Background

Duplicate records can be created in the database of qualified teachers (DQT) when a new request cannot be accurately matched to an existing record.

This can happen if information is entered incorrectly or if a teacher changes their name. It’s also possible because several organisations can allocate teacher reference numbers (TRNs), so multiple records might be created when information isn’t properly shared.

Support tasks are triggered when a new request matches three or more key identifiers on an existing record.

We needed to design ways for users to resolve potential duplicates when they arise.

When a user completes a search, the system displays a summary of each record with the person’s:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • TRN
  • National Insurance number

If the user believes that there are multiple records that belong to the same person, then they can select up to two records and click ‘Compare records’.

We then show the records side by side, labelled Record A and Record B, and ask the user to select which is the primary record.

After choosing the primary record, users select which details to keep from each record (now labelled primary record and secondary record).

They do this by selecting the active radio buttons for each data point. If a data point is identical in both records, the radio button is disabled.

The user has the option to add comments at this stage.

We added warning text to explain that the secondary record will be deactivated after merging, but it can still be viewed if needed.

After clicking ‘Continue’, the user can review the primary record details before confirming them.

Once confirmed, the user returns to the ‘Personal details’ tab in the Records section where there is a notification banner saying:

  • the primary record has been updated
  • the secondary record has been deactivated

The user can view the deactivated record by clicking the link in the inset text at the bottom of the page.

View this journey in the prototype by entering John Doe in the search bar (password: tra).

If one of the records has an alert

If either record has an alert, users cannot merge them.

In this case, we

  • remove the option to select the primary record
  • show warning text telling users they cannot merge records with alerts, and to refer the case to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)

Resolving potential duplicates from Get a TRN requests

One of the support tasks users carry out is handling requests from the Get a TRN service.

From the Get a TRN requests tile on the support tasks homepage, users can see a list of requests showing:

  • the person’s name and email address
  • the date the request was made
  • whether the request is a potential duplicate (using tags)

If the user clicks a request flagged as a potential duplicate, they see a page showing the request details.

After clicking ‘Compare potential duplicates’, we show the incoming request details alongside the existing record. Any differences are highlighted in the existing record.

We ask whether the records belong to the same person. The user can then choose to merge them or create a new record if they don’t.

If they choose to merge, the user can then check the details of the merged record before confirming.

After that, the user returns to the Get a TRN requests page with a notification banner saying the primary record was updated.

View this journey in the prototype.

If a Get a TRN request isn’t flagged as a duplicate

If the user clicks a request not flagged as a potential duplicate, they see a page showing the request details.

A new record is created if the user clicks ‘Create a record from TRN request’ button.

After that, the user returns to the Get a TRN requests page with a notification banner saying the record was created.

View this journey in the prototype.

Resolving potential duplicates flagged from API requests

From the Potential duplicates from APIs tile on the support tasks homepage, users can view a list of potential duplicates showing:

The journey for this scenario is the same as it is for resolving potential duplicates from a Get a TRN request.

View this journey in the prototype.

Iterations based on user testing

These designs and journeys went through several iterations based on testing with TRA support team colleagues (opens in Lucid).

The tasks we focused on in testing were:

  • resolving a potential duplicate where there are 2 records under a person’s name with different TRNs
  • resolving a request from Get a TRN that the system has flagged as a potential duplicate
  • creating a record from a TRN request

From testing, we identified several key areas for improvement:

  • unclear purpose – users weren’t always sure what a page was for or what action was needed, particularly on the TRN requests and merge confirmation pages
  • insufficient detail – users wanted more information to help them confirm whether records belonged to the same person, such as national professional qualification (NPQ) details, home addresses, and the email addresses for both records
  • unclear labels – labels like ‘Source of match’ didn't make sense to users
  • uncertainty around merging – users found side-by-side comparisons helpful but risk-averse users needed clearer guidance on next steps and what would be retained or deactivated
  • flow – some pages felt unnecessary or out of place, like the ‘Deactivate this record’ screen and the extra confirmation step after selecting the primary record

To improve clarity and reassure risk-averse users, we:

  • replaced the TRN request reference number with the person’s name, added email addresses, and removed the filter and sort components on the Get a TRN requests page
  • added NPQ details to the ‘Incoming Get a TRN request’ page
  • changed the ‘Source of match’ label to ‘Source’ and used tags to differentiate the API the request came from
  • disabled radio buttons where data points were identical on each record
  • added content informing users before merging records that the secondary record would be deactivated but they could still view it later
  • removed the ‘Deactivate this record' page

Screenshots

We're currently updating the prototypes for this feature and will add screenshots once they're ready.

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