The challenge

Public Health Wales (PHW) is the national public health institute for Wales, working to protect and improve health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities for the people across the devolved nation. They regard the public as an important partner in their decision-making and want to ensure that residents of Wales have a voice in policy and practice that affects them, their communities and their country. With the value and importance of public feedback firmly in mind, DJS Research was commissioned in July 2022 to manage the recruitment, design and maintenance of a resident panel of 2,500+ adults on behalf of PHW. We have since been re-commissioned to undertake regular surveys of the panel, covering a range of important topics related to public health and wellbeing in Wales.

The approach

With a population of just over 3.2 million and an economic and commercial landscape as diverse as its geographical variations, at DJS Research we understand the importance of crafting tailored market research solutions which resonate with the specific needs of consumers and businesses in Wales.

From the variations of its seven major cities to the beauty of its three national parks, the breadth of specialisms across its eight universities to the range of independent, national and international businesses operating within its borders – its national symbol of the Welsh red dragon couldn't be more perfect to embody the might and value of this devolved nation.

DJS Research has been managing contracts across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in Wales since our inception in 2001.

We’re proud to have built a strong reputation across the country for delivering robust and high-quality research projects and meaningful client relationships. Through our extensive work with clients including Public Health Wales, Hafren Dyfrdwy and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (Cardiff University), we are fully conversant with conducting research in both Welsh and English and recognise how critical this is to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for all nationals.

All our Welsh speaking projects are delivered with strict adherence to the Welsh Language Standards. We have a team of dedicated Welsh speaking interviewers in our telephone (CATI) team and a large team of Welsh speaking fieldworkers covering the full breadth of Wales.

Mae ein holl brosiectau sy'n siarad Cymraeg yn cael eu cyflawni gyda’r lynu’n gaeth yr Safonau'r Iaith Gymraeg. Mae gennym dîm o gyfwelwyr ymroddgar siaradwr Cymraeg yn ein tîm ffôn (CATI) a thîm fawr o weithwyr maes sy'n siarad Cymraeg yn cwmpasu’r holl o Nghymru.

DJS Research in Wales: Projects in the spotlight

Building the ‘Time to Talk Public Health’ panel for Public Health Wales

• Time to Talk Public Health is a national conversation established by Public Health Wales and DJS Research in late 2022 that regularly engages with the public on a variety of current public health topics.
• A panel of 2,500 residents was initially recruited in late 2022 to be representative of the adult population in Wales by age, sex, deprivation, ethnicity and health board. Panel members share their views and experiences via regular surveys via a variety of methods, including online, telephone and face-to-face.
• The results help shape public health policy and decision-making and contribute to improving health and wellbeing across Wales.

Social tariff research for Hafren Dyfrdwy

• Water company Hafren Dyfrdwy wanted to review the amount that its customers were willing to contribute to its social tariff, with a view to increasing annual contributions; the more money customers were willing to contribute, the higher the number of struggling customers that could be helped.
• To provide the crucial personal insight required for this project, DJS Research conducted a total of 439 in-person interviews with a representative sample of customers from across all regions served by Hafren Dyfrdwy.

Attitudinal research on an international scale for the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation (CAST)

• Led by Cardiff University, CAST (a collaboration between six major universities and the charity Climate Outreach) wanted to understand attitudes towards climate change, and resulting behaviours, of adults living in the UK – with boosted surveys in Wales and Scotland – as well as three other countries (China, Brazil, and Sweden).
• DJS Research conducted and managed an annual survey on behalf of CAST which collated insights from 1,000 adults within each country over a four-year period.

To find out more about our expertise with Welsh businesses and organisations, contact our team today. 

The results

For each survey wave, DJS Research produces an interim and then final SPSS data file, based on a detailed specification agreed with PHW. Our client then conducts their own analysis and reporting. Reports from the TTPH panel can be found here. Those findings play a vital role in helping PHW understand public attitudes, behaviours and interests on a range of public health topics, enabling them to make decisions that shape public health policy and service delivery across Wales.

The website that accompanies the panel, along with survey materials and links to the online recruitment survey, all designed and hosted by DJS Research, can be found here in both Welsh and English. In addition to building this panel, and implementing surveys, our team has developed a question bank for PHW which contains the details of all surveys conducted to date. We have also produced a ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ manual, which outlines all the key processes, procedures, quality checks and definitions involved in maintaining the panel, and running regular surveys, to ensure a consistent approach is applied in each wave. This manual is used as a checklist for those managing each survey.