Office for National Statistics

The ONS is the UK’s primary provider of secure data access for research and a core partner for both ADR England and ADR UK.

Through the ONS Secure Research Service (SRS), the UK's largest trusted research environment containing datasets with both England and cross-UK coverage, ONS provides the infrastructure, expertise and governance that enable accredited researchers to safely access and analyse linked administrative data for public good research. This underpins the ADR England research and data portfolio.

Find out more about ONS as an ADR UK partner

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Supporting ADR England delivery

ONS is responsible for providing secure access to the majority of data used in ADR England projects. Accredited researchers access de-identified, linked datasets through the ONS SRS, ensuring that data is used safely, securely and in line with legal and ethical frameworks.

Through the ONS SRS and its associated infrastructure – including remote access systems, the SafePod Network and Assured Organisational Connectivity – researchers working on ADR England projects can access data from across England and the wider UK without needing to be co-located.

This infrastructure is fundamental to ADR England’s ability to deliver research at scale, enabling analysis across government departments, regions and policy areas.

Data linkage and curation

The ONS SRS brings together specialist teams to support the full data lifecycle for ADR England:

• Identifying and prioritising datasets with high research and policy value
• Acquiring data from across government departments and public bodies
• Linking datasets securely and at scale
• Curating and preparing de-identified data for researcher access

This work enables the creation of linked administrative datasets that support research across key policy areas, from economic growth and education to health and justice.

Leadership and partnership

The partnership between ADR England and ONS is reflected in shared leadership and joint strategic delivery. Bill South, Research Service and Data Access Deputy Director, ONS, serves as Co-Director of ADR England alongside Dr Emma Gordon, Director of ADR UK and ADR England. This joint leadership model ensures close alignment between ADR England’s research priorities and the data infrastructure and services that support them.

Senior leadership across ONS and ADR England also work closely together to coordinate delivery of the ADR England strategy, including through joint governance and implementation groups.

“ADR England’s partnership with the Office for National Statistics ensures that administrative data delivers real-world impact. Through the Secure Research Service, researchers can work safely with de-identified data to address complex policy challenges for the public good.”

Bill South, Co-Director of ADR England and Deputy Director of Research Services and Data Access, Office for National Statistics

Enabling research for public good

Through its partnership with ADR England, the ONS SRS – which is an accredited processor under the Digital Economy Act (DEA) – enables researchers to securely access and analyse linked administrative data to address some of the most important challenges facing society. 

The SRS provides a safe setting as part of the Five Safes framework used to protect data confidentiality. ONS procedures mean that analysis results don’t disclose sensitive information, and the SRS operates within a legal framework with penalties for breaking these rules. More information about becoming an accredited researcher can be found on the ONS website.

By providing trusted infrastructure, robust data governance, and expertise in data linkage, ONS is central to ADR England’s mission to increase the use and impact of administrative data research in England.