Introduction
In this blog by Zoe Strawbridge,( Advanced Public Health Intelligence Analyst), Public Health Wales, Maria Boffey, (SHRN Knowledge Exchange and External Affairs Manager) and Charlotte Wooders, (SHRN Engagement Manager), explore how The Public Health Wales Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard: SHRN Survey Data Dashboard – developed in partnership with SHRN and Public Health Wales – can support the voluntary youth sector across Wales.
This blog highlights how accessible health and well-being data can help the sector design targeted programmes, build partnerships, and advocate for resources, all informed by the voices of young people.
Why Using SHRN Data Matters in Youth Work
The voluntary youth sector plays a vital role in supporting young people’s health and well-being. The Public Health Wales Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard: SHRN Survey Data Dashboard, offers a practical tool to strengthen that work.
Built on data from all 100% of secondary schools in Wales who take part in The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey, the dashboard makes national and regional data more accessible, supporting evidence-informed planning, delivery, and collaboration. This also supports alignment with the Welsh Government’s Youth Work Strategy and Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 by enabling data-informed, youth-centred planning.
About The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey
Since 2013, The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey in secondary schools has been a cornerstone in understanding and enhancing the health and well-being of young people in Wales.
Administered every two years to secondary school learners, The SHRN Student Health and Well-being survey covers a range of topics including mental health and well-being, physical activity and nutrition, substance use, sexual health, and social relationships.
In 2024, SHRN broaden its reach by launching a national roll out with primary schools across Wales, engaging nearly half of all primary schools in the data collection process. This expansion marks a pivotal step in building a clearer picture of children’s health and well-being from an earlier age, enabling tailored and focused support for key moments such as the transition to secondary school.
While the dashboard is not yet available for primary school data, reports from this phase of the survey can be accessed here offering valuable insights for those working with younger children.
Over the years, SHRN has helped shape a national approach to collecting and using data in schools. It’s been vital in guiding public health and education policies, programmes, and interventions that aim to improve the lives of children and young people across Wales.
About The Public Health Wales Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard: SHRN Survey Data Dashboard
The dashboard brings together data from The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey of secondary school learners in Wales. It’s free to access and designed to be easy to use.
Users can explore trends by year group, gender, age, local authority, health board, and more – with ethnicity breakdowns coming soon. All data is anonymous and aggregated.
Putting the Dashboard to Work in Youth Work Settings
The dashboard can benefit your work by:
- Gaining a better understanding of young people’s (11 – 18 years old) health and well-being trends for topics such as mental health, physical activity, dietary behaviours, social media use, school connectedness, sexual health, substance use and social relationships – helping to shape more relevant and responsive support.
- Identifying emerging needs within specific communities or age groups, allowing for early intervention and more targeted programmes.
- Strengthening funding applications and project planning by backing up proposals with reliable, up-to-date evidence and data.
- Collaborating more effectively with schools, health professionals, and other partners by working from a shared understanding of the data.
Whether you’re designing a new project, evaluating impact, or advocating for resources, the dashboard offers a solid evidence base to guide your work and make a bigger difference.
Insights From the SHRN Data
The following highlights are drawn from a sample of SHRN data available on the dashboard. They offer a snapshot of key trends in emotional health, physical activity, and loneliness among young people in Wales. These insights help us better understand how factors such as gender and household affluence can influence well-being, and they provide a valuable starting point for further exploration and discussion.
Emotional Health
- More than half of girls (54%) in Wales reported experiencing feelings of low mood, irritability, nervousness, or trouble getting to sleep, while only about one-third of boys (32%) reported the same issues.
- Girls in lower affluence households (61%) were more likely to experience the above than those from higher affluence households (49%).
Physical activity and exercise
- In 2023, the percentage of children living in high affluence households taking part in vigorous exercise outside of school time at least 4 times a week was 45%, whilst in low affluence households it was 32%.
- Overall, there was a large gap between the percentage of boys versus girls taking part in exercise outside of school at 49% and 31% respectively.
Loneliness
- In 2023, 35% of 11–16-year-olds reported feeling lonely at least some of the time during the last summer holidays. When looking at this by gender we see that girls in particular are more affected with nearly 42% of girls feeling lonely compared to 27% of boys.
Getting Started
You can access the dashboard here. Once inside, use the filters to explore topics like “School Life” or “Physical Activity and Diet.”
You can break down the data by area, year group, or other characteristics, and view results as bar or line charts. Data can also be downloaded in MS Excel format.
Top Tips
- Start with one topic area that aligns with your current work.
- Use the filters to explore differences by area, age or gender.
- Explore single years of data or trends over time
- Download charts or data to support your next funding bid or team planning session.
Support and Resources
Webinar demos and user guides are available on the Public Health Wales website.
For further anu queries of for further support, please email: publichealthwalesobservatory@wales.nhs.uk.
Final Thoughts
The Public Health Wales Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard: SHRN Survey Data Dashboard is a practical and powerful tool to help the voluntary youth sector better understand young people’s needs.
If you’re already using the dashboard, we’d love to hear how! Sharing learning and ideas helps us all improve!
Please email Charlotte Wooders, SHRN Engagement Manager.