How to Complete the H-CLIC QA Report

This guide explains how to check, update, and submit your H-CLIC Quality Assurance (QA) report. It covers using the QA Checker spreadsheet, verifying figures in the Data for Insights dashboard, and finalising your report for submission. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Understanding the QA Report
• Using the QA Checker Spreadsheet
• Reviewing and Completing the QA Report in DELTA
• Submitting Your QA Report
• Troubleshooting: When QA Figures Don’t Match Internal Records

Understanding the QA Report

The QA report is a separate form used to check that your H-CLIC upload figures match your internal records. It also allows you to: 

• Explain large changes in your data.

• Decide whether data is suitable for publication.

• Provide evidence of data checking for quality assurance purposes.

You should be able to find your QA report under your collection requests if you log into DELTA. 

When it’s updated: 

• Data is processed twice a week (Monday & Wednesday) and reports are updated by midday Tuesday & Thursday.

• The report is not live — new submissions may take a few days to appear.

Note: Always check the date and time displayed at the top of your QA report to confirm the most recent data is included.

Using the QA Checker Spreadsheet

The QA Checker helps you analyse your XML data file and produce totals that match the QA report. It is difficult to run reports on Locata to match the QA reports as the data is live and can and is altered by officers at any point in time making it extremely difficult to check unless you are running your various reports at the same point in time you are submitting your H-CLIC data. A copy of the QA checker is attached to the bottom of this article. 

1. Open the spreadsheet and click Enable Editing.

2. Go to the HCLIC Data tab.

3. Click Data on the menu bar → Refresh All (text link, not icon).

4. Select Connection Properties → Definition tab.

5. Click Browse and choose the XML file you submitted to DELTA.

6. Click Open, then OK.

7. Click Data → Refresh All (icon).

8. Open the QA Totals tab.

9. Enter the quarter start and end dates (dd/mm/yyyy).

Did you know? The XML file captures a snapshot at the moment of submission, making it the most accurate source for matching totals.

Reviewing and Completing the QA Report in DELTA

1. Log into DELTA and check the date at the top of the page as to when the data was downloaded from DELTA.  

2. Open the Data Insights Homelessness Dashboard. 

3. View both windows side by side (or use two monitors).

4. Compare each QA report section to the matching dashboard section.

5. If figures match → select Approve for publication.

6. If figures differ:

   • Click the graph/table in Insights to view case numbers.

   • Check these in Locata and correct data if needed.

Example:

Yellow alerts:

• Large increases or decreases from the last quarter will highlight in yellow — provide an explanation before approval.

Submitting Your QA Report

Once all sections are reviewed:

1. For Rough Sleepers, answer Yes and use the data submitted in the recent Rough Sleeper Monthly return. If you are not accommodating any rough sleepers or do not have an open Relief Duty then these will all be zero's.   

2. Under Data Quality and Sign Off:

   • Select The data supplied is subject to periodic quality assurance which is basically that the Local Authority checks the data on a quarterly basis for the H-CLIC returns.

   • Answer No to benchmarking question.

   • State if external data sources were used. 

3. Click Submit. The form will be checked and any warnings or errors will be displayed.  

4. Review any warnings or errors and either:

   • If you're happy with them, go to the bottom of the page and Submit them and Continue, or

   • Correct the relevant section and then Submit and Continue. 

5. Confirm submission by clicking Yes. You will receive a confirmation email and can view your data in the Data Store.

Troubleshooting: When QA Figures Don’t Match Internal Records

If your QA report figures differ from your internal data:

1. Use the Data for Insights QA Dashboard

   • Check each flagged section for large changes.

   • Click graphs/tables to view the Case IDs behind totals.

   • Compare these IDs with you own HPA2 reports to identify discrepancies.

2. Investigate possible causes

   • Recent updates not yet processed in DELTA (report is not live and may take a few days to refresh).

   • Data entry errors or missed case updates.

   • IT system migrations affecting data quality.

3. If unable to resolve before submission deadline

   • Mark the affected section as “Incorrect – do not approve for publication” in your QA report.

   • Provide an explanation in the comments box.

   • Your authority may receive a red RAG rating for that quarter, but mitigating circumstances will be recorded.

Did you know? Even if you cannot fully resolve a mismatch before submission, your responses and comments are still saved and used as part of the quality assurance process.