Improving lives is at the core of ADR UK’s mission and ethical handling of data underpins this. ADR UK works with partners to ensure that the data we source is kept safe and used only for research that has a public benefit, without inadvertently causing harm.
Data shared with researchers via ADR UK is de-identified, with rigorous safeguards in place to protect it from re-identification.
The data can only be accessed via trusted research environments (TREs). These are highly secure computing environments where researchers and their projects are required to be accredited before access is granted.
Removal of all individual identifiers
When accessible to researchers, data does not include any personal identifiers, with any elements that could be traced directly back to individuals – such as names, contact details or any identifying numbers – having been removed first (this is known as de-identification).
What is left is a set of attributes of individuals along with recorded interactions with public services, allowing for relationships between these to be analysed. This is very useful for identifying trends across society through large datasets, but not much use for anything else.
What other safeguards does ADR UK have in place?
In addition to only allowing access to data after identifiers have been stripped out, ADR UK partners have robust safeguards to ensure data is protected at all times. Data can only be accessed by accredited researchers, and only for approved research projects that clearly demonstrate public benefit.
Researcher accreditation
Researchers must complete a rigorous accreditation process before they can access any data. Accreditation is overseen under the Digital Economy Act 2017 and confirms that a researcher has completed appropriate training, understands their legal and ethical responsibilities, and can be trusted to work with sensitive data. Accredited status applies to the individual researcher, not to a specific project.
Project approval
Each research project must be approved before any data is accessed. Projects are assessed to ensure they meet legal and ethical requirements, demonstrate clear public benefit, and request only the data necessary to answer the research questions. Approval applies only to the specific project and datasets requested.
Secure data access facilities
Accredited researchers can only access data through highly secure facilities provided by ADR UK partners. This may be via a secure physical location or a secure remote connection. Researcher activity within these environments is closely monitored, and all outputs are checked before release to ensure that no data is misused or disclosed inappropriately.
Ethical oversight
ADR UK works in line with the recommendations of the National Statisticians Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC), which was established by the UK Statistics Authority. NSDEC provides independent advice to ensure that the use and sharing of public data for research and statistical purposes is ethical and serves the public good.
Data processing
Each of ADR UK’s national partnerships has a dedicated data processing partner responsible for safeguarding data and controlling researcher access. These include the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England, the SAIL Databank as part of ADR Wales, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) for ADR Northern Ireland. In Scotland, this happens through a collaboration of partners including National Records for Scotland, the eData Research and Innovation Service (eDRIS), and the Scottish network of safe havens.
The 'Five Safes'
ADR UK operates according to the ‘Five Safes’ developed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Five Safes refer to a set of established safeguards and measures to ensure data is kept safe and secure:
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Safe Data: Data held within ADR UK's trusted research environments is de-identified, meaning identifiable details such as names, addresses and identification numbers are removed before data is made available for any analysis.
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Safe Person: Any researcher accessing ADR UK data is assessed for their skills and suitability before being granted access to the data needed for their project.
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Safe Place: ADR UK data must be accessed in a safe and secure room within one of our trusted research environments, or otherwise via an assured connection at an accredited institution or SafePod.
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Safe Project: The research project itself is scrutinised and must be in the public interest.
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Safe Output: The researcher’s actions whilst accessing the data are monitored using keystroke technology and all outputs are checked thoroughly, with any potentially re-identifiable outliers removed.
