Connecting Society: How everyday data can shape our lives

Every ten years, millions of people in England and Wales complete the Census. But why does it matter? Who uses the data, and how does it shape policy decisions on healthcare, education, and local services?

In this episode of the Connecting Society podcast, Mark Green talks to Jennet Woolford from the Office for National Statistics about what the Census is, why it has been run for over 200 years, and how Census 2031 is being planned. Discover how the Census uses administrative data, what surprised researchers in the 2001 and 2021 results, and whether the Census will still exist in its current form in future.

Topics covered:

What is the Census and how does it work?
Census history: from 1801 to Census 2031
Why Census data is linked with administrative data
COVID pandemic response and Census 2011 data
400,000 Jedis: the 2001 Census religion question
How Census data helps plan schools, hospitals and transport
ONS consultation on Census 2031 topics
Will the Census survive in the age of big data?
Privacy and safeguards in Census data collection

Links:

Catch up with the previous episode on data visualisation:    • How can we find the story in the data? | C... 
Learn more about administrative data: www.adruk.org
ONS Census information: www.ons.gov.uk/census

About our guest:

Jennet Woolford is Director for Social, Local and Census Statistics (SLCS) at the Office for National Statistics. She is responsible for the Analysis Function within ONS and oversees Population User Needs, Research and Engagement, the Census Topic consultation, Crime Statistics, Health Insights Survey, and the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. Her directorship also encompasses ONS Local Statistics and Analysis work, as well as the Census Statistical Design Division, which shapes the statistical architecture for Census 2031. A professional statistician, Jennet has 25 years of experience working in official statistics.

About this podcast:

Connecting Society is hosted by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK). We transform public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. This podcast explores how everyday data shapes society and affects what we experience.

Presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green. Producers: Eleanor Collard, Dom Hill, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef-Tomlins.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
01:28 – Who is Jennet Woolford?
02:31 – What is the Census?
03:44 – 1801 Census and Napoleonic Wars
05:58 – Census evolution: paper to online
07:13 – Surprising Census findings and Jedis
09:36 – Census data during COVID
11:20 – William Farr and linking death records
12:46 – Administrative data explained
15:00 – Poverty proxies and why they change
17:06 – Census 2031 public consultation
19:30 – Strong cases for new questions
21:30 – Future of the Census
23:20 – Outro and credits

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

From elections and economic trends to global crises and social change, we are surrounded by data. But numbers alone do not always tell the full story. The way information is investigated, visualised and communicated can shape how we understand the world around us – what we notice, what we remember, and how we decide what to do next. 

In this episode, we’ll explore the world of data visualisation and storytelling with Alan Smith OBE, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Times. Drawing on his experience leading one of the world’s most influential data journalism teams, Alan will share how journalists uncover stories in data, use visuals and storytelling to explain complex issues, and build trust in an age of misinformation.

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

A fork used as a weapon. Scissors used to cut off someone's hair without consent. A knife nobody actually sees. Criminologist Professor Iain Brennan puts this Pint of Science audience through a live quiz, revealing that there's no single legal definition of "knife crime". What counts depends entirely on how the government chooses to measure it.

Iain, Professor of Criminology at the University of Hull, joins hosts Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green to share findings from his ADR UK-backed research. Children excluded from school are 22 times more likely to have a caution or conviction for serious violence by age 20. But using a target trial method borrowed from clinical drug trials, matching excluded children with similar peers who weren't excluded, Iain's team found the true effect is smaller, though still serious: exclusion roughly doubles the risk.

Elsewhere, Iain explains why England and Wales are living through some of the safest times in our history, despite public anxiety about knife crime, and why women remain badly underserved by administrative crime data, particularly for domestic abuse and sexual violence. The episode closes with audience questions on what this could mean for policing and one of criminology's enduring puzzles: why violent crime has fallen globally for 25 years.

Recorded live at a Pint of Science event, in partnership with Pint of Science and ADR UK.

In this episode:

• The knife crime quiz: forks, scissors and zombie knives, tested against the government's official definition
• The impact of exclusion from school on the risk of serious violence, and why the "22 to 1" headline figure is misleading
• Why women are badly underserved by administrative crime data, particularly for domestic abuse and sexual violence
• The difference between using linked data for research versus real-time policing decisions
• How violent crime has been declining globally for 25 years, and why nobody understands the full reason

About our guest

Iain Brennan is Professor of Criminology at the University of Hull, a chartered research psychologist and the University's Institutional Lead for Open Research. His research focuses on violence prevention, including weapon-carrying, serious violence and domestic abuse, with a particular interest in evaluating interventions through randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs and process evaluations.

He advises on violence prevention for organisations including the Home Office, Youth Endowment Fund, College of Policing, National Police Chiefs' Council and police forces across the UK. He has led over 20 funded research projects worth more than £8 million, and is currently principal investigator on the UK's largest-ever community violence trial, funded by the Youth Endowment Fund. He is the author of over 60 journal articles, reports, chapters and books, an editor of the British Journal of Criminology and an ADR UK Ambassador.

Missed part one?

Catch up with Alice on how educational data reveals the impact of school experiences on life opportunities: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2058571/episodes/19400604

Get involved

Our regular format returns next time. Got a burning data question? Send it in for our bonus Q&A episode later this year. See the episode description for how to get in touch.

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: www.adruk.org 

Views expressed by the guest do not necessarily reflect the views of ADR UK.

Timestamps

00:00 – ADR UK at Pint of Science: Part 2
 01:41 – The 160-Year History of Knife Crime Data
 06:23 – Is a Fork a Knife? The Knife Crime Quiz
 11:22 – How Police & Hospitals Map Crime Hotspots
 14:35 – Does School Exclusion Cause Violent Crime?
 22:47 – The Psychology of Violence: Respect & Survival
 25:49 – Why Domestic & Sexual Abuse Data Is Flawed
 28:00 – Do Disruptive Students Harm Classmates?
 31:25 – Can Data Prevent Crime in Real Time?
 33:58 – Predictive Policing & The Global Crime Drop
 37:33 – Wrapping Up ADR UK at Pint of Science

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

This month’s episode of the Connecting Society podcast looks a little different. ADR UK recently took part in Pint of Science, a worldwide science festival which brings researchers to the pub to share their knowledge with local communities. At the event, we recorded a special two-part live episode of the podcast.

For part one, the audience heard from ADR UK Research Fellow Dr Alice Wickersham. Alice explained how administrative data – information routinely collected by schools, hospitals, workplaces and other public services as part of their day-to-day operations – can be used for research that answers important social questions.

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org  

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef-Tomlins. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Views expressed in interviews are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of ADR UK.

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

From revolutionising business to transforming the way we use the internet, AI is a story that just keeps growing. Innovation in AI technology has accelerated at an unprecedented rate in recent years. But as the day-to-day use of AI becomes embedded in everyday life, is the public along for the journey – or are we at risk of being left behind?

In this episode, we're joined by Eleanor O'Keeffe and Roshni Modhvadia from the Ada Lovelace Institute. 

We’ll explore research that can help us understand public attitudes to AI. What do people think about the rate of change? What are their hopes for future uses of AI, and what are they concerned about? We’ll also dig into what this means for data and research, as AI opens up new possibilities for generating insights. 

Find out more about the Ada Lovelace Institute: https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/ 

You can also read more about the projects mentioned in this episode, Making Good: https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/ai-public-good/ and Access Denied? https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/healthcare-access-denied/

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org  

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Views expressed in interviews are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of ADR UK.

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Climate change can often feel overwhelming, distant, or abstract. We’re surrounded by data about rising temperatures, emissions targets and future risks – yet knowing the facts doesn’t always translate into action. And this can be true for many issues which feel beyond our control, such as the cost-of-living crisis or tackling child poverty. Increasingly, researchers are asking why the gap between knowledge and action exists, and what actually helps people, organisations and governments move from understanding a problem to doing something about it.

The UCL Climate Action Unit takes an unconventional approach to this challenge. Rather than producing traditional academic research, the team works directly with industry and policymakers to co-create practical tools, stories and “action possibilities” that help decision-makers imagine and implement change. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, storytelling and lived experience, their work focuses on building a sense of agency – helping people explore and understand how to act, not just why they should.

In this episode, we meet Daniel Jonusas, who shares his views on how stories shape belief and behaviour, and how data, neuroscience and imagination can come together to influence real-world climate decisions.

Find out more about the UCL Climate Action Unit: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-action-...

In this episode, Shayda mentions some case studies on meaningful public engagement. Read them here: https://www.adruk.org/learning-hub/sk... 

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org  

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Views expressed in interviews are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of ADR UK.

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Across Europe, governments are experimenting with new ways of using everyday data to understand society and improve people’s lives. In the Netherlands, a national infrastructure called ODISSEI has become a testbed for what can happen when information from different parts of life – like work, family, health and neighbourhood – is brought together safely to answer big social questions. 

In this episode, Tom Emery, Executive Director of ODISSEI, joins us to explore what the UK can learn from the Dutch experience: how to make better use of data to improve lives, while never losing sight of the risks and responsibilities that come with it. 

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org  

Learn about ODISSEI: https://odissei-data.nl/

Co-host Shayda Kashef mentions the public dialogue between ADR UK and Office for Statistics Regulation: https://www.adruk.org/learning-hub/skills-and-resources-to-use-administrative-data/public-engagement-in-practice/lessons-learned-from-a-uk-wide-public-dialogue/

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Evaluation is often seen as a neutral and technical process: collecting data, measuring outcomes, and judging whether a policy or programme “worked”. But what if the way we evaluate is shaping - and sometimes harming - the very systems and communities we’re trying to improve?  

Dr Luke Roberts is a complexity theorist and evaluator who argues that traditional approaches to policy evaluation do not account for the complex, adaptive systems that underpin society. From inequality and public services to technology adoption and the future of work, change doesn’t happen in neat, linear ways. Yet, evaluation methods often impose fixed timelines, rigid metrics and narrow perspectives that can risk missing what really matters.  

In this episode, we’ll explore Luke’s provocative claim that evaluation can be a violent act. His work invites us to consider how researchers can think differently about intervention-based policy and how it’s evaluated. We’ll discuss how alternative approaches to evaluation could transform how we use data, involve lived experience, and design policies that help people and systems thrive. 

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org  

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Good health is something we all need – but it doesn’t simply start and end with the body. Increasingly, we’re beginning to understand how different parts of our lives and circumstances can combine and interact to shape our health, including from before we’re even born. Economic circumstances, social inequalities and childhood experiences all have a role to play in public health.   

Because administrative data contains a wealth of information about these different areas of our lives, it can be a valuable tool for research to help us understand and improve wellbeing. By linking this data together, we can build a better picture of how different aspects of public life affect our health.  

In the first episode of series 2, co-hosts Shayda Kashef and Mark Green are joined by Helena Benes Matos da Silva. Helena is an epidemiologist working with the Nutrition Group at Cidacs, the Centre for Data and Knowledge Integrations for Health in Brazil. The conversation draws on her varied career to explore the complex human experiences underlying our health, and how data can shed light on these connections. 

Want to know more about administrative data? Visit: adruk.org. 

Read more about the work of Cidacs here: cidacs.bahia.fiocruz.br   

Co-host Shayda Kashef mentions the ECHILD dataset; read more about the data and how to access it here: adruk.org/data-access/flagship-datasets/education-and-child-health-insights-from-linked-data-england 

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 

Time flies - and yes, we have returned with another festive episode. After a hiatus, hosts Shayda and Mark return for a one-off Christmas bonus ahead of Connecting Society series two launching in 2026.

This episode flips the format and hands things over to you. Shayda and Mark answer listener questions and some of the most common queries that come up during ADR UK’s public engagement work, from favourite administrative datasets to data security, skills, and how the public can get involved in research.

A festive, long-overdue catch up, a behind-the-scenes look at administrative data, and a warm lead-in to series two.

We'd love to hear from you! If you'd like your question answered in a future episode, send us an email or a voice note with your question to [email protected]. 

If you're a member of the public looking to get involved in research, take a look at the ADR UK Working with the public page, or check out these opportunities with our friends: Join HDR UK Voices - HDR UK and Our Data, Our Say - DARE UK.

Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. 

This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.