About Us

Cornwall Council is one of 30 local authorities across the UK that has been awarded funding to establish a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC).

The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall is part of the NIHR and hosted by Cornwall Council.

HDRC Cornwall builds upon our track record of cross-sector engagement. It is a collaboration with the universities of:

• Cornwall Council
• University of Exeter
• Falmouth University
• University of Plymouth
• Cornwall VSF, Voluntary and Community Sector (VCSE) and local communities

Background

Health Determinants are factors that affect a person’s health. Many people assume that these are down to personal choice, such as whether someone smokes. However many of these factors can be outside our control.

They could be something as simple as where someone lives, or the resources they can access. They may include the ability to earn an income, or even if there is public transport available.

These wider health determinants are also known as the building blocks of health. This is because of the massive impact they can have on our overall health and wellbeing. Our work aims to understand what health determinants are affecting health and wellbeing here in Cornwall.

Wider health determinants in Cornwall

In Cornwall there is a 5 1/2 year gap in life expectancy between the poorest and richest neighbourhoods. 17 neighbourhoods are among the 10% most deprived in England. There are also specific challenges which relate to the rural and coastal environment. HDRC Cornwall seeks to support research to understand why this is.

We want everyone in Cornwall to have the opportunity to thrive. We need to understand which health determinants have the biggest impact, and who they effect. We also need to know what possible solutions there are, and how well these can work locally.

Importance of research

High-quality, place-based research can help us understand health determinants, and possible solutions. It will create new knowledge that will help improve the lives of people in Cornwall. It will also help inform areas facing similar issues nationally.

Through research we can make positive changes to improve people's health and wellbeing in Cornwall. HDRC Cornwall will also share research skills across Cornwall Council that can be used in all directorates.

For us to take part in research, and for this to inform the way in which we design and deliver our services, there needs to be some change to the existing system.

Aim and vision of HDRC Cornwall

To create culture change within Cornwall Council. To use the power of creativity and collaboration to gather, create, understand and use high-quality research.

With this we can find solutions to the social and environmental issues that influence the health of people in Cornwall.

Business Plan

The Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall will bring together:

• Cornwall Council
• the Universities of Exeter, Falmouth, and Plymouth
• the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCSE), and
• local communities

University partners are experts in accessing, planning and conducting research. People and communities are experts of their individual and local experience. And Cornwall Council deliver local services and have an understanding of needs across the whole county.

Each partner brings essential knowledge to achieve a reduction in health inequalities. HDRC Cornwall will create a space for this knowledge to be shared and grown through creative processes of collaboration.

Public and community involvement

A core component of HDRC Cornwall will be a Citizen Research Group co-created by communities and partners from the VCSE and resourced by the HDRC.

It will allow people in Cornwall to contribute to the decisions and activity of the HDRC in a way that works best for them.

This may include;

• sharing personal experience to highlight areas of the system that are working well or need change,
• being involved in working groups to create solutions to shared problems or developing skills to do research.

Timeline and delivery

In the first stage, partners will work together to set a strategy with shared goals and culture for the HDRC.

The plans will be delivered, checked, and refined over the following years.

At all times the HDRC will build towards sustainability. It will do this by attracting further funding and interest in the innovative models of working.

This will be especially in the last two of the funded five years.

Impact and dissemination

Through HDRC activity our aim is that people in Cornwall, both Council staff and community members will:

• gain skills, and
• be supported by appropriate resources and infrastructure

to make meaningful and lasting changes to the way that health inequalities are tackled in Cornwall.

The ultimate aim of the HDRC is to reduce the difference in life experience between people who are most and least well-off in Cornwall.

To stay up to date with our work, visit our News and Updates page.

Our priority work areas

We aim to support research across Cornwall Council, and to boost understanding of health determinants in Cornwall. That means our potential range of work is very broad! To help focus our efforts, our team has identified several Areas of Research Interest (known as ARIs). We will be sharing more details of these soon.

How we can support research in Cornwall

Our team can offer support for developing research projects, analysing and evaluating results, and presenting findings. We also offer events and training in research practices, and opportunities for discussion and sharing ideas. You can find our latest events on our Training and Events page.

What support we can offer at any given time may depend on our current capacity and other work. Email us at hdrc@cornwall.gov.uk to discover how we may be able to support you.

Our work if focused on Cornwall. If you are seeking help for research in other parts of the UK please check the NIHR website to see if there is a HDRC in your area.

Cornwall Council HDRC Team

We have a dedicated HDRC team working as part of the Cornwall Council Public Health team.

To learn more about us and our different areas of expertise, please visit our meet the team page.

Meet the Team page

Glossary

Sometimes in our documentation you may come across abbreviations or terms you may not be familiar with. While we'll try to keep these terms to a minimum, we've created a glossary page to help explain these.

Visit the HDRC Cornwall glossary