Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) is a programme which aims to support individuals with complex needs by joining up data across government to ensure policies and services are grounded on the best evidence.
Led by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), BOLD is a collaboration between ADR Wales in Welsh Government, Public Health Wales (PHW), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Funded by HM Treasury’s Share Outcomes Fund, BOLD runs until March 2025.
BOLD consists of four data and analysis pilot projects:
- Reducing homelessness
- Supporting victims of crime
- Reducing reoffending
- Reducing substance misuse
BOLD Wales Programme
In Wales, Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, SAIL Databank, and ADR Wales work together on an ambitious research programme focusing on substance misuse. A key milestone of the BOLD programme has been the successful incorporation of Ministry of Justice datasets into the SAIL Databank, creating the first-ever linkage between justice data and Welsh health, social care, education, and population data.
Key Research Areas in Substance Misuse
Using this rich, linked dataset, the BOLD Substance Misuse Wales research explores the following critical areas:
- Missed opportunities for preventing substance misuse escalation
- Effectiveness of substance misuse treatment
- Intergenerational effects of substance misuse in households
- Pathways for individuals sentenced to community treatment requirements
- Children in care and their experiences with substance misuse
- The interaction between substance misuse and homelessness
Understanding the Impact of Homelessness and Substance Misuse on Healthcare
A recent BOLD study has shed light on the significant health inequalities faced by people in substance misuse treatment who experience homelessness. Findings indicate that these individuals:
- Have higher rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions
- Experience longer hospital stays
- Are diagnosed with mental and behavioural disorders at increased rates
The study, which analysed over 32,000 Welsh residents in substance misuse treatment between 2014 and 2019, utilised linked data from the SAIL Databank. By integrating hospital admissions, emergency department attendances, and specialist substance misuse treatment records, the research offers a comprehensive view of service use among this vulnerable group.
Understanding how people with co-occurring homelessness and substance misuse access healthcare services is crucial for improving service planning and policy development. The findings emphasise the urgent need for targeted interventions to support individuals facing multiple disadvantages.
Read the related technical report on the Welsh Government website
Read news article on the ADR Wales website.
BOLD Reports: Unlocking Insights Through Linked Data
In March 2025, a series of reports that link anonymised government data on substance misuse and treatment to enhance the support given to people with complex and interconnected needs was published.
The BOLD programme is designed to address the challenges that can occur when data on people with complex issues are held in different government departments, organisations and administrations and are not shared, meaning that support cannot be provided in the most effective way.
The programme comprises four strands of data reporting: reducing reoffending, substance misuse, supporting victims of crime, and reducing homelessness, and provides rich data to help understand the relationship between the areas, helping support services to be more informed about the best way to support people who have needs which cannot be dealt effectively by just one department or organisation.
Published Reports
Led by ADR Wales in Welsh Government
- Pathways between probation services and substance misuse treatment services in Wales (intended for the public)
- Pathways between probation services and substance misuse treatment services in Wales (more technical version)
Led by Public Health Wales
- Potential opportunities to reduce the escalation of substance misuse: A retrospective observational data linkage study in Wales
- Maternal substance misuse-related foetal anomalies: A data linkage study in Wales
- Investigating the association between adult substance misuse and health and criminal justice outcomes of children in the household
- Long-term outcomes of people treated for substance misuse in Wales: A data linkage study
- Substance misuse, health service contact and risk of mortality: A data linkage study in Wales
- Data Explained: Welsh National Database for Substance Misuse (WNDSM) data quality audit and considerations
These findings were presented at the BOLD showcase on 27 March in Cardiff, which brought together policymakers, planners, and professionals from Welsh Government, health and social care, criminal justice, and public health services.
Read the news story on ADR Wales website
