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HDRC about our work

Home Research & HDRC Southampton HDRC Southampton HDRC about our work

PuzzleHDRC about our work

Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Southampton is a five-year programme which started on 1 January 2024. The HDRC will deliver the three work packages below, plus a cross-cutting work package relating to public involvement and community engagement:

Work package 1 – Building research capacity

  • Employ a new research team in the council
  • Make sure staff have access to the systems and resources needed to use research evidence when making decisions
  • Find the best ways to listen to voices from across all communities in Southampton

Work package 2 – Culture of evidence-informed decision making

  • Develop a training programme to support staff and elected members in accessing and using evidence
  • Setting up processes to support and enable evidence-informed decision making
  • Have conversations with our local communities and partner organisations to decide on the priorities for research

Work package 3 – Evaluation, dissemination, and impact

  • Make it easier for residents to see how evidence is used in local policy making
  • Share what we have learnt from having a HDRC with council colleagues, local communities, and wider partners.
  • Continually monitor whether the HDRC is making progress towards achieving its aim.

Cross-cutting public involvement and community engagement

We will work with members of the public and our local communities to ensure HDRC Southampton is shaped with and by them. There are five key areas for members of the public and local communities to get involved in the HDRC and these include:

  • Involvement in management of the HDRC
  • Reaching and involving our communities
  • Setting research priorities
  • Co-production of research
  • Impact from the work of the HDRC

We have developed a Public Involvement Community Engagement Plan (PICE) which highlights how we will meaningfully engage with our communities over the lifespan of the HDRC Southampton. It covers considerations and advice on how communities wish to be engaged with - this was done in collaboration with the community and partners in the city.