BETTER KNOWLEDGE BETTER SOCIETY FEATURE A similar pattern was found in asthma events,


with a 6.5% decrease in the recipient group and a 12.5% increase in the control group for the same period.


Research findings inform government policy These research findings help the Welsh


Government understand the impact of energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes on people’s health. The emerging research findings have been used in the development of the new Warm Homes Nest scheme and as a result, eligibility for a package of free home energy efficiency measures will be extended to low-income homes with members suffering from respiratory and circulatory conditions. The research project is a collaboration


between the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC-W), the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, and the Welsh Government. The ADRC-W is led by Swansea University in partnership with Cardiff University. Improved targeting of Welsh Government energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes will help reduce the numbers of people living in fuel poverty and thus improve the health and wellbeing of significant numbers of people living in Wales. The Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC-W) ADRC-W is one of four UK centres that along


with the Administrative Data Service make up the Administrative Data Research Network (ADRN), a UK-wide partnership between universities, government departments and agencies, national statistics authorities, funders and researchers. It is funded by the ESRC. Together the four Centres provide a safe, secure and transparent data linkage service for accredited, approved research using de-identified UK administrative data. The ADRC-W is led by Professor David Ford at Swansea University. He said: “ADRC-W, as part of the UK-wide ADRN, is starting to play a major role in helping government, both local and national, develop effective policies and initiatives in Wales. It has been a delight to experience the enthusiastic participation of Welsh


Government in these studies, and the openness to what is a significant change to the way policy has traditionally been made and evaluated” The ADRC-W brings together a strong team of economic and social science researchers from across Wales, and leading data scientists with strengths in privacy protection, information governance and data technology platforms. As the Fuel Poverty report shows, the ADRC-W


is the focal point for data-related social research in Wales and a major player in UK-wide efforts to transform research and policy environments. ADRC-W builds on existing expertise and an acknowledged reputation for the safe and trustworthy use of complex social data to create a Centre that uses cutting-edge technology to efficiently link and analyse de-identified administrative data.


New insights to social challenges Linked administrative data has the potential to provide insight into public issues, and evidence for policymakers to tackle a range of complex social, economic, environmental and health issues. Instead of having many fragments of information scattered across the various agencies involved in providing public services, linked data collections create a broad picture across society, giving us far greater understanding. By using these new data resources, researchers


can better characterise and understand segments of our society that need help, and these insights can often overturn established views on how to tackle social problems. In-depth research over a large geographical


area, with large sample sizes means greater accuracy – and the potential for highly informed government policy. Data linkage opens up endless possibilities to uncover new vital areas of research not previously possible. The power of using administrative data to provide evidence around challenging social questions can be seen in the current research and has huge potential to benefit society. n


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For more information on Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC Wales): adrn.ac.uk/about/network/wales


Fuel Poverty Health Data Linking report: gov.wales/statistics-and- research/fuel-poverty-data-linking-project/?lang=en


SUMMER 2017 SOCIETY NOW 19


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