We work with local authorities and councils across the UK to develop and support research that improves health and wellbeing, supports independence and reduces health inequalities. We do this in three ways:
- funding public health and social care research
- sharing evidence and best practice guidance
- training and building research capacity within local authority staff
We recognise that effective public health programmes and social care services need to be informed by evidence and that this evidence must be made available for others to learn from. This is key to future decision-making on services and interventions and leads to improved health and wellbeing for the local populations.
Population health and care needs differ across the United Kingdom. We are working to bring public health and social care practitioners across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland together with academic researchers to identify, and provide research into, the most pressing public health needs in their region and nationally.
We also know that there is a greater need for capacity to share and use research within local authorities. In response to this, we have created professional training qualifications that will develop skills in understanding, using and producing evidence for the health and social care, public health and commissioning workforce.