Liverpool’s Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) has received positive feedback from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), praising its strong community engagement, commitment to evidence-informed decision-making and success in embedding research across Liverpool City Council.
A key area highlighted during a recent NIHR visit was Liverpool’s innovative approach to involving residents in research through its growing network of Community Researchers. By working alongside local people and drawing on lived experience, HDRC Liverpool is helping ensure that research focuses on the issues that matter most to communities and directly informs how services and policies are developed.
Funded by the NIHR until December 2028, HDRC Liverpool is working to build a lasting culture of research use across the Council, ensuring that evidence becomes a routine part of decision-making. The programme aims to equip staff with the skills, partnerships and tools needed to use research effectively, helping shape policies and services that improve health and reduce inequalities across the city.
During the visit, NIHR recognised Liverpool’s strong cross-council commitment to research, meaningful community engagement and its success in embedding the programme within existing Council structures. Rather than operating as a standalone initiative, HDRC Liverpool is helping to create sustainable organisational change by strengthening research capacity, supporting organisational learning and integrating evidence into day-to-day decision-making.
The programme’s commitment to embedding evaluation from the outset of projects was highlighted as a particular strength, alongside its comprehensive approach to understanding impact and learning across complex systems.
HDRC Liverpool’s collaborative approach recognises its strong partnerships between the Council, universities, community groups and other stakeholders helping to ensure research is translated into meaningful action and improved outcomes for residents.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, said:
“It’s incredibly encouraging to receive this positive feedback from NIHR. One of the things we are most proud of is the way local residents are helping to shape research through our Community Researcher programme.
“By working with communities rather than doing research to communities, we’re ensuring local voices are at the centre of decision-making. This helps us better understand residents’ experiences and make more informed decisions that can improve lives across Liverpool.
“As we continue this programme through to 2028, our ambition is to embed evidence-led decision-making across the Council so that research and community insight become a natural part of how we design services and develop policy.”
Jacqui McKinlay, Chief Operating Officer for Liverpool City Council and Joint SRO for the HDRC Programme, said:
“The feedback recognises the significant progress we’ve made in embedding research within the Council and creating a culture where evidence is valued and used to inform decisions.
“Our Community Researchers are playing a vital role in bridging the gap between research, policy and lived experience. They are helping us develop evidence that is relevant, meaningful and capable of driving real change for communities.
“HDRC is helping us ensure that the voices and experiences of Liverpool residents are at the heart of how we understand challenges, identify solutions and improve outcomes across the city.”
Professor Matthew Ashton, Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council and Joint SRO for the HDRC Programme, said:
“The success of HDRC won’t simply be measured by what we achieve before 2028. Our goal is to leave a lasting legacy by creating a Council where evidence, evaluation and community insight are part of everyday decision-making.
“Through building workforce capability, developing Community Researchers and strengthening partnerships, we’re creating the foundations for research and learning to continue shaping better outcomes for Liverpool residents for many years to come.
“A key next step will be strengthening how we share learning and impact across the wider health and care system, ensuring Liverpool’s evidence and insights can help influence regional priorities and national policy agendas.”
The NIHR visit also identified opportunities to further strengthen how Liverpool shares learning and impact across the wider health and care system. A key next step is to strengthen knowledge sharing and mobilisation, ensuring local evidence and learning can help shape regional priorities and influence national policy agendas.
While NIHR funding for HDRC Liverpool runs until 2028, the programme has been designed to create lasting organisational change across Liverpool City Council. By building research skills among staff, developing a network of Community Researchers, strengthening partnerships and embedding evidence into everyday decision-making, the programme aims to ensure research remains a core part of how the Council designs services, develops policy and improves outcomes for residents long after the funding period ends.
Overall, the visit concluded that HDRC Liverpool has built strong foundations for sustainable change, with community involvement, collaboration and evidence-led decision-making at the heart of its approach. The positive feedback from NIHR reinforces Liverpool’s ambition to become a national leader in using evidence and research, lived experience and community insight to tackle health inequalities and improve the lives of residents across the city.
Find out more about the HDRC programme on the Liverpool City Council website: https://liverpool.gov.uk/hdrc
