform to grow and evolve with the community’s needs.

The Directory Connect team ran co-production workshops, engaging internal stakeholders and community partners to ensure the platform met the needs of both residents and service providers.

Outcome: A centralised, trusted hub for residents and professionals
The Sutton Information Hub delivers:

• Statutory and community information in one easy-to-navigate platform
• Curated landing pages highlighting key areas, e.g., SEND Local Offer, food poverty, or wellbeing initiatives
• Interactive features, such as postcode search and filters, allowing residents to find services near them
• Self-service tools for providers to update information, with automated reminders to ensure data remains accurate
• A translation function supporting multiple languages, improving accessibility and trust.

The platform also supports Sutton Council in future-proofing its services:

• Expansion for custodial leavers and resettlement schemes
• Acting as a digital front door for wider provision of services
• Collaboration with other local boroughs to share best practices within the Directory Connect community

*Idox acquired the Ayup Connect platform in November 2025. This Idox solution is now known as Directory Connect.