Nottingham Trent University ADR UK Data First Phase 2

The most vulnerable people in our society have complex and multiple needs. They are likely to interact with a range of public services, from health and social care; housing and welfare; to the justice system. Whilst the government collects a large amount of data as the public interacts with these services, it is vastly underused. Understanding these populations, their needs, and how they interact with public services over time is vital if we are to improve outcomes. Robust data is central to this, and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has committed to using it more effectively to enhance the evidence for policy and practice. Through Data First, a pioneering data linkage and academic engagement programme launched in 2019, MoJ has set the precedent across government in using innovation to tackle these issues and unlock the potential of the data we hold. This has been made possible by a significant investment by ADR UK.

Data First is an outstanding success with ADR UK's investment enabling MoJ to be considered leaders in the transparent use of data in the public interest. This proposal provides a timely opportunity to build on this reputation and the important brand of Data First, with a focus on maximising research, policy impact and building capability. MoJ will curate, link and share up to five justice Research-Ready Datasets to augment the datasets shared under Data First. These will enrich the information on offenders risks and needs, the legal aid uptake for people in civil and family justice cases (including domestic abuse, homelessness and debt) and a wider picture of our users' needs in relation the education, mental health, social security and child support, and employment.

The proposed project will accelerate the sharing of justice data with other departments, to enhance our understanding of the relationship between users' interactions with the justice system and their outcomes across a range of public services, including health, education and welfare. Enhancing this understanding is crucial to the better targeting of policies, interventions and services. MoJ will continue making these deidentified datasets securely available for academic researchers via the ONS SRS, as well as publishing detailed data documentation and guidance for transparency and accessibility. The unique added value of Data First remains the sharing of data with accredited researchers and it is on this basis that we will maximise our impact.

Critical Early Pathfinder Research led by MoJ will explore themes such as journeys through the criminal justice system to understand what works, for whom and why. The applicant PI (Professor Tseloni) is enthusiastic to remain part of the MoJ Data First team, to build upon the innovative opportunities for academic collaboration. These research objectives will maximise use of the datasets and deliver powerful new analysis for policy insights that have not been possible before. She will collaborate closely with MoJ's multi-disciplinary analytical Data First team with unrivalled access to knowledge of the datasets, as well as to policy to ensure insights are contributing to decision-making. Research objectives will be delivered from MoJ's Evidence and Partnerships Hub, drawing upon its established connections with over 300 academic experts and knowledge brokers. The proposal includes an emphasis on continuing to build capability across government and academia. In addition to data documentation, guidance and training (including for Early Career Researchers), whilst MoJ will continue to optimise its open-source data-linking software (Splink) to support others to adapt its use, providing scalable benefits for UK data-linking capability.