Programme Feature
Shaping research that reflects real lives: what we learned from nine resident and stakeholder workshops
Tower Hamlets HDRC have recently hosted a series of workshops that brought together residents, council staff, researchers, and voluntary and community sector (VCS) partners to shape our research priorities around the wider determinants of health.
We know that health is about more than just access to healthcare - it’s shaped by housing, income, education, our physical environment, and more. The purpose of these workshops was to ensure that future research the HDRC delivers and supports reflects the issues most pressing to those who live and work in the borough.
We wanted to create space for residents to lead the conversation on what is important to them, before sharing that learning with council staff, academics, and local community organisations to align our priorities and ensure impactful research that will shape how the council plans and delivers services in the future.
Resident voices at the centre
We began with six interactive resident workshops, where residents from across the borough came together to reflect on the everyday factors that shape their health and wellbeing, and help us identify the most important issues to explore through research.
Each session included a mix of activities designed to support open discussion and collective decision-making. Residents discussed lived experiences, explored local data, and voted on key issues affecting health. They then worked in small groups to reflect on what affects their own lives and communities, before prioritising eight key issues they felt should be researched further.
Using dot-voting and group discussions, residents then collectively chose their top priorities. These workshops led to the co-production of four new HDRC research themes, and will sit alongside housing, which was identified as a priority in a previous series of resident workshops last summer. The HDRC are currently focusing on issues concerning damp and mould, and overcrowding, and housing will continue to be a key focus for our research going forward. The themes identified are below:
- Opportunities for residents
- Staying physically and mentally healthy
- Economic security and support
There was a strong appetite for involvement in each workshop, with many residents engaging meaningfully in open group discussions. Residents shared personal reflections and worked together to collectively identify future research areas for the HDRC to focus on. These included the rising cost of living, barriers to employment opportunities, crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as access to services and community activities. Residents spoke about how these issues affect both their physical and mental health, especially when access to support is limited.
Finding common ground
The final three workshops brought together residents, senior council staff, academics from local universities, voluntary and community sector partners, and health professionals. These sessions offered a unique opportunity for residents and professionals to share their experiences, knowledge and find common ground. Residents were able to listen to how services are designed and delivered, and professionals were able to hear directly from residents about the issues impacting them and the local community.
Together, we looked at where the themes identified in the resident workshops aligned with existing work already happening in the council, and where gaps and opportunities for further research exist.
The sessions promoted collaborative thinking, with residents and professionals working together to explore what is needed to address our shared challenges. The energy was constructive and focused, with strong interest in continuing to work together. These workshops highlighted not just what needs to be researched, but why it matters, and the importance of using lived experience to inform research from the very start.
Initial feedback from both residents and stakeholders has been encouraging, with many sharing that they valued the opportunity to take part and share their views.
Next steps for HDRC research in Tower Hamlets
The findings from all nine workshops are now being brought together to identify a core set of research themes for Tower Hamlets HDRC to focus on in the months ahead. These priorities will inform our work over the next couple of years, help guide future resident-led research activity, and shape how we work with our partners.
We’ll also be sharing what we’ve learned with the wider HDRC network, particularly around how to make co-production practical, inclusive, and impactful.
We’re extremely grateful to everyone who took part and we’re looking forward to continuing to work together!
Find out how you can get involved with Tower Hamlets HDRC
or Email: hdrc@towerhamlets.gov.uk