This post has been written by Geoff Middleton who is Project Co-ordinator for Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Doncaster. Funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) the HDRC aims to help Doncaster County Council to become more research-active and to embed a culture of evidence-based decision making.
Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Doncaster is really thrilled to be part of the Creative Health Board study as one of the partners in this exciting research project. Our Director, Susan Hampshaw is a practitioner academic who has worked in Doncaster for over 20 years leading work at the City of Doncaster council aiming to help us do more research and use findings from research in our decision-making processes. She has a background in Public Health and believes that the arts have an invaluable role to play in people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.
So, what is HDRC Doncaster?
HDRC Doncaster is a pioneering initiative which aims to build capacity and capability to do research in local government to address health inequalities in our local population and improve the health of those that are vulnerable in our society. To do this, we involve ourselves in research to understand and explore the wider determinants of health. These determinants include social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health outcomes (e.g. education, employment, climate, housing etc.) and shape the lives of those that live in our neighbourhoods. We are one of 30 HDRC’s established across the UK and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which you can read about here.
Our HDRC is a partnership between the City of Doncaster Council, the University of Sheffield, and Sheffield Hallam University. The HDRC embeds employees from all these organisations, leveraging the strengths of local government and academic institutions to create a healthier, more equitable community through research and evidence-based decision-making. This partnership brings together knowledge and expertise with the operational awareness and capability of a local authority. This pioneering collaboration can enhance the impact of policy and practice and our ability to work in unison as to address complex health issues in our society. Our use of embedded researchers within the HDRC mirrors the embedded researchers within the Creative Health Board project and so we can do joint learning and run capacity building workshops.
Within HDRC Doncaster, we place strong emphasis on making the City of Doncaster Council and its partners more research-active and building research capacity. We encourage the use of research and evidence in policymaking and that service delivery is focused on the root causes of health disparities as we work towards creating equitable health opportunities for all residents. Our team attempts to develop the skills, create resources and enhance the capabilities of the local authority employees to conduct and utilise research effectively in their work.
One of our guiding principles is work with local people to ensure that diverse voices and experiences are heard and included in the research process.
We are always open to new ideas and work with our communities and connected organisations in any sector and we’d love to hear from you if you want to connect.
Please email HDRCDoncaster@Doncaster.gov.uk if you would like to know more.
