Engaging with the voluntary and community sector: Forming the Data First User Representation Panel

The ‘why’

Like some other types of data, justice data is particularly sensitive. We knew we wanted public engagement to inform the use of the data being made available via Data First and therefore opted to talk to experts from the voluntary and community sector who could appropriately represent these groups’ needs.

Engaging with representatives of justice system users via these sectors comes with a range of benefits. Some work directly with those who have experience of the justice system which means that research informed by engagement can directly benefit people’s lives. These representatives can also facilitate responsible engagement with at-risk groups.

Additionally, similar to researchers, some representatives also work with policymakers in developing evidence to support policy reform. Working together allows both parties to benefit from exchanging knowledge and therefore producing impactful research.

The ‘who’

Justice research is expansive. While we wanted a spread of expertise, we needed to make sure the people we engaged with specialised in areas relevant to the data being made available via Data First. This benefits everyone: our work is informed by relevant expertise, and in turn research is produced that is relevant to our experts and justice system users. As new datasets became available, we invited new members to fill in the expertise gap, including those advocating for prison and justice reform, and those supporting care-experienced young people, children, and families. 

The ‘where’

While meeting online isn’t the best option for everyone in every circumstance, in this case meeting online proved to be the popular option. We also occasionally meet in person for events.

The ‘how’

Recruitment

Recruiting members was originally done the old-fashioned way: via email. We identified organisations with a track record of representing or advocating for a diverse range of justice system users, including those who use the criminal, civil and family justice systems, as well as women, young people and those from marginalised communities. Some of these were identified through existing networks and others were discovered online. We sent personalised emails to these organisations (and individuals if their contact information was available online), highlighting why Data First could be of interest. We made it clear we were not looking for expertise in data, but instead wanted to use their expertise and experience to make sure the research enabled by Data First could best meet the needs of justice system users.  

In 2022, we held another round of recruitment to expand the expertise of the User Representation Panel. In addition to targeted emails, we circulated an expression of interest form across social media and newsletters.

The meetings

Meetings are typically arranged roughly six weeks in advance and are held on an ad hoc basis, depending on the needs of the programme. Examples of panel meetings include discussions to inform:

• the analysis of new data: this includes the types of research questions and themes we should focus on to maximise the use and impact of new research from the perspective of justice system users
• the development of new research: successful research fellows meet with relevant members of the User Representation Panel at the start of their fellowship to receive feedback on their projects and inform plans for impact. Some continue to meet at key stages of their analysis
• the next stages of research: while these meetings are typically not considered ‘panel meetings’, panel members are invited to events at the culmination of fellowships (and other relevant events) to inform the next stages of research, and to discuss the ‘real-world’ implications of their findings with academics and policymakers.

Ongoing engagement

Panel meetings are typically arranged over email. Panel members also receive a tailored newsletter every two months with a reminder of upcoming opportunities to engage, relevant news, and links to newly published research findings.

Renumeration

Panel members are offered renumeration at the end of every panel meeting, in line with the 2022 National Institute for Health and Care Research payment policy.

Successes

The User Representation Panel is the first expert panel of its kind to support ADR England research. Engagement with them has become an integral part of how we work with justice data. The success of this model has informed other internal public engagement initiatives. These include the ADR England Children and Young People’s Representative Panel and smaller bespoke advisory groups for ADR UK-funded researchers, as well as external initiatives such as MoJ’s Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

Our partnership with the User Representation Panel has strengthened over the years. Panel members have gained an intimate knowledge of how ADR UK works and how we can better work together. These experts directly shape some of our new research and advise on dissemination to make sure new insights reach the people who can make a difference to help improve the experience of justice system users. Our partnership has also created opportunities beyond ADR UK-funded work: some panel members have occasionally collaborated with researchers on non-ADR UK-funded projects and with one other.

Maintaining engagement and having an open door for feedback to improve the engagement model has supported novel ways of working together. Something that has worked well is establishing ongoing and transparent communication with the User Representation Panel.

Ongoing communication has taken the form of newsletters every two months, so panel members know we are still connected during engagement ‘dry spells’. A newsletter is also a concise way of sharing a variety of information without being overburdened by lengthy or multiple emails.

Transparent communication has taken the form of speaking honestly about:

• the purpose of the panel and panel activities
• the intention to use their feedback in our work (i.e. the intention is there, but can’t always be actioned due to data limitations)
• research timelines
• expected ways of communication (including ad hoc meetings).

Lessons learned

Take the time to get to know your advisory group. While we did our own research into the organisations we wanted to target, we should have made the induction meeting more of a two-way conversation. It is understandable to feel pressure to bring your panel members up to speed with what you do, how you use data, and the motivations for your work - before jumping into substantive conversations about research. But taking the time to learn what your panel members specialise in and what projects they’re working on, in addition to how they want to work with researchers, can better inform mutually beneficial engagement activities.