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The impact of our work

Find out how we define impact and read our case studies. 

As an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) investment, ADR UK adopts the definition of impact used by ESRC and across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as a whole:

“Impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy.”

 

This includes, for example, informing changes in government policy and public service practice that lead to better social and economic outcomes for people and communities.

This impact can be at any geographic level, from the local, to the national and international.

Impact case studies

Explore the outputs and impact of ADR UK and other administrative data research conducted by our partners in the case studies below. Each story is at a different point in their impact journey, and we often revisit research to find out whether further impact has been achieved. 

14 October 2026Ezgi Kaya

Exploring the nexus between immigration, integration and labour market outcomes

Immigrants are an important part of the UK workforce, yet relatively little is known about how their labour market experiences compare with those of UK-born workers. This research used the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) linked to 2011 Census dataset to examine how labour market outcomes differ between immigrant and UK-born employees, as well as how these outcomes are shaped by integration and length of residence in the UK. The research has helped improve understanding of labour market inequalities experienced by immigrants in the UK and informed policy discussions on integration and employment.

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26 August 2026

Powered by administrative data: Sure Start evidence shaping the future of family hubs

Research using linked administrative data provides data-led evidence to show that access to Sure Start centres delivered lasting benefits for children into adolescence, including higher educational attainment, fewer hospital admissions and reduced demand for intensive special educational needs support. The findings are directly informing government thinking on Family Hubs and place-based early years support, and have shaped local authority strategies and commissioning decisions across England.

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18 August 2026

Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland – Evidence, Data and Policy Impact

Access to linked administrative data enabled robust evaluation of Minimum Unit Pricing, providing evidence of reduced alcohol-related harm and informing alcohol policy decisions in Scotland.

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2 July 2026

Intergenerational social mobility among UK Armed Forces service‑leavers: Evidence from the ONS Longitudinal Study

This study provides the first population‑scale evidence on intergenerational social class mobility among UK Armed Forces veterans in England and Wales. Using the ONS Longitudinal Study, the research found a wide variation in social mobility amongst veterans, with reserve veterans showing enhanced opportunities for career progression in civilian life compared to regular veterans. The research team is proactively engaging with veteran-focused organisations to share the findings.

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22 April 2026

Should we stay or should we go? Firms’ decisions on how to supply services after Brexit

This study explored how UK firms supply services to overseas markets and how this changed after the 2016 Brexit referendum. The research found that firms increasingly shifted from exporting services directly from the UK to supplying them through their EU‑based affiliates. This helped firms maintain access to EU markets but reduced domestic employment and sales. The research has the potential to inform UK trade policy. It has been cited in reports published by the UK Office of Budget Responsibility and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

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New evidence highlights ethnic inequalities in place of death in England and Wales
18 March 2026

New evidence highlights ethnic inequalities in place of death in England and Wales

This study explored how place of death differs between ethnic groups in England and Wales, using high‑quality self‑reported ethnicity data from the ONS Census Longitudinal Study. It found that people from several minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to die in hospital than White British people. It provides the first robust evidence of ethnic inequality in place of death in England and Wales. It has high potential for use by health service planners, integrated care systems, and providers of palliative, guiding targeted commissioning and monitoring of equity in access to palliative care.

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Enabling Five Decades of Insight: The ONS Longitudinal Study as a Secure National Research Resource
28 February 2026

Enabling Five Decades of Insight: The ONS Longitudinal Study as a Secure National Research Resource

The ONS Longitudinal Study (LS) enables robust, policy‑relevant research on health, inequality, migration, family, housing and ageing, with very low attrition and broad population coverage, including communal establishments.

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Assessing the effectiveness of Radio Frequency Electronic Monitoring for community and suspended sentences
28 January 2026

Assessing the effectiveness of Radio Frequency Electronic Monitoring for community and suspended sentences

This study evaluated the impact of Radio Frequency Electronic Monitoring (RF EM) on reoffending and compliance among adults serving community and suspended sentence orders in England and Wales. It found that RF EM significantly reduced reoffending during monitoring periods and improved compliance with probation requirements, providing evidence to inform sentencing policy and probation practice. The research has been shared across government and justice agencies, helping to shape discussions on community sentencing and compliance strategies.

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21 January 2026

Socio-emotional characteristics in early childhood and offending behaviour in adolescence

This research explores how children’s social and emotional development in early life relates to offending during adolescence, and how school experiences such as exclusion or poor attainment may influence this. The findings have informed discussions on school behaviour and early intervention with stakeholders including the Department for Education, Welsh Government, Youth Endowment Fund, Centre for Justice Innovation, National Children’s Bureau, and British Association of Social Workers. This research has also contributed to policy debates on early risk identification and supported the award of further research funding.

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Ethnic inequalities in the criminal justice system
9 October 2025

Ethnic inequalities in the criminal justice system

This research responded to the 2017 Lammy Review which called for evidence into the causes of ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. It revealed previously unseen disparities by analysing disaggregated ethnicity data for the first time, which led the Ministry of Justice to adopt this approach in published analysis. The research findings were cited in news articles and submitted as evidence in the Independent Sentencing Review and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

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Find out more

If you are a policy maker or data holder interested in how ADR UK can help generate impact for you and the communities you serve, please get in touch. 

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