Tag: UWE Bristol Research

Case Study: Dr Elizabeth Green -Trust as foundation: Enabling safe data access for public good

Author ripleywk | Posted on

“It’s not about locking data away — it’s about building systems people can trust, so data can be used safely, responsibly, and for public good.”


Dr Elizabeth Green

In a world powered by data, access is everything… but so is trust. My research tackles a core challenge: how to make sensitive data like NHS records or government files accessible to researchers, without compromising the privacy of the people behind it.

Working with Professor Felix Ritchie, the original creator of the Five Safes framework, I enable institutions around the world rethink how data is governed, so that systems focus on human judgment, not fear.

From ‘Lock It Down’ to ‘Use It Well’

For years, data governance has defaulted to caution. In many systems, especially legal ones, the assumption has been: people are a risk, data must be locked away. This approach comes at a cost. Without access to large scale, real world data, researchers are forced to work with small sample sizes, outdated studies or no data at all. This limits progress in vital areas like healthcare, social services, and public policy. As the recent pandemic has shown, these limits can be crippling to people in the moment.

This is why I am creating a different path. We need to shift our perception, It’s not about assuming people are dangerous, It’s about giving them the tools, training, and support to act responsibly and recognising that most people want to do the right thing

The Five Safes Framework

At the heart of this rethink is the Five Safes: a simple but powerful set of questions asked of any data project:

  • Are the people safe?
  • Is the project safe?
  • Is the data safe?
  • Is the environment safe?
  • Are the outputs safe?

By considering each aspect separately, it allows us to manage risk sensibly without defaulting to blanket denial. It’s a more flexible, responsive way to govern data, and it works. Since its introduction, the Five Safes model has been adopted by the Office for National Statistics, HMRC, and health bodies in the UK and beyond. It’s now written into the UK’s Digital Economy Act and used in Canada, Australia, and across Europe.

A Human Approach to Risk

What sets this work apart is its emphasis on people, not process. The legal route tends to focus on punishment; fines, prosecution, jail time. The thing is most breaches happen not through malice, but by mistake, or because people don’t feel safe enough to speak up. Using this framework I train other researchers and data custodians to reflect on their own biases, question assumptions, and take active responsibility. This is building a new culture and approach to data where people flag risks early, work collaboratively, and trust the system to support and not to punish them.

Since joining the project in 2015, I have worked with organisations across the UK and internationally. We have embed the Five Safes into their systems, trained staff, and shifted mindsets. We’ve worked with everyone from national statistical agencies to healthcare providers and tax authorities. What’s more We’ve seen countries redesign entire legal frameworks because they saw how effective this model was. It’s making data access cheaper, safer, and more impactful. Ultimately, enabling research to deliver real benefits to the public.

Behind every dataset are real people, the more we understand their experiences, the better we can design policies, services, and support that work. It is possible to respect privacy without stalling progress and with the right framework, trust becomes the foundation of a stronger, safer data ecosystem. After all, It’s not about locking data away, it’s about building systems people can trust, so data can be used safely, responsibly, and for public good.

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

AI and Animal Welfare: Spotlight on the Centre for Machine Vision  

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

UWE Bristol research on AI and Animal Welfare was recently featured in an article in Science.org.  

The article featured the research from Professor Mel Smith, Professor of Machine Vision and Co-Director of the Centre for Machine Vision on an AI-powered system designed to recognise individual pigs emotions and monitor their emotional and physical well-being in real time.  Other members of the Centre for Machine Vision including Professor Lyndon Smith , Dr Ajmal Shahbaz, Dr Mark Hansen, Dr Wenhao Zhang , and Dr Disi Chen have also contributed to the research.

The IntelliPig system is currently being developed between UWE Bristol and Scotland’s Rural College. The system analyses the faces of pigs as they enter feeding stalls, using AI to identify any emotions the pig may be experiencing. With its ability to detect subtle facial expressions, IntelliPig can alert farmers if an animal needs immediate attention. The system is part of a larger trend where AI is used to decode animals’ emotional states—something humans have struggled with for centuries. While this technology is still evolving, it shows great promise in improving animal welfare. UWE Bristol are also working with Agsenze Ltd who hope to commercialise the technology developed as part of IntelliPig. UWE Bristol previously worked Agsenze Ltd to develop HerdVision. 

In addition to recognising emotional signs, IntelliPig also aims to provide a general animal health check, including biometric identification, assessment of body condition, and a weight estimation. 

By analysing the faces of animals—much like how researchers study human facial expressions—AI can determine the emotional wellbeing of that particular animal. The potential applications of this technology extend beyond farming, with AI already proving its effectiveness in monitoring pets, such as dogs and cats, for emotional triggers.

As the work at UWE Bristol demonstrates, the future of animal welfare could very well be shaped by AI, ensuring that animals receive individualized care based on their emotional needs. This system doesn’t just promise better care for farm animals; it could also redefine the relationship between humans and their animal companions, offering a new level of understanding and compassion. 

Professor Mel Smith commented, “The ultimate aim is to ensure that animals not only live free of stress, but that they lead happy lives, too.”  

Case Study : Dr Mel Smith – 0ptimizing healthcare teams for modern primary care

Author ripleywk | Posted on

“How do you get the right patients to the right person at the right time? How do you stop the GP being the bottleneck in the system? – The resources are changing and practices don’t really know how to best utilise the changing resources that they’ve got.”

With GP practices facing unprecedented demand from an aging population, innovative solutions are transforming how healthcare is delivered. Dr. Smith’s operations management research is pioneering new approaches to help practices effectively utilize expanded healthcare teams and improve patient access.

Dr Mel Smith

Transforming healthcare delivery

My research addresses a significant question in modern healthcare: how can GP practices effectively harness new allied health professionals? This can be anyone from physios, paramedics and pharmacists to physician associates, and nurse practitioners. My work looks at developing systematic approaches to move beyond traditional models where all patients must see a GP first.

It’s like moving from craft production to mass production, from the GP who can turn their hand to anything, to understanding how to best utilize specialized skills. This research creates frameworks for getting patients directly to the most appropriate professional for their needs as quickly and as reliably as possible, reducing bottlenecks and improving efficiency.

Evidence-based solutions

Taking a comprehensive approach means I am able to examine not just process improvements, but their impact on patient experience, staff satisfaction, and practice effectiveness. This research identifies successful models already emerging in less overwhelmed practices, where new professionals effectively handle routine clinics and specialized services.

By understanding potential challenges early, such as supervision requirements and staff adaptation, we can help practices proactively address issues rather than react to problems after they arise.

Creating Lasting Impact

The research has produced practical ‘Best practice’ guidelines tailorable to different practice types, showing how to effectively allocate patients based on available staff expertise. These evidence-based recommendations help practices maximize their investment in new healthcare professionals while maintaining quality care.

Beyond immediate operational improvements, this work is contributing to a more sustainable future for primary care. My research provides the framework needed to make expanding healthcare teams successful, ensuring practices can meet growing demand while supporting both patient outcomes and staff wellbeing. This systematic approach to healthcare transformation demonstrates how operational excellence can directly improve community health outcomes.

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

UWE Bristol awarded funding to support sensitive data research 

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

UWE Bristol is leading one of six community groups awarded funding to advance sensitive data research from the DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments UK) programme, funded by  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).  

This new funding round builds on the achievements of the 2024 pilot funding round, which saw four community groups—three interest groups and one working group—successfully deliver activities and outputs over a five-month period. These initiatives laid the groundwork for a stronger, more collaborative sensitive data research ecosystem in the UK. 

The team led by Professor Jim Smith, Professor in Interactive Artificial Intelligence, won funding to continue the statistical disclosure control community, including data privacy practioners and developers of (semi)-automated tools to enhance the safeguarding of research outputs and reduce disclosure risks.  

This follows on from the funding received in 2023 to investigate Semi-Automated Checking of Research Outputs (SACRO). 

This funding round represents a significant step in advancing a community-led approach to sensitive data research. By empowering community groups to tackle pressing challenges, DARE UK is reaffirming its commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and trust in the UK’s data research ecosystem. 

DARE UK community groups hub  

UWE Bristol’s Data Research, Access and Governance Network (DRAGoN) has been endorsed by DARE UK as part of their community groups initiative. Their information is now listed on the DARE UK community hub. DARE UK community groups are collaborative initiatives co-creating pieces of work that align with the DARE UK vision. Focusing on open communication and knowledge sharing, these groups are working to enhance sensitive data research in the UK. 

The communities of practice are self-managed, community-driven, and independent but operating within the scope of the DARE UK programme. 

Public Webinar: DARE UK Community Groups: Strengthening Collaborations, Driving Impact  

DARE UK are hosting a public webinar on Monday 24 February, which will bring together all new and existing DARE UK community groups to celebrate their achievements and introduce their plans for the latest funding round.  

The event will offer a unique opportunity to explore the broader DARE UK Community Groups initiative, why it is critical to the DARE UK vision, and how it aligns with the overall programme strategy.  

UWE Bristol research evaluates the accessibility and inclusivity of voluntary carbon markets in the UK

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Dr. Rounaq Nayak, Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems, recently completed a project funded the National Innovation Centre Rural Enterprise (NICRE) that aimed to identify the mechanism whereby emerging natural capital investment markets can contribute to a successful rural economy.

 This was achieved in two ways. First, by examining how rural enterprises navigate voluntary carbon and other natural capital investment markets and how they overcome and exploit potential limitations and barriers. Secondly, by identifying priorities related to the enterprise and innovation potential of natural capital investment markets and the resources required to achieve this.

Through an infographic and animation, the project helps to inform local and regional policies and support rural enterprises’ engagement with carbon markets.

The project infographic.

The findings point to the need for clearer ethical guidelines, stronger partnerships with rural communities, and better support for diverse land ownership models.

To help address these issues, an animated guide offering ten practical tips for entering the carbon market and an infographic explaining key principles for navigating these opportunities were produced.

View the tips and view the full research report.  

UWE Bristol research project launches policy briefing outlining findings from a legislative and policy analysis of Welsh educational documentation 

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

A collaborative research team, led by UWE Bristol, has produced a policy briefing based on findings from a legislative and policy analysis of Welsh educational documentation. The project team consists of researchers from Cardiff Metropolitan University; Swansea University, University of South Wales and UWE Bristol.  

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project has challenged the issue of translating policy intention into education practice with a focus on young children’s participation rights and how these are enacted in classroom contexts.  

The policy briefing recommends the following to better support young children’s participative rights in Welsh policy:  

  • Future education policy in Wales should continue to account for children’s participative rights.  
  • Children should be recognised as active rights holders in the ‘now’ in all future legislation and policy in Wales.  
  • Education policy should consider the ‘how’ of children’s participative rights.  

View the full policy briefing

Read the policy briefing in Welsh

Principal Investigator Sarah Chicken commented on the briefing:

“Findings from our policy analysis indicate a strong ongoing commitment in Wales to children’s participative rights but there is currently a gap between the policy ambition and classroom practices. The aim of this briefing is to bridge that gap by providing actionable insights for policymakers and educators” 

The team have also created a series of infographics which are designed to present the project findings in an accessible and visual manner. Currently, we have two infographics available:  

Find out more about the Children’s Participation in Schools project:  

Case Study: Dr. Peter Bradley and Dr. Damian Whittard – Working towards an environmentally sustainable and equitable future

Author ripleywk | Posted on

“We’re building the evidence base required to bring about economies that embody greater levels of sustainability – at local and global levels.” 

The transition to a green economy presents us with a huge opportunity. But it also poses a fundamental challenge: how do we ensure that this transition is fair and just for everyone? 

Dr. Peter Bradley and Dr. Damian Whittard 

The challenge of a just transition 

The green economy promises transformation, but it’s replicating the same old inequalities. The winners are usually those already in positions of power. 

Take the labour market’s 10% gender pay gap. It carries straight into green jobs. Ethnic groups also face barriers accessing these roles, then earn less once they break through. Our planet’s life-support systems are failing, driving up living costs and degrading quality of life. This threatens human survival itself. But here’s the catch: You can’t save the planet while leaving people behind. You need widespread buy-in, people who recognize the opportunities and believe they have an equal stake in the change. This is where our research comes in.

A systems approach 

Our interdisciplinary team, sociologists, psychologists, environmental scientists, geographers, economists deliberately brings diverse insights because siloed thinking won’t solve this challenge. 

We work from individual behaviour change to macro-policy, collaborating with government departments like Defra and local authorities like the West of England Combined Authority. Implementation happens locally, but you need systems thinking across the whole supply chain. 

The green transition is caught in a classic chicken-and-egg problem: businesses will only shift if there’s consumer demand, but consumers can only demand what’s already available. Breaking this cycle requires understanding both sides of the equation. 

Real-world impact

Our research has lead us to found The Brunel Centre, a long-term collaboration between UWE Bristol, University of Bath, and Futures West. It is all about putting data and research to work by turning insight into action supporting inclusive and sustainable growth in the West of England. Backed by £4.5 million of funding and bringing together universities, businesses, and policymakers to address the region’s biggest challenges.

Our work is rooted in real-world partnerships: from long-term collaboration with Bristol City Council on sustainable business futures, to joint events with fintech firms exploring greener tech infrastructure, to national projects with the Central Bank on digital currencies and tax reform. We’re also supporting community-led businesses through Power to Change funding, ensuring the benefits of change are felt on the ground.

The transition to a green economy is still light on solid data. We don’t even have a shared definition of a ‘green job’ let alone reliable data on pay, benefits, or who’s accessing these roles. The Brunel Centre will change that by building a real-time, publicly accessible data hub. It’s designed to answer urgent questions while remembering this isn’t just about research. It’s about making the transition fair. Because if we’re reinforcing existing inequalities, we’re not really moving forward.

Breaking new ground

Solving the climate crisis will take more than new technologies. It requires fundamental shifts in how we live, work, and consume. That means understanding how to encourage behavioural change in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and rooted in people’s real lives.

We’re also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with data. By carefully and ethically linking anonymised government records, like payroll and employment histories; we’re building a clearer picture of green jobs across different demographics. It’s a complex and sensitive task, but it’s essential if we want to design a future that truly works for everyone.

The green transition isn’t just about saving the planet. It’s about reshaping our future, and it won’t happen by accident. It takes data, collaboration, and the courage to challenge business as usual. We’re building that foundation. And we welcome those ready to help shape what comes next.

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Global Migration Network Seminar Series 2025

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

The Global Migration Network, a research group at UWE Bristol chaired by Dr Emily LeRoux-Rutledge, brings together 60+ academics and practitioners from across the university working on migration-related research. The aim is to facilitate and contribute to cross-disciplinary research on migration, inform policy and public debate, and engage with users of migration research.  

The Network has a fantastic seminar series lined up for Spring 2025, and attendance is open to all. The seminars are hybrid, but you are encouraged to come in person for sociability and community (if you are able). For more information please contact emily.leroux-rutlege@uwe.ac.uk.

Seminars:

Migration and Memory, how we prepare for and cope with loss and change

Wednesday 12 February 2025, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (3S803) – Nigel Williams

After offering case examples about how migration is anticipated, and losses are worked with this session will help participants to develop their own sense of the similarities and differences between intergenerational memory running in families, groups and organisations and longer-term transgenerational memory located in culture and bodies in deeper time. Using these cases and some of our own experiences we will explore how to go about addressing first, second, third generation (and beyond) responses to the challenges of migration as a complex multifaceted experience extended in time.

Nigel Williams is a Visiting Fellow in Psychology at the University of the West of England and is author of Mapping Social Memory a Psychotherapeutic and Psycho-Social Approach, in the Palgrave Psychosocial series and has recently published a chapter on generational memory in Studying Generations, Bristol University Press edited by Helen Kinston and Jennie Bristow.

Support for ‘replacement migration’? Region-level demographics and attitudes towards immigration in Europe

Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (4D005) – Artjoms Ivlevs

Does demographic decline make Europeans more pro-immigration? Our longitudinal, regional-level analysis, drawing on the 2008-2019 European Social Survey (278 regions in 22 countries) and the 1999-2021 German Socio-Economic Panel (16 federal states, 96 planning regions), suggests that people become more favourable to immigration as regional birth rates fall and ageing indicators worsen. While this result would support the logic of replacement migration, we also shed light on the role of the natives/foreigners balance in driving this relationship and tentatively conclude that the link between demographic decline and attitudes towards immigration could also be explained by group conflict theory.

Artjoms Ivlevs is Professor of Economics at the Bristol Business School (UWE Bristol) and a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). His research interests include migration and subjective well-being, and more recently tourism. Artjoms is an applied microeconomist working with large-scale survey data; much of his work focuses on the post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Supportive local policy, hostile national policy: the integration experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in Wales.

Wednesday, 2 April 2025, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (3S803) – Sam Parker

 In 2001, following the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, four towns and cities in Wales became asylum dispersal locations and, as such Government has devolved responsibility in many social policy areas that impact upon refugee and asylum seeker integration. This seminar begins by outlining developments in UK immigration and asylum policy and highlights the ways in which successive Westminster governments have introduced legislation creating a ‘hostile environment’ designed to deter asylum seekers from entering the UK and encourage failed asylum seekers to leave the UK. Such policies have restricted the civil and social rights of asylum seekers whilst simultaneously the Westminster government has focused upon policies for the integration of those granted refugee status only. This seminar reports on the findings from interviews conducted with 19 refugees and asylum seekers in Wales, where in contrast to Westminster, the Welsh Government see integration as a process beginning on day one of arrival in Wales. The data are taken from a project focusing on refugee and asylum seeker integration in Wales and demonstrates how policies introduced in recent years have led to restrictions on the day-to-day lives of asylum seekers in Wales and their ability to integrate. It argues that in a system of multi-level governance, the Welsh Government’s vision of integration remains problematic when immigration and asylum remain matters reserved to the Westminster Government. It highlights ways in which Welsh Government policy diverges from that in England and argues that further use of devolved powers could be made to facilitate integration in Wales.

Sam Parker is a Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology at UWE Bristol and has previously worked at Cardiff University and Birmingham City University. Sam is also Chair of Trustees for Space4U Cardiff, a small community organisation that supports newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers in Cardiff.

Am I happier than you are? It depends on when you ask: Reflections on the need for longitudinal studies on the well-being of international students

Wednesday 14 May 2025, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (2A027) – Trang Trần

If an international student speaks English as their first language (EFiL) instead of as an additional language (EAL), would their predicted well-being be higher compared to their EAL peers? English language proficiency has been shown to significantly predict various indicators of mental health among international students. Our longitudinal data shows that during early arrival, EAL students scored significantly higher than their EFiL peers on their psychological well-being measures. While this may seem unexpected, it does align with some previous findings suggesting that UK home students’ well-being indicators are significantly lower than those of their international peers. However, further analysis of longitudinal data (collected at 3 time points over 18 months) showed that the trajectory of psychological well-being for EFil and EAL international students was reversed, with EFiL students’ wellbeing improving over time, while their EAL peers’ well-being score decreased over time. Despite the small sample, these findings invite further reflection on the importance of longitudinal studies, or at the very least, the need to contextualise psychological well-being in the timing of students’ journey, alongside other contextual factors.

Trang Trần is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at UWE Bristol. Her research interests include international students’ coping strategies and psychological well-being.

From Harm to Hope: Examining Migrant Integration Policies and Practices in the City of Bristol

Wednesday 11 June 2025, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (4D005) – Ryan Lutz

Integration has been a heavily critiqued term with its history of creating exclusionary and racialized policies is well documented (Favell, 2022). Despite this, the term has remained and become stronger. The restrictive approach towards migrants has made way for a worrying trend of decreasing social rights, political inclusion and civil liberties for the citizens that migrants are supposed to be integrating into (de Noronha, 2022). Findings from co-produced mixed methods research, this research attempts to show that the lens of social harm (Hillyard et al., 2004) allows for a bottom-up approach to integration and investigates the efficacy of localized integration policies and how much they can make up for failures at the national level.  

Ryan Lutz is a PhD student in Social Policy at the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies in the UK. His research looks at integration, social harm, and the binary between citizens and migrants. Previously Ryan was an Assistant Manager of Research and Strategy at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, received his master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.  

Contact the Global Migration Network for more information.  

Critical Thinking in Action: New Collaboration between Dr Francesco Tava and HSBC

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Dr. Francesco Tava, Associate Professor of Philosophy, has recently embarked on an exciting collaboration with HSBC’s Legal Learning Team to deliver a podcast series on critical thinking and good judgment. Recorded in December at HSBC’s global headquarters in London, the series will launch in January and be shared with HSBC’s 1,500 legal professionals across more than 60 countries.

This project highlights the transformative power of philosophical reasoning beyond academia, bringing critical thinking into the heart of global legal practice.

“Having the opportunity to demonstrate the role and value of critical thinking to a diverse audience of legal experts is invaluable”, Francesco explains. “It showcases how applied philosophical reasoning can address real-world challenges. I’m eager to develop this collaboration further, exploring opportunities for joint projects in leadership development, impactful research, and innovative learning and teaching.”

Podcast Highlights: Bridging Theory and Practice

In this series, Francesco engages with Gavin Neill (Senior Legal Counsel at HSBC and Associate Lecturer at UWE’s College of Business and Law) and Rachel Yates (Engagement Manager at HSBC). Together, they explore topics such as:

  • The key traits of successful critical thinkers;
  • The practical relevance of critical thinking in business, especially in law and banking;
  • The connections between critical thinking, good judgment, and effective communication.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Rachel shared:

“We, in the Legal Learning team, were delighted to work with Francesco  on our podcast series, Beyond Core Expectations.  This is the first time we have worked with an external guest on the series and we felt honoured to listen to his insights on critical thinking.  Some particular highlights included his explanation of Socratic thinking, the relationship between good judgement and effective communication, and the practical applications for our audience in the Legal function.  I’m sure we can look forward to much critical acclaim for this season of podcasts”.

Gavin commented:

“It was great to collaborate with my UWE Bristol colleague, Francesco on this initiative.  Francesco provided a fascinating and practical insight into critical thinking, Socratic dialogue and ethical decision making, with a particular emphasis on how these skills might be applied in a banking or legal environment.  The sessions were informative and thought provoking and I’m sure they will prove valuable to my colleagues within the HSBC legal function.”

Looking Ahead: Critical Thinking for Career Development

Francesco is now keen to build on these insights by developing a professional course on critical thinking. Designed for managers and expert staff, the course would provide tangible tools for career growth and decision-making excellence.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting initiative – and other collaborations that demonstrate philosophy’s enduring relevance in the professional world.

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