20IN REVIEW19 MAY OCTOBER

Analysis of factors The Value of contributing to the high Trade Unions rates of care in Wales Achieving a prosperous Powers and policy levers economy: insights from – what works in delivering other nations and regions Welsh Government policies What Works Summit: Welsh Policy and Politics devolved nations and in Unprecedented Times collaboration JULY What Works Summit: PEP Talk Episode 3: DECEMBER MARCH Improving outcomes for Assessing the Gender Equality children and young people impact of trade Why a ‘Just Transition’? Migration union activity Tackling inequalities Decarbonisation and JANUARY in Wales What Works Summit: through gender budgeting economic justice Youth mental health Launch of our new Integrated early Sustainable Public podcast. PEP Talk Emma Taylor-Collins Emma Taylor-Collins years system Procurement Dr Hannah Durrant Episode 1: Youth gave evidence about and Professor James presented the Centre’s Homelessness our work on austerity to Downe presented our Preventing youth How can public services Theory of Change to the Senedd’s Equality, work on austerity to the homelessness in better treat vulnerable the Universities Policy Supporting Improvements Local Government and Welsh Government Wales debtors Engagement Network in Health Boards Communities Committee Treasury Directorate 2019 AT A GLANCE

Responding to citizens Supporting At the tipping point: Tackling Inequality Developing a in debt to public improvements Welsh Local through Gender Budgeting strategic approach KEY services in health boards Government and to procurement Austerity Gender Equality – Beyond contracting: Improving cross-cutting Learning from Mobilising meaningful Blog public service working What Works Summit: Nordic Nations connections between stewardship to Local Economic evidence and practice Event maximise public value Welsh Government’s Performance Male Suicide: potential responses a silent epidemic The politics of evidence: How do we tackle to UK Government’s Dr Andrew Connell in conversation with Podcast loneliness? Evidence immigration reform presented our PEP Talk Episode 2: Dr Justin Parkhurst of supporting younger work on youth Council tax and and older people Dr Helen Hodges and homelessness at vulnerable debtors The Preston Model: Presentation Dr Paul Worthington the Urdd Eisteddfod a panacea for Wales? The Nordic Exchange presented our work on Welsh local Report on Gender Equality responding to citizens government in debt to public JUNE NOVEMBER and austerity Analysing the powers services to the Money Welsh Government and policy levers of the Action Trust Partnership Lunch and Learn Welsh Government Board SEPTEMBER

FEBRUARY APRIL Introduction

2019 was marked by political We have also continued to play We have also drawn on our uncertainty and polarised policy an important role as part of the experience of working with debates. This made it important UK-wide What Works network, policy makers to contribute that policy makers and public collaborating with other What new insights to the academic services could access reliable Work Centres to ensure that literature on evidence use. independent evidence about policy makers in Wales have what works. access to the evidence that The depth, breadth, and volume they generate on health of the body of the work that we For the last two years, we have improvement, educational produced in 2019 was a real worked closely with academic attainment, economic growth, group effort, and we want to experts, public services, and social care, early intervention, thank our funders, the experts Welsh Government ministers ageing better, homelessness, who we’ve worked with, our to bridge the gap which often wellbeing, and reducing crime. Advisory Group, and the whole exists between policy and team at the Wales Centre for research. We’ve published more There has been growing interest Public Policy for making the last than 40 reports and convened in the demand-led approach 12 months such a success. numerous events which have to mobilising evidence that we brought together over 100 have developed, and we were researchers from across the delighted to be selected as UK, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, one of the two finalists for the Norway and Sweden with policy prestigious Economic and Social makers and practitioners Research Council Impact on to discuss the big policy Public Policy Prize. challenges facing Wales.

Our reports were Traffic to our website downloaded more increased by more than 20% In 2019... than 4000 times. compared to 2018 figures.

The events we organised attracted almost 400 We gained over 500 new attendees and more than 30 speakers, including Twitter followers and 425 speakers from Canada, Norway, and Iceland. new newsletter subscribers.

• 4 • About Us

The Wales Centre for The Centre: Public Policy helps to improve policy making • supports Welsh Government and public services by Ministers to identify, access, supporting ministers and and use authoritative public service leaders to evidence and independent access and apply rigorous expertise that can help independent evidence inform and improve policy; about what works. It works in partnership with leading • works with public services to researchers and policy access, generate, evaluate, experts to synthesise and and apply evidence about mobilise existing evidence what works in addressing and identify gaps where key economic and societal there is a need to generate challenges; and new knowledge. • draws on its work with The Centre is independent Ministers and public Through secondments, PhD of government but works services, to advance placements and its Research closely with policy makers understanding of how Apprenticeship programme, and practitioners to evidence can inform and the Centre also helps to build develop fresh thinking improve policy making capacity among researchers about how to address and public services and to engage in policy relevant strategic challenges in contribute to theories research which has impact. health and social care, of policy making and education, housing, the implementation. For further information economy and other please visit our website devolved responsibilities. at www.wcpp.org.uk

• 5 • Health and Social Care

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS SUPPORTING HEALTH WHO ARE LOOKED AFTER RESPONDED TO BUDGET CUTS BOARDS

The number of children and Constraints on public spending Another complex and high- young people taken into care in have presented challenges profile policy challenge is Wales is increasing and there for Welsh councils. Spending how to support health boards are significant concerns about on services fell by 12% from where there are concerns the state of care provision 2009/10 to 2016/17, and the about patient care and/or and commissioning. We local government workforce overspending. We reviewed the are producing independent decreased by around 37,000 staff. existing evidence and convened evidence and analysis to In partnership with the Welsh a workshop with senior support public services to Local Government Association, Welsh Government officials, improve outcomes for this we conducted a detailed study academic experts, and public group. of how councils in Wales have service leaders with first-hand responded to budget cuts. We experience of turning around We published a detailed concluded that there needs to be underperforming councils empirical analysis of the factors a debate about the sustainability and health bodies in England that are driving increases in of Welsh local government and and Wales. Our report on the numbers of children and how councils can be supported supporting improvements in young people in care across to be resilient. The analysis was health boards summarises the Wales and we are undertaking presented at the Wales Fiscal evidence on ways of tackling three pieces of work on ways of Analysis Conference and to the problem. redesigning commissioning. Welsh Government officials at one of our regular ‘lunch We have conducted a literature and learn’ sessions, as well review on the experiences as to SOLACE Wales and at a of commissioning from the briefing for officials in the Welsh perspectives of children and Government Treasury Directorate. young people and their birth families. REDUCING LONELINESS With experts at the Institute for Public Care, we have conducted Loneliness has also attracted an international review of increasing attention. In 2019, commissioning practices. we reviewed what the evidence says about We are developing a suite of loneliness in Wales and briefings and infographics in Spring 2020 we are on current provision in Wales convening a major working with the Children’s conference to explore Commissioning Consortium what works in tackling Cymru. social isolation and loneliness.

TACKLING SUICIDE

Mental health has increasingly been recognised as a key public policy issue and the First Minister asked us to provide a short review analysing recent trends and what the current state of the evidence about rates of male suicide.

• 6 • Economy and Work

GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

We analysed what Wales can We conducted a review of the Public procurement accounts learn from high-growth regions evidence on the value of trade for a significant proportion of across Europe. unions, both to their members Welsh public spending and it and to employers. Building has been claimed that it offers We convened a What Works on this work, we convened a way for governments and Summit on economic growth a workshop that brought together public services to encourage with presentations from the Royal academic experts, Welsh local economic growth, fair Society of Arts, Manufactures and Government officials, work, and wellbeing. Commerce, Institute for Public the Office for National Statistics, Policy Research, and the What and the UK and Wales TUC to We have been examining Works Centre for Local Economic consider how the impact of the evidence on whether it Growth. We also worked with trade unions activities and the is possible to achieve these Professor Phil McCann, the statutory social partnership, outcomes by adopting a Director of the UK’s Productivity which the Welsh Government more strategic approach to Insights Network, to provide the is introducing, can be assessed procurement. We’ve published Minister and Deputy Minister for over time. two reports - on Beyond Economy and Transport and contracting: public service their Ministerial Advisory Board In 2019 we launched our stewardship to maximise with the latest evidence on new podcast series PEP Talk public value and Sustainable what drives improvements in which provides a bite-size public procurement – and productivity. and engaging overview of three blogs, including one our work and includes an which looks at what Wales can We have been awarded episode on the value of trade learn from the Preston Model. funding from the Economic unions in Wales. and Social Research Council In November, we convened for a two-year study to a seminar to discuss the examine how local and regional MIGRATION challenges of developing institutions can promote a strategic approach to productivity, inclusive growth We undertook a study of the procurement with more and decarbonisation. We are impact the UK Government’s than 50 practitioners and working with researchers from Immigration White Paper might contributions from leading Demos and the Universities have on the Welsh Economy. professionals and academic of Surrey, Birmingham and It found that almost two-thirds experts, including Liz Lucas Warwick to generate and analyse of EU workers currently in Wales of Caerphilly CBC and Steve quantitative and interview data would not be eligible for a Robinson of Cardiff Council. from Wales and selected English Tier 2 visa with a £30,000 regions. salary threshold, and it could lead to a significant fall in EU immigration to Wales.

• 7 • Evidence Use and Policy Making

We know that the relationship GROWING FUTURE CONFERENCES between evidence and policy RESEARCH LEADERS AND SEMINARS is complex and influenced by a range of factors. Drawing on One of the benefits of the Centre’s We hosted a major conference our own experience of working work is that it is helping to equip on policy and politics in with policy makers and experts, researchers to engage effectively unprecedented times in we are undertaking research to with policy and practice. So we partnership with the Wales advance understanding of the were delighted that Dr Adrian Institute for Social and Economic role which evidence can play in Healy, a Research Fellow in Research and Data (WISERD) at supporting better policymaking. the Centre, was awarded a Swansea University, and we have The results inform the ways in prestigious UKRI Future Research invited several of the leading which we work in future and Leaders Fellowship in 2019. scholars on evidence use to contribute new insights to the Cardiff to present their work. literature on evidence use. To help nurture future capacity for policy relevant research, We convened seminars on the the Centre runs an annual Politics of Evidence featuring Dr WHAT WORKS Research Apprenticeship. This Justin Parkhurst from the London SUMMITS gives outstanding early career School of Economics and on researchers the opportunity to ‘What do we mean by data’ by We are one of the longest join us for 12 months to gain first- Professor Louise Locock from the established members of the hand experience of working with Health Services Research Unit at rapidly growing network of public services and the Welsh the University of Aberdeen. What Works Centres and have Government. The scheme has continued to play a leading role proved very popular, attracting We participated in conferences in its mission of using evidence to more than 100 applications last of the Universities Policy improve the design and delivery year, and our first two research Engagement Network in Bristol of public services across the UK. apprentices, Sarah Quarmby and Durham and hosted a and Suzanna Nesom, have both meeting of the network in Cardiff In 2019 we contributed to the gone on to secure PhD bursaries which focused on ways to activities of the What Works to pursue research interests facilitate engagement between Council and Operations Group that they developed though researchers and devolved and organised a series of their work at the Centre. Sarah administrations. collaborative activities and is researching how policy ideas events with other What Works are generated and gain support. We organised a seminar on Centres. Suzanna is studying the gender the benefits and best practise pay gap. of knowledge mobilisation with We convened five What Works Cardiff University’s Social Science Summits which brought the Research Park which featured evidence on a series of key presentations by our own issues produced by What Works team and Professor Jonathan Centres to policy makers in the Sharples of the Education other devolved nations, and Endowment Foundation. a roundtable with Directors of What Works Centres and senior representatives from Cabinet Office, the ESRC, and devolved administrations to discuss collaboration between Centres and engagement with devolved nations.

• 8 • KNOWLEDGE BROKERING ORGANISATIONS

In 2019 we completed a review of the literature on knowledge brokering organisations which identified different types of knowledge brokers, their characteristics, and gaps in the existing literature. The resulting paper has been accepted for publication in the leading academic journal Policy & Politics in 2020. Environment and Based on in-depth interviews with staff working in knowledge brokering organisations in North America, Africa, and Europe, we Sustainability have develope,d case studies comparing the similarities and differences of approach and lessons for our understanding of evidence synthesis and use. The The recognition of the In March 2020 we will initial findings were presented climate emergency makes it be convening an expert at was presented at the 4th important that policy makers workshop to consider ways International Conference on have evidence to help in which Wales can make Public Policy in Montreal in June. inform the transitions and the transition to a net zero behaviour change that will carbon economy and in be needed. May we are convening the Wales Economic Symposium In 2019 we conducted a which will bring together review of ways to achieve leading experts, ministers, a ‘just transition’ to a and senior officials to net-zero carbon society consider post-growth and published a blog on debates and approaches decarbonisation and social to decarbonisation. justice. We also began work for Ministers on ways to encourage drivers to adhere to 20 mph speed limits.

• 9 • Social justice and Equality

GENDER EQUALITY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TACKLING HOMELESSNESS

We made major contributions At the start of 2019 we published Dr Andrew Connell was invited to the Gender Equality Review a report on the evidence of to present the key findings of our commissioned by Ministers, international approaches work on youth homelessness and led by Chwarae Teg. to integrated early years at the Urdd Eisteddfod, and provision. we were invited to be part In February, we convened a of Cardiff University’s legacy Nordic Exchange with the Deputy In partnership with the Campbell team following the Homeless Minister, Welsh Government Collaboration and Alliance for World Cup’s success in raising officials and advisers and Useful Evidence we followed this awareness of the issue. We researchers and policy makers up with a What Works Summit in published a podcast on youth from Denmark, Iceland, Sweden Belfast to consider what works homelessness as part of our and Finland. in Early Years. A group of invited PEP Talk series. We are exploring practitioners from Northern ways to build on this work and Drawing on this event and Ireland and other countries met are convening an event with working with international to hear about recent evidence the Welsh Local Government experts, we produced a report generated by the Education Association in Spring 2020. highlighting what Wales Endowment Foundation, the can learn from attempts to Early Intervention Foundation, mainstream gender equality in and National Institute Health and SUPPORTING VULNERABLE Scandinavian countries. Social Care Excellence (NICE). DEBTORS

In collaboration with Cardiff A second summit, convened in Building on the report we Business School, we organised partnership with What Works published in 2018 on how public an exceptionally well attended Scotland, reviewed the evidence services can support vulnerable Gender Equality Question Time on what works in place-based debtors, we presented our which featured contributions approaches to public services recommendations to the Money from the delegation of Nordic provision for children with policy Action Trust Partnership Board experts. makers and practitioners from in April 2019 and produced a Wales, Scotland, and Northern podcast to bring the issue to Ireland. wider attention. GENDER BUDGETING Following our previous We analysed the evidence on work on promoting tackling inequality through emotional resilience gender budgeting and and mental health made recommendations among young people, on implementing gender we brought together budgeting Wales. Our report practitioners and informed the introduction by the researchers in Welsh Government of gender Northern Ireland budgeting as part of the two- with experts year Personal Learning Accounts from What Works pilot. Launched in September Wellbeing, What 2019 this supports employed Works Children’s adults in low paid and low skilled Social Care, and work to switch careers or enter NICE to examine employment at a higher level causes, prevention in priority sectors with known and treatment for young gender effects. people experiencing mental health difficulties. Our PEP Talk podcast series includes an episode on our work on gender equality.

• 10 • Our Advisory Group

The Centre benefits from the advice and support of an Advisory Group comprising distinguished individuals from academia, government and public services.

Stephen Aldridge is Director Dr Ruth Hall is a non-executive Professor Helen Patterson for Analysis and Data at director of Health Education is the Chief Executive at the Ministry of Housing, and Improvement Wales and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Communities and Local former Chief Medical Officer for Council. Government. Wales. Professor Nick Pearce is Professor Annette Boaz Professor Gerry Holtham is Director of the Institute is a Professor in Health Care Hodge Professor of Regional for Policy Research at the Research at the Centre Economy, Cardiff Metropolitan University of Bath and a former for Health and Social Care University. head of the No. 10 Policy Unit Research at St George’s and the Institute for Public University of London and Sir Peter Housden is a former Policy Research. Kingston University. Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government. Ceridwen Roberts is a former Professor Alice Brown is Senior Research Fellow at Chair of the Scottish Funding Professor Ruth Hussey was the University of Oxford’s Council and Emeritus Professor Chief Medical Officer for Wales Department of Social Policy of Politics at the University and chaired the Parliamentary and Intervention. of Edinburgh. Review of Health and Social Care in Wales. Dame Dr Jane Roberts is Dr Carol Campbell is Director a Research Fellow in Public of the Knowledge Network Professor Paul Johnson is Leadership at the Open for Applied Education Director of the Institute for University and the former Research-Rseau d’change Fiscal Studies. Leader of the London Borough des connaissances pour of Camden. la recherche applique en Abdool Kara is the Executive education. Leader of the Local Services at Michael Trickey is Honorary the National Audit Office and Senior Research Fellow at Dr Jane Davidson is a former a former local authority chief Cardiff University’s Wales Welsh Government minister and executive. Fiscal Analysis team. Pro-Vice Chancellor for External Engagement and Sustainability Professor Laura McAllister Professor Sir Adrian Webb at the University of Wales Trinity is Professor of Public Policy chairs the Ministerial Advisory Saint David. and the Governance of Wales on the Economy and the at Cardiff University’s Wales Big Lottery Fund, Wales and Professor Sir Ian Diamond Governance Centre. is a former University Vice- is the UK’s National Statistician Chancellor and Professor of and former Principal and Dr June Milligan is a Civil Social Policy. Vice-Chancellor of the Service Commissioner and lay University of Aberdeen. member of the governing body of the University of Glasgow and former Chair of the Wales Committee on Equality and Human Rights.

• 11 • Wales Centre for Public Policy

Cardiff University 10/12 Museum Place Cardiff CF10 3BG

www.wcpp.org.uk 029 2087 5345

[email protected] @WCfPP