Walking the walk: Progress since the ADR UK-OSR Public Dialogue

In this blog, Shayda Kashef (Senior Public Engagement Manager, ADR UK) shares an update on the progress made in our public engagement programme following the 2022 public dialogue and how we are now putting the findings into action.

In 2022, ADR UK, in partnership with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), set out to achieve a milestone: to conduct a UK-wide public dialogue to inform our understanding of ‘public good’ use of data for research and statistics.

From those participating in the dialogue, we learned that people wanted more public involvement and engagement in decisions about how data is used for research and statistics. There was also interest in how public sector data is used to address real-world needs, and feedback that the benefits of data sharing and use needed to be better communicated to the public. Finally, the dialogue showed there was a want to minimise harmful uses of data, and to continue safeguarding data while maximising its potential.

It has been almost three years since the publication of the dialogue and at ADR UK we have been working hard to put the findings into action. Here, I’m sharing just some of the ways we’ve responded to the views we heard.

Greater public involvement and engagement

Direct engagement with the public has grown right across the ADR UK national partnerships over the last few years, with a positive increase in the number of public panels allowing us to hear more views than ever.

With thanks to a successful partnership with The Social Agency, in England we have now launched the ADR England Public Insights Panel to support data-driven research within and beyond ADR UK. While in Northern Ireland, after a successful pilot, collaborative efforts led by ADR Northern Ireland, enabled the creation of the Northern Ireland Public Data Panel in October 2024.

In Scotland, the Scotland Talks Data panel, managed by ADR Scotland partners, evolved in size and scope in 2023 to include a broader range of voices and experiences. And finally in Wales, due to high demand, the long-established SAIL Consumer Panel has increased the frequency of its meetings to hear from the public more often.

Administrative data research to address real-world needs

As a result of years of analysis on linked de-identified data, ADR UK produces groundbreaking insights on a vast range of topics concerning the life and wellbeing of people in the UK. Increasingly, we are now involving the public in the interpretation and sharing of our findings.

One example of this is in action took place during our research on care experienced young people. This year, ADR UK collaborated with the National Centre for Social Research to publish a report outlining research from across the national partnerships on the lives and experiences of children and young people growing up in care.

Each piece of research in this report was informed by engaging relevant members of the public, either directly or via expert representatives. To support the launch of the report, we then worked with three care experienced young people to share their perspectives of the report. In this way we are ensuring public voices can be heard at each step of the research journey, and we plan to use this approach further in future projects.

Communicating the benefits of data sharing and use

In 2022, ADR Scotland published a children’s engagement pilot study with Children in Scotland. The pilot connected the team with children and young people to talk about the use of their administrative data, with the aim of making sure that children and young people have a say in how their data is used and communicated.

This direct engagement with children and young people has supported knowledge sharing across the ADR UK partnership and has shaped our communications strategies. The project also supported the creation of the ADR UK approach to engaging with children and young people about data, published in 2023.

Embedding new voices into ADR UK teams: Intern programmes

Also in 2023, the ADR UK programme hired its first intern who joined the Administrative Data Research Centre Northern Ireland (ADRC NI, part of ADR Northern Ireland) team on a short-term basis. The internship pilot was hugely successful, resulting in the publication of a young person’s version of a research paper and a guide to co-production - in addition to countless learnings from working alongside a young person.

This pilot inspired ADR England to hire an intern in 2024 who also created a young person’s version of a research paper. Internships are now rolling out across the partnership as an initiative that both involves young members of the public in research and supports the creation of accessible communications materials.

Launching the first ADR UK podcast for the public

To broaden outreach and public communication further, last year ADR UK launched the Connecting Society podcast. The six-episode series was informed by the ADR England Public Insights Panel, who input their views over several sessions to support us to produce a podcast aiming to offer broad appeal to the public.

We plan to launch season two later this year learning from series one, with a focus on bringing the expertise and passion of those working in data to the public in an accessible way.

Minimising harm and promoting good practices

Of the many ways ADR UK has championed minimising harmful uses of data and promoting good practices, a recent standout has been the topic of responsible use of low-fidelity synthetic data.

Discussions on synthetic data played an unexpectedly significant part of the ADR UK-OSR public dialogue. Originally intended to provide context on a hypothetical case study focused on data sharing, the mention of synthetic data generated enough buzz to support the creation of an interim ADR UK position statement on its use and later an information page for researchers and others to learn more about this emerging practice.  

Synthetic data was also explored at the Scotland Talks Data panel in 2023 and 2025, where they discussed what synthetic data is, its uses, and Research Data Scotland’s developing approach and communications on this topic. The result of these public engagement activities highlighted the need to further explore public understanding and acceptability of synthetic data. This led ADR UK to fund the first public consultation on synthetic data in the UK, working in partnership with Cardiff University.

Looking ahead

The ADR UK-OSR public dialogue marked a milestone for the ADR UK programme and, as outlined in this blog, it has led to many public engagement activities which have informed our research and engagement strategies.

As our current investment period of 2021-2026 draws to a close, we are reflecting on our work so far and looking to build on this momentum to champion public voices in data-driven research.

You can find out more about how we work with the public on our updated webpage: Working with the public.