This guide is for local authorities. The reporting shows how individuals and their support workers in your local authority area have accessed the Lightning Reach portal and their journey to finding support.
This may include:
People you’ve referred to Lightning Reach
Individuals who have a postcode within your jurisdiction
Applicants to your organisation's support schemes
Individuals created by a support worker at your organisation
This guide explains your dashboard, covering key data points, their meanings, and tips for interpretation. For suggestions on additional data points or any feedback, please contact your Client Success Manager or email hello@lightningreach.org.
Accessing the reporting dashboard
To access your dashboard:
- Log in to the admin portal at https://admin.lightningreach.org/login.
- Click Reports in the left-hand menu.
- Your organisation's dashboard will then load.
Important Note: The dashboard processes large amounts of data, so it may take a few minutes to load. It works best in Google Chrome.
If you’re unable to access the dashboard, contact us at hello@lightningreach.org for assistance.
For common errors and troubleshooting, click here.
Main dashboard sections
The dashboard is divided into six main sections. Click any of the sections below to be taken to that area:
- All residents
- Resident demographics
- Resident feedback
- Resident additional info
- Applications overview
- Applications monthly statistics
Each section provides specific data points to help your local authority understand resident engagement and support applications (if applicable).
Understanding the data
The dashboard is split into several sections. Below is an overview of the key data points you’ll see.
Key terminology
- Lite match: A support scheme that users are signposted to on the portal and must apply for externally. Users who engage with lite matches are those who click the “Go to website” link next to a match.
- Direct match/application: A support scheme that users can apply for directly through the Lightning Reach portal.
1. All residents
This section shows the number of users that have accessed the Lightning Reach portal within your local authority and their journey to finding support.
Lives touched
This section shows how many individuals have accessed the portal and engaged with support.
| Individuals reached | The total number of individuals connected to your organisation who have accessed Lightning Reach. This includes those referred via referral links, created by a support worker at your organisation, have a postcode in your jurisdiction, or applied directly to your support schemes. |
| Completed profiles | The number of users who completed their profiles and activated their accounts. |
| Found support | The number of users who found support by matching with at least one lite match. |
| Engaged with support | The number of users who clicked on a match, applied for a grant, or completed a benefits check. |
Signups and completed profiles over time | Graph showing account sign-ups and profile completions over time, with two lines representing each trend. |
| User conversion rates | The percentages represent the conversion rate at each stage of the process. For example: 84.5%: The proportion of individuals who completed their profiles after accessing the portal. 98.9%: The proportion of individuals with completed profiles who found support. 80.7%: The proportion of individuals who found support and then engaged with support. This breakdown highlights how users progress from one step to the next, giving a clear view of engagement at each stage. |
| Total awards received by residents | The total value of direct and lite matches awarded to users. Split between direct matches, estimated lite matches, and reported lite matches. Direct match: A user has applied and received an award through the Lightning Reach portal. Estimated lite match: A user has clicked on support that they need to apply for externally to the portal. We use survey data to estimate the value of support they're likely to have received. Reported lite match: A support worker has reported the outcome of a scheme that they applied for externally to the portal. |
Support identified
This section provides a summary of the help received by your clients on the Lightning Reach platform.
| Average number of schemes matched per user | The average number of schemes that users are matched with. |
| Average number of schemes engaged with per user | The average number of schemes users actively engage with. |
| Users clicked on lite matches | The number of users who clicked on a lite match link . |
| Estimated value of lite match clicks | The total estimated value of support accessed through lite matches. |
| Residents who submitted applications | The number of direct applications submitted through the portal. |
| Residents who received awards | The number of direct applications that resulted in awards through the portal. |
| Awarded via direct applications | The total value of awards granted via direct applications. |
| Average award per recipient | The average value awarded per user who received an award. |
You can also see a breakdown of direct application awards by type, such as energy and utilities, food and essential items, and more.
Benefits checks
This section shows the benefits users are entitled to and how much they could receive, including any benefits they already receive.
| Users who have completed a benefits check | The number of users who completed a benefits check. |
| Total value of benefits identified | The total estimated value of benefits users are eligible for. |
Time taken
This section displays the time it takes users to complete their profiles and applications, as well as the time to decision.
| Median time to complete profile | The average time it takes users to complete their profiles. |
| Median time to decision application | The average time from application submission to decision. |
2. Resident demographics
This section provides insights into the different types of residents engaging with the platform. The data is based on the information residents provide in their profiles.
| Applicants by age | Shows the age distribution of residents. |
| Applicants by ward | Displays where residents are located. |
| Users by housing status | Shows residents’ housing situations (e.g., renting, owning, temporary accommodation). |
| User has dependent children | Displays whether residents have dependent children in their household. |
| Employment status | Shows the employment status provided by residents at the time they completed their profile. Please note: This may be out of date for some users, depending on when their profile was last updated. |
| Monthly household income | Shows the income levels of residents’ households. |
| Users in receipt of benefits | Highlights the percentage of residents receiving benefits. |
| User has debts | Shows how many residents report having debt. |
| Users by gender | Provides a breakdown of residents by gender. |
| Users by ethnicity | Displays the ethnic background of residents. |
| Household members has a disability | Shows the percentage of applicants who report that someone in their household has a disability. |
| Disability types reported by residents. | Lists the types of disabilities reported. |
| Areas where residents requested financial support | Details the types of support requested, such as funding for essential items, training or education grants, et cetera. |
| Areas where residents asked for support and advice | Highlights the types of advice sought by residents, including guidance on finances, housing, and employment. |
| Residents' description of household circumstances | Summarises how residents describe their current household situation. |
| Residents' description of relationship circumstances | Summarises residents’ relationship situations, including family breakdowns, separation, or domestic challenges. |
| Residents' description of housing circumstances | Summarises residents’ housing situations, such as homelessness, temporary accommodation, or risk of eviction. |
Note: Some sections, like areas where applicants received financial support, allow users to select multiple answers. Other sections, such as gender or age, only allow one answer per user.
3. Resident feedback
This section provides insight into resident feedback on the application process. After submitting an application, users are asked to provide a rating from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) and have the option to leave written feedback.
| Application ratings | Shows a breakdown of the ratings users provided, from 1 to 5. |
| Application feedback | Displays written comments submitted by users, which can provide valuable insights into their experience. |
4. Resident additional info
This section shows more detail on how residents within your local authority find Lightning Reach and the matches they receive on our platform.
| Referral codes used | Shows which referral links residents used to access the platform for all time (e.g., website, Google, your personal links). For further information on referral links, view the following guide. |
| Referral codes used in the last month | Shows which referral links residents used to access the platform during the previous calendar month (e.g., website, Google, your personal links). For further information on referral links, view the following guide. |
| Lite matches | Displays the support schemes residents matched with, the number of times they clicked on the matches, and the click-through rate for all time. |
| Lite matches in the last month | Displays the support schemes residents matched with, the number of times they clicked on the matches, and the click-through rate for the last month. |
| Proportion of applicants who applied individually (self-serve) vs applied via a support worker | This shows how residents first accessed Lightning Reach, either by signing up independently versus with assistance from a support worker. |
5. Applications overview
Note: This section is relevant to organisations that have their own support schemes on the portal.
This section contains details about applications your local authority has received and the people who have applied directly to you.
| Cumulative submitted applications over time | A graph showing how many applications have been submitted over time, illustrating trends and peaks. |
| Number of submitted applications | The total number of applications submitted by residents. |
| Approved applications | The number of applications approved by your local authority. |
| Declined applications | The number of applications that were declined. |
| Direct applicants who started but didn’t submit | The percentage of residents who started an application but didn’t complete and submit it. |
| Inactive applications | The number of applications that were marked inactive. |
Awards
This section will provide data on the value of awards, the average awards per application, and the types of awards received by applicants.
| Total award value (£) | The cumulative monetary value of all awards granted. |
| Average award value per application (£) | The average amount awarded per approved application. |
| Types of awards received by applicants | A breakdown of awards across different categories, such as energy and utilities, food and essential items, furniture, and other support types. This is shown as a bar chart for easy visualisation. |
Timelines
This section provides insight into how long it takes applicants to apply and for an outcome to be reached.
Note: We have removed those who have completed forms in more than one sitting from the “time to complete” metrics in order for you to understand the typical user.
Similarly, time to complete an application statistics exclude invited applicants because it can take days for applicants to see the email inviting them to apply.
| Average days to application decision | The average time from submission to decision. |
| Days from submission to decision | A distribution chart showing how decision times vary. |
| Median time to complete profile (mins) | The typical time users spend completing their profiles. |
| Median time to complete application (mins) | The time it takes to fill out and submit an application. |
Source
This section provides data on what method applicants came to apply to your support scheme.
| Proportion of applicants who applied individually (self-serve) vs via support worker | A pie chart comparing the two application methods - individual applicants using self-serve, and applicants supported by a support worker using a Lightning Reach support worker account. |
| Proportion of applicants who applied via matches vs those invited | A breakdown of how applicants arrived at the application process, whether through a match or a direct invitation. |
| Referral codes used by applicants | A breakdown of the different referral links users used to access your support scheme. |
6. Applications monthly statistics
Note: This section is relevant to organisations that have their own support schemes on the portal.
This section shows monthly trends in key metrics, including the number of applications submitted and the total award values granted. Key charts in this section include:
- Submitted applications: Tracks how many applications were submitted each month.
- Award values: Displays the total value of financial support granted each month.
Tip: Below each graph, there is a smaller interactive graph (the blue area). You can adjust this by dragging the edges to change the timeframe for the data displayed, allowing you to focus on specific periods.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
If you encounter any issues with the dashboard, here are some common error messages and solutions.
Common errors
| Error message | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Timeout error or blank page | This happens when the dashboard takes too long to load. | Refresh your browser or click the three dots in the top right corner of the box and select "Force Refresh." |
| No data available | This appears if there’s no data to display for the selected time period. | Adjust the filters or check back later for updated data. |
Need further assistance?
If you need any help, please contact us at hello@lightningreach.org