Count types and lookups both control the values recorded against a Core+ record, but they do different jobs. Lookups are the values available for selection. Count types map those values, including any you define locally, to the system required values, Management Information (MI) values, and Youth Justice Board required values, so information is recorded and validated correctly.

Lookups are the selectable values held against Core+ fields. Using Lookups Admin, on the Administration menu set, you can configure and maintain these values to meet statutory recording requirements alongside the values your organisation decides locally.

Lookups are grouped into categories, such as Young Person or Entity, and each lookup has its own table of values.

Any local value you add can then be mapped to a count type.

Learn more about adding a new Lookup here

Count types map your local lookup values to the values Core+ requires: the system required values, MI values, and Youth Justice Board required values.

This lets you record a wider range of information locally while still returning the correct required value.

Count types are grouped into categories, such as YOT, so a data set can be mapped against the category you select.

Learn more about adding a new Count Type here

The relationship is clearest with an example.

The LU_GENDER count type table holds the four required Gender values, each with an associated count type:

The matching LU_GENDER lookup table can hold additional local Gender values.

Each local value is mapped to one of the four count types, so a gender recorded locally is still recorded and validated against the required value.