Research for public health and social care
Independent research and consultation with patients, service users, the public, health and social care professionals, commissioners and stakeholders, helping organisations understand needs, improve services and evaluate communications and campaigns.
Experienced across health and care
We have delivered research for NHS organisations, local authority public health teams, commissioners, social care, and wider health and care partners, working with patients, service users, staff, professionals, and communities.
Research to support better health and care decisions
From understanding service experience and health inequalities to consulting on change, evaluating campaigns, and exploring workforce issues, we design independent research around the decision you need to make.
Service experience and improvement
Understand experiences of health and care services, what works, what needs to improve, and how services can better meet people’s needs.
Health needs and inequalities
Explore population needs, unequal experiences, unmet need, and priorities, including research with communities and groups that can be harder to reach.
Access, barriers and behaviours
Understand what helps or prevents people from accessing services, taking up interventions, or changing health-related behaviours.
Consultation and service change
Independent consultation and engagement around service models, priorities, and proposed changes, with robust analysis of feedback.
Communications and campaign evaluation
Develop and test messages, assess awareness and impact, and identify how campaigns or interventions can work more effectively.
Workforce, professionals and stakeholders
Research with NHS, social care and public health staff, providers, commissioners, partner organisations, and other stakeholders.
Public health and social care research in practice
Examples spanning service improvement, consultation, health inequalities, behaviour change, campaign evaluation, workforce research, and social care.
Large-scale stakeholder insight to shape Leeds’ 0–19 public health services
More than 1,800 survey responses, 15 focus groups, and six depth interviews brought together the experiences of families, staff, partners, practitioners, and young people to inform the future of Leeds’ 0–19 Public Health Integrated Nursing Service.
View case study →Three years tracking Essex’s social care workforce
Repeat surveys with care providers, council officers, and care workers tracked workforce experiences and relationships with Essex County Council across 2019, 2020, and 2021.
View case study →2,064 voices informing the future of urgent care at Friarage Hospital
A large-scale independent consultation combined open surveys, 601 on-street interviews, focus groups, public events, and stakeholder feedback to inform decisions about local urgent care provision.
View case study →Stakeholder engagement to inform Wakefield’s Migrant Health Needs Assessment
Qualitative engagement with 57 participants across health, community, government, and migrant-support organisations identified health priorities, unmet needs, service gaps, and access challenges affecting migrant communities.
View case study →Turning health insight into a more effective NHS Health Check campaign
A phased qualitative programme identified barriers to NHS Health Check uptake, shaped new communications, and then tested those materials with the intended audience.
View case study →8,362 patient responses to inform extended primary care access
A large-scale consultation gathered patient views on accessing primary care outside core opening hours, with detailed analysis by demographic group and Primary Care Network.
View case study →Understanding barriers to childhood immunisation in Barnet
Qualitative research with parents and carers explored awareness, concerns, fears, information sources, and practical barriers behind lower childhood vaccination uptake.
View case study →Hearing survivors’ voices in Greater Manchester’s gender-based violence strategy
Confidential depth interviews enabled women with lived experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault to respond directly to Greater Manchester’s proposed strategy and suggest improvements.
View case study →Evaluating Manchester’s neighbourhood flu vaccination campaigns
Evaluation across 12 neighbourhood areas assessed local communications activity designed to increase flu vaccination awareness, understanding, and uptake.
View case study →
Tracking public attitudes and behaviours during COVID-19 across four council areas
A representative telephone survey of 2,000 residents provided four councils with comparable evidence on behaviour, risk, government guidance, confidence, and intended vaccine uptake.
View case study →Independent analysis to support urgent care planning in Wakefield
Patient survey feedback from three urgent care settings was independently analysed and reported to support service planning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View case study →Evaluating Drink Free Days Derby
A representative telephone survey of adult drinkers in target Derby postcodes measured campaign awareness alongside alcohol consumption, moderation attitudes, and intentions.
View case study →Understanding climate resilience across primary and social care
Research with GP practices, care homes, and nursing homes explored preparedness for climate change and severe weather and how providers could be better supported.
View case study →Public consultation to shape Barnet’s Early Help Services
Independent analysis, seven focus groups, and support at public meetings brought together service-user and resident feedback on proposals for Barnet’s Early Help Services.
View case study →Analysing 9,038 pupil responses for Wakefield’s School Health Survey
Independent analysis of the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire provided robust evidence on health behaviours and lifestyles across four school year groups.
View case study →6,214 NHS staff views on sustainability and behaviour change
A large-scale NHS workforce survey explored attitudes towards sustainability, current behaviours, and what could encourage staff to take more positive environmental action.
View case study →Understanding GP service use during the COVID-19 pandemic
Detailed analysis of survey feedback explored how Wakefield residents experienced new ways of accessing GP services during the pandemic and what should improve for future delivery.
View case study →What our health and care clients say about working with us
Communication was excellent from the whole team, and work was always delivered on time.
Planning public health or social care research?
Talk to us about what you need to understand. We can help shape an independent quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approach around the decision you need to make.