Welsh university awarded £232,000 to strengthen community-focused services

A Welsh university has been awarded £232,000 in research funding to support an ambitious partnership designed to put communities at the heart of local service delivery.

The funding, awarded through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), will see University of South Wales (USW) researchers working closely with Codi Group to co-design a new approach to delivering services that meet local needs.

Formed through a merger between Pobl Group and Linc Cymru, Codi Group is the largest provider of housing, care and support services in Wales. However, they remain committed to retaining close relationships. At the centre of the project is a commitment to listening to frontline staff, tenants and communities, ensuring that any new ways of working are shaped by the people they affect most.

Dr Dan Bowers, Head of Psychology at USW, said: “We are working with Codi Group to find out what their tenants and frontline staff want from them, helping them to understand what their relationships could look like.”

The funding includes the appointment of Dr Nyle Davies as Senior Research Assistant based at USW, who will immerse himself in all aspects of living in a Codi Group community or being employed by Codi Group.

He will look at how large organisations can give more decision-making power to local teams, build stronger relationships within communities, and help staff work in ways that better understand people’s experiences.

The results will include a plan for making these changes, training materials for staff, recommendations for improving policies, and a long-term strategy to make sure these changes last.

Dr Davies said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring behavioural science and community insight together. By listening closely to staff and tenants, we can co‑design approaches that are not only evidence‑based, but genuinely workable for the people who use and deliver services every day.”

The research sits directly under the USW Housing and Health research network, which aims to address the need for more effective collaboration. It brings together people from across the sector to explore housing and health from a psychological perspective across policy, research, and practice.

This collaborative partnership has been strengthened through MEDR‑funded programmes, including the Partnership Development initiative, which contributed to the successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) outcome. The KTP programme is supported by Innovate UK and UK Research and Innovation, bringing together universities and organisations to solve real-world challenges through collaboration and shared expertise.

Vikki Hiscocks, Head of Research, Development , and Performance at Codi Group said: “We already have a strong relationship with the University of South Wales, and this Knowledge Transfer Partnership builds on that foundation. By working even more closely together, we can use research and evidence to strengthen services and create meaningful impact in our communities.

“We’re excited about the difference this project will make locally and about the insights it will generate for the wider sector.”