ADR Wales and Shelter Cymru are delighted to announce a new and innovative secondment that sees Ffion Chant from Shelter Cymru join the ADR Wales Housing and Homelessness research team until 2026.
This collaboration is momentous in being the first time someone from a third sector organisation has been seconded into ADR Wales with the aim of acquiring and depositing data in the SAIL Databank. It represents a significant step forward in strengthening the relationship between the two organisations and advancing the use of third sector data to improve understanding and policy around housing and homelessness in Wales.
During the secondment, Ffion is working directly with the Shelter Cymru data, supporting its preparation and use for research within the SAIL Databank. By working closely with ADR Wales researchers, Ffion will gain valuable insight and technical skills in data preparation, linkage, and analysis—enhancing Shelter Cymru’s ability to provision its data for future research and evidence-based policy development.
This collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between ADR Wales and Shelter Cymru, bringing together expertise from both the research and third sectors. The partnership aims to generate deeper insights into homelessness and housing challenges, helping to inform decision-making and improve outcomes for people across Wales.
Dr Ian Thomas, lead for the ADR Wales Housing and Homelessness theme, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Ffion to the ADR Wales team. This secondment is a real milestone in our partnership with Shelter Cymru. Having someone from within Shelter Cymru who knows how the organisation works and ‘gets’ what they do embedded in the project will help ensure we can acquire data in a timely way. Working so closely with Shelter Cymru will mean that our research is informed by lived experience and real-world understanding of the issues facing people and the homelessness sector more broadly.”
Ffion Chant, in secondment for ADR Wales/Shelter Cymru, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Shelter Cymru to further develop our data capabilities and contribute to meaningful research that can help shape housing and homelessness policy in Wales. Working directly with ADR Wales will help us strengthen how we use our data to make a difference for the people we support.”
The secondment runs until 2026 and is expected to bring lasting benefits to both organisations, fostering new skills, insights and collaboration to better support Wales’ ambition of tackling homelessness through data-driven evidence and partnership.
This news was originally published on the ADR Wales website.