Best start in early life (early years)
“The early years – from pre-birth until starting school – is a critical period in terms of a child's development, as they form bonds with their parents, develop language skills and other cognitive functions, and establish behavioural patterns” (Early Intervention Foundation, 2023).
The best start in life and health involves providing a foundation of positive experiences, early support, and good health practices during pregnancy and early childhood. This includes preparing for parenthood, ensuring a healthy pregnancy with strong relationships, and fostering good early relationships and home learning (National Health Service [NHS]). It also involves physical and mental health support, good nutrition, early education, and access to high-quality childcare.
Influential factors impacting early childhood development
The Research Fellow in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods, Dr Chloe Ryder, supervised a Coventry HDRC volunteer research placement, which took place between November 2025 to January 2026. Working closely with the Children’s Services team at Coventry City Council, the research placement volunteer used existing quantitative data held in the data warehouse to conduct a quantitative research project. This project explored the influential factors which impact early childhood development (birth to 2-years), and gender differences for children reaching a ‘good level of development’. This research project was written up for knowledge mobilisation and dissemination in two ways; a traditional written report, and presentation slides meaning the Children’s Services team can share findings with key stakeholder partners. The volunteer Awatif Mohamad presented her work as part of our Coventry HDRC Webinar - Influential factors and gender differences in child development in Coventry [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1rJwpVNZyM].
Evaluation of Family Hub Vaccination Clinics
Working with the Public Health Team, Coventry Family Hubs and Chase Medical Centre, the Research Fellow in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods is conducting an evaluation of the Family Hub Vaccination Clinics in Coventry. This quantitative evaluation uses psychological theory to underpin the quantitative survey, exploring parents’ perceptions, knowledge, understanding and attitudes of vaccinations including the 4-in-1 preschool booster (DTaP) - protective against serious illnesses such as polio and tetanus and MMR second dose vaccination for their children. Whilst exploring the reasons for why parents are attending the Family Hub Vaccination Clinics, the evaluation also looks at influential factors for vaccination uptake including knowledge on vaccinations and the source of knowledge (i.e. media compared to GP or nurses). All surveys are completed in clinics and are due to be analysed by the HDRC Research Fellow in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods. The findings of this evaluation will provide insight to parental perceptions and attitudes to vaccinations in Coventry, which will influence vaccination clinic practice in the future.
Employment and skills
Employment is defined as “working for at least one hour a week for some payment, either for a wage or for profit, or commission, or without pay in a family business” (Gov UK, 2025 [https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/employee]). The employment rate is defined as the rate which “measures the proportion of the working-age population in employment. A rising employment rate indicates economic growth.
Employability skills are defined as “the foundational skills, personal qualities, and attitudes which enable individuals to succeed in the workplace and advance in their careers” (Institute for Employment Studies, 2025 [https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/report-summaries/report-summary-employability-developing-framework-policy-analysis]). Education and skills are often interlinked and include factors such as apprenticeships, GCSE’s and further education, providing individuals with the ‘hard skills’ which are often recorded in the data, whereas soft skills (such as personality) are often not recorded in datasets.
The Health Foundation highlights that employment is crucial for health, offering benefits like financial stability, social connection, and a sense of purpose, which improve both mental and physical well-being. Conversely, unemployment can negatively impact health through increased stress, poverty, and unhealthy behaviours. This relationship is cyclical, as poor health can also be a barrier to employment.
Impacts of Coventry Job Shop on mental wellbeing and economic outcomes: A longitudinal evaluation
The Coventry Job Shop is a service by Coventry City Council that offers 1 to 1 coaching, practical support, direct vacancies, careers advice, skills support and more to local people find and keep a job. HDRC collaborators and members of the public are involved in applying to secure research funds to evaluate the Coventry Job Shop, which aims to generate knowledge about the impact of Coventry Job Shop on mental wellbeing and employment. Report |â¯Job shop evidence scoping [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/healthdeterminantsresearchcollaboration/downloads/file/3/job-shop-evidence-scoping]
The collaboration between the HDRC team and parter organisations (including Warwick University and Employment and Skills Team at Coventry City Council) was established in 2024. A funding application was made to an NIHR funding stream in 2025, which was unfortunately unsuccessful. The HDRC team and the Principal Investigators are looking to repurpose the project for other funding opportunities.”
Returning-to-work and musculoskeletal issues
The HDRC supported the Council's Adult Social Care and Occupational Health teams’ goal of developing interventions to improve the return-to-work process for staff on sick leave due to musculoskeletal health issues. This involved a systematic review of the literature to see what interventions exist and how effective they are.
Green skills
Green skills are skills that people do for work that can help protect the environment and support sustainability. Green skills can link to jobs like retrofitting housing, electric vehicles and batteries, for example. A rapid scoping review of local authority or industry initiatives around specific green skills led to learning that could be considered locally by the Council’s Employment and Skills team. Read the Report |â¯Green skills evidence synthesis [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/healthdeterminantsresearchcollaboration/downloads/file/4/green-skills-evidence-synthesis].
A Multisector Partnership addressing poor mental health and suicide risk in the construction industry
Academics from the University of Warwick led on a NIHR Work and Health research bid application exploring mental health and suicide risk in the construction industry. Bringing together researchers from other higher education institutions, Coventry HDRC, members of the public, and the Office for National Statistics, this research proposal aimed to understand the determinants of poor mental health and suicides in the construction industry, evaluate industry-led initiatives to improve this and mobilise new knowledge into practical actions for the industry. Although unsuccessful, lead academics from the University of Warwick are currently completing other research and events in this field and will repurpose the bid for a future funding call.
Inclusive economies (economic development)Â
Social Valueâ¯
Social value is the positive impact that organisations and businesses can have on communities, beyond just making profit. For example, they can inclusively support local jobs, improve local environments, and help reduce inequalities through their work. An evidence summary was carried out to understand what local authorities are doing around social value. Report |â¯What are other local authorities doing around social value? [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/healthdeterminantsresearchcollaboration/downloads/file/5/what-are-other-local-authorities-doing-around-social-value-]
Coventry City Council are working to improve knowledge about the impact of social value on people. The HDRC team have delivered workshops about capturing the impact of social value, including an approach called Ripple Effects Mapping. The HDRC team also carried out surveys and interviews to understand the impact of social value initiatives on local people and employers, in 2025 and 2026.
Digital inclusion
Digital inclusion can be defined as “ensuring that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in and benefit from our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances” (Gov UK, 2025 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps#chapter-3---defining-and-measuring-digital-inclusion]). The UK Government are currently focussing on digital inclusion, exploring four main priorities ...
- Opening opportunities through skills,
- Tackling data and device poverty,
- Breaking down barriers to digital services, and
- Building confidence and supporting local delivery.
Increasing integration of digital into healthcare offers opportunities for improved efficiency and access to health services. However, it may also exacerbate existing inequities, whereby people who are more likely to face barriers to digital inclusion also experience more health inequalities and adverse health outcomes. Although 86% of households in Coventry have fixed broadband, a substantial portion remains unconnected (Coventry City Council, 2023). Nationally, around 7% of households have no internet-capable device, translating to approximately 10,000 households in Coventry, with an additional 30,000 relying solely on smartphones (Office National Statistics).
Digital Inclusion - Device Bank Evaluationâ¯
The HDRC Quantitative and Mixed-Methods Research Fellow is working with both research ambassadors within the Digital Inclusion Team to produce a quantitative evaluation for the Device Bank. This evaluation explores how the Device Bank has sustainedly supported service users with health, social connectivity, employment, and overall quality of life. This evaluation takes place at baseline (upon registration for devices), 6-months and 12-months, allowing for identification of the effectiveness of having access to devices and the internet on individuals’ overall lives.â¯So far, the evaluation has 40 responses from organisations engaging with the Device Bank such as Carers Trust, with data helping to shape a successful NIHR PHIRST application for further evaluation of the Device Bank.
Digital Inclusion – WATCH programme Evaluationâ¯
The HDRC Quantitative and Mixed-Methods Research Fellow and Programme Assistant are working the research ambassador within the Digital Inclusion Team to design, develop, and implement an evaluation framework for the WATCH community centre in Coventry.â¯â¯This WATCH evaluation has a two-fold approach; two assess the effectiveness of the WATCH community centre and programme for individuals, exploring life factors such as digital health, social connectedness, and quality of life. This mixed-methods evaluation will use robust quantitative measures to ensure a reliable evaluation alongside 1:1 semi-structured interview. The evaluation will also consist of a research capacity building element, providing training to the WATCH staff team, to encourage independent evaluation design and build confidence in interpreting data and results.
PHIRST (Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams)
Following the initial Device Bank evaluation work, the Digital Inclusion Team and Coventry HDRC have collaborated to apply to the NIHR PHIRST applications. PHIRST teams are located across the country and provide timely and accessible evaluations of public health interventions – no funding from local authorities is needed. We are pleased to announce that this application was successful and we have been matched withthe NIHR PHIRST LiLaC team,based in North East England. They will be working closely with Coventry HDRC and the Digital Inclusion team to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the Device bank, including a literature review, building on existing evaluation methodology already developed. This project will conclude in December 2026, and we are looking forward to the findings and sharing these in due course!
Click & Connect: Tech Inclusion for Older Adults
The Click & Connect: Tech Inclusion for Older Adults was a research bid submitted to the National Lottery: Reaching communities application. This bid proposed to involve researchers engaging with the community through networks including #CovConnects, Age UK, Midland Heart and library home services to ensure access. This project fills a significant gap in Coventry’s digital inclusion landscape for older adults. While there are strong initiatives targeting younger people and workforce development, older adults - particularly those with care needs - are often left behind. The project complemented Coventry’s ambition to become a creative technology leader by ensuring its older residents can participate meaningfully in that transformation. It aligned closely with the goals of #CovConnects, Coventry City Council’s digital inclusion programme, which prioritises connectivity, wellbeing, and equitable access to digital resources. The project aimed to collaborate with #CovConnects to access their device bank, leverage their reach in care settings, and build on shared goals. The project also responded to evidence gathered by partners such as Midland Heart, who support retirement villages in key areas like Willenhall and Canley. Although unsuccessful, the research team including the HDRC Research Fellow in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods, Research Ambassador from Digital Inclusion at Coventry City Council, and Coventry University, will repurpose the bid and continue to explore other funding options for this project.
Coventry Youth Smartphone Project
A project is being undertaken by Educational Psychologists at Coventry City Council with support of the Research Fellow in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods as part of a working group to explore the impact of smartphones on young people. This project has received ethical approval from the Coventry HDRC Research Governance process. For this project, focus groups and co-creation workshops are being conducted at a Coventry Secondary School (key partner in this project) to explore young people’s perceptions, opinions, and experiences of smartphones. Findings from this project will subsequently inform a digital survey which will be developed and rolled out city-wide across all mainstream secondary schools across Coventry.
Housing and homelessness
Warm, healthy, and energy efficient homes
Living in a cold home is bad for health and increases likelihood of mould growth. It is also a key social determinant of health, with those from a lower socioeconomic background more likely to live in non-decent housing and be in fuel poverty.
A rapid evidence review on the effect of home energy efficiency improvements (boiler repair/replacement and insulation) on physical and mental health helped secure funding for the Council’s Affordable Warmth service and informed its delivery.
We now need to understand more about barriers to home energy efficiency improvements, and their impact on health, to reduce these barriers for local communities. HDRC collaborators including members of our Public Voice Group have been working on getting research funding to do this important work. We have made a start in this work through the following rapid literature review. Report |â¯Evidence on barriers to uptake of funding schemes for retrofitting/energy efficiency improvements to housing [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/healthdeterminantsresearchcollaboration/downloads/file/2/evidence-on-barriers-to-uptake-of-funding-schemes-for-retrofitting-energy-efficiency-improvements-to-housing]
Health and Homelessness
Coventry’s co-produced Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy includes priorities of early intervention and prevention, crisis and targeted support, move on and tenancy sustainment, and eliminating rough sleeping
Dr Jenny Harlock, an Associate Professor from University of Warwick, has been collaborating with Coventry City Council’s housing and homelessness team. Read more about this work here (link to news article about the workshop). Work is ongoing to build on the workshop and improve what we know about preventing homelessness and supporting people who have experienced homelessness.
Transport
Promoting Active Travel
Coventry is a rapidly growing city, with thousands of new homes to be built in the next few years. Planned developments are directly dependent on new transport infrastructure being delivered.
It is essential that this demand is met in a sustainable way, without exacerbating existing problems with congestion, air pollution and the city’s carbon footprint. Funded by Section 106 contributions secured from housing developers, Coventry are delivering a new mobility credits scheme for residents living in specific new build developments in Coventry.
This mobility scheme aims to build on prior learning and recommendations and focus on a shift in transport selection from private car usage to bus, rail, metro, or cycling through these ‘credits’. The Coventry HDRC team are carrying out an evaluation, running from June 2026, to find out whether the mobility credits scheme is successful and understand its implementation in practice.
Emerging priorities
Green health prescribing
Green Health Prescribing is when healthcare professionals recommend activities related to nature to — like walking in parks, gardening, or outdoor exercise — instead of medications to support people’s health and wellbeing. These activities are becoming more popular, especially for older adults, as they may improve physical, mental, and social health.
HDRC collaborators are carrying out a systematic review to investigate the health benefits and access to green health prescribing in primary care for older adults living in deprived areas. The review has been registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025603199]). The systematic review has been completed, and is available as a pre-print [https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8733410/v1/6f97bef0-dd38-4d00-85a2-f37d96a207f3.pdf?c=1771232679]. This means the findings are available to read, although the report has not yet been peer-reviewed, and may not be the final version.
Improving access to nature and green spaces
Green spaces are natural areas like parks, forests, gardens, countryside or sports areas. To improve access to green spaces, Coventry has been awarded funding from the National Lottery as part of the Nature in Towns and Cities programme. Hosted by Coventry City Council in collaboration with local universities and voluntary sector partners, the programme is to build partnerships, skills, and involvement of local communities to improve green spaces in the city. The HDRC team are currently carrying out a research study to understand how the programme progresses, and what it achieves. This study, running from 2025 to 2028, has received ethical approval from the HDRC ethics committee.
Coventry Grows evaluation
Coventry Grows is a community growing project funded by the Council’s strategic energy partner E.ON. HDRC Research Fellows are contributing to an evaluation of Coventry Grows, working and connecting with academics from Coventry University and the Climate Change and Sustainability team at Coventry City Council. The HDRC Research Fellows have facilitated connections between Coventry City Council and academics from The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University. The Research Fellows have also informed methodology for the evaluation, supporting the development of interview schedules for qualitative evaluation, and suggesting robust and reliable scales for small level quantitative evaluation of the Coventry Grows sites across Coventry.
An Early Intervention Team Co-located at a Police Station to Respond to Domestic Abuse in Coventry: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation
Public health team at the Council commissioned an early intervention to support domestic abuse survivors who made call outs to the police at an earlier stage of incidents in 2021. The early intervention was implemented through embedding two domestic abuse support workers from Coventry Haven Women’s Aid and one support worker from Panahghar in a police station in Coventry. A mixed-methods evaluation report was produced to showcase the benefits and space for improvement of the intervention. These findings were shared widely with the government and charitable organisations involved in domestic abuse-related support provision across the West Midlands. One significant impact of the evaluation report was that its findings enabled Coventry Haven Women’s Aid to secure an additional three years of funding from the National Lotteries to extend the intervention from 2025 to 2028.
Qualitative findings from the evaluation were developed in a research paper and published in the Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Peer-reviewed journal publications usually take a considerable amount of time to complete. The publication of this paper was enabled by Coventry HDRC extending the employment contract of the lead researcher Eve Wang. This evaluation highlights the advantages of integrating rigorous research into service evaluations within a local authority setting. The challenges it presented align with the priorities of Coventry HDRC, such as fostering a research culture across organisations from different sectors.
The article is published in Criminology and Criminal Justice. [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17488958251370315]If you are interested to discuss further, please contact Eve Wang at Eve.Wang@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:Eve.Wang@coventry.gov.uk].
The HDRC are also support ongoing work to evaluate other local services and provisions related to domestic abuse.
An Exploration of the Impact of Eco-therapeutic Interventions on Adolescents with Mental Health Issues: Perspectives of Both Adolescents and Parents
Positive Choices [https://www.changegrowlive.org/service/coventry-positive-choices] delivered a seven-week eco-therapeutic programme for adolescents who experienced mental health problems during the summer holiday in 2022. They were keen to understand the effects of the programme on adolescents’ psychological wellbeing and approached Eve Wang with the research request, who then developed a mixed-methods research study. Nine adolescents participated in the quantitative study, in which experiences of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem were measured by clinical scoring systems longitudinally before and after the programme was completed. Findings suggested that all participants experienced either improved psychological status or that their symptom levels remained the same.
The qualitative study interviewed seven adolescents and their parents about their experiences and perceptions of the adolescents’ engagement in the eco-therapeutic programme. Adolescents were interviewed twice, and an additional adolescent participated in the second set of interviews. Interview data showed that adolescents experienced improved psychological wellbeing during and after the programme. They gained and sustained confidence, skills, and knowledge in managing their emotions and were able to implement this learning in daily life in both school and family settings.
The practice and learning of eco-therapeutic programme have been utilised by wider local authorities, such as Nottingham City Council, who implemented similar programmes within their local communities. The qualitative study was published in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15401383.2024.2411221#abstract] and is free to access. Coventry Positive Choices continues to deliver eco-therapeutic programmes. If you are interested in learning more about the programmes and potential research collaboration opportunities, please contact Eve Wang at Eve.Wang@coventry.gov.uk.
Substance misuse mobile outreach review
The HDRC Evidence Synthesis Research Fellow conducted a rapid scoping review on literature evaluating mobile outreach services for substance misuse. The Council’s commissioned drug and alcohol services are delivered by the local charity Change, Grow, Live who planned on delivering a mobile outreach service on a bus to increase accessibility and uptake of services. They wanted to evaluate this service via the NIHR’s Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST) evaluation programme, so requested this evidence review as part of their application. Unfortunately, the PHIRST funding application was unsuccessful, but the evidence review provided useful insight to help shape the delivery of the service. Substance misuse mobile outreach review.docx document?
Physical activity in long-term conditions
The HDRC Evidence Synthesis Research Fellow worked with a GP trainee in the Public Health Team to conduct a rapid evidence review on the benefits of physical activity for patients with long-term conditions, focussing on their existing health condition(s) and their overall physical and mental health. Evidence from this review informed a funding application to Sport England. Physical activity in long term conditions.docx document?