Coventry Health Determinants Research Collaboration

HDRC VISION Our vision is to create a collaborative research ecosystem that is open, creative, dynamic and evidence driven. We will respond to tackling health inequalities through understanding the power of the wider determinants of health. We will embed a research consciousness within our organisation through the commitment of our Chief Executive and senior leadership team. Employees will be supported to develop research skills, and their voices and those of our communities will reverberate through everything the HRDC seeks to achieve. BACKGROUND Coventry was the 2021 City of Culture and a Marmot City since 2013. It is a diverse and cohesive City, with a multi-agency partnership overseeing and driving forward action to reduce health inequalities. Coventry has taken a lead in the UK in highlighting the importance of the wider determinants of health across key sectors: local government, education, fire service, police, public health, health and social care, and business. There is an enduring and strong commitment from Councillors and senior leaders to tackle health inequalities through all aspects of council policy and activity. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Our key aim is to act as a catalyst for change across local government, modelling the process and the success of our HDRC. Evidence-based decision making will become the norm and through robust research, we will produce generalisable evidence on strategies to reduce health inequalities. We will also maintain a strong focus on what matters to our communities. This will be achieved through strong political and corporate leadership, culture change, and alignment of priorities with our higher education partners. We will continually evaluate our approach to engaging effectively with communities and listening to their voice in our research prioritisation process. COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS We recognise the complexity and the leadership challenge of this collaboration, and the cultural shift required to maximise our productivity. We will work with Coventry University, University of Warwick, University College London, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, and the voluntary sector to cultivate and sustain a collaborative, evidence-based, inclusive, and learning culture through the HDRC that focuses upon health inequalities and reflects our Marmot City status. TIMELINES AND MILESTONES The programme is split into two phases. In years 1-3 we will seek to establish a research platform that provides infrastructure essential to the development and delivery of robust research including: ethics framework, data sharing pathways, methodological expertise, public engagement, and cultural change within the local authority. In years 4-5 we will focus on establishing an impact platform that effectively influences decision making locally, regionally, and nationally. IMPACT AND DISSEMINATION Our HDRC will impact locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally through a well-motivated and inspiring research team, a positive evidence and research driven culture, a co-produced approach to community engagement and through the provision of a ‘role-model’ HDRC that proactively engages across the Midlands and beyond. By continually evaluating our work, we will ensure that we maximise the benefits of our collaboration, with our focus on the wider determinants of health ultimately translating to improved health and reduced inequalities for our communities.