ADR UK Ambassadors are people working in and around government who are committed to increasing and improving the use of administrative data for research to inform policy and practice, both within their own departments and bodies, and in partnership with others. They are a crucial part of our work to build the bridges between government and academia needed to make this happen.
Our Ambassadors are drawn from a range of professions – from information management and analysis, through data and security, to policy and operational delivery – and a variety of career stages. They are united by the belief that administrative data held by public bodies holds untapped potential to create insights that can help make better decisions, improving public services and the lives of people across the UK.
ADR UK Ambassadors are publicly recognised as data-driven change-makers. They have an important role to play in making sure the potential of data for public good is harnessed, in a way that is safe, legal, ethical and sustainable, while maintaining the trust and support of the public.
How do I become an ADR UK Ambassador?
ADR Wales Ambassadors
Albert Heaney CBE
Albert Heaney CBE, is the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales, Welsh Government. Albert has worked in Public Services since the 1980’s. He qualified as a social worker in 1988 and initially worked in practice before moving into managerial roles. He has lead a busy government policy directorate delivering legislation and policy including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act. Albert is a member of the Family Justice Board and Chair of the Family Justice Network Wales.
Prior to his current post, Albert covered as Deputy Director General for Health and Social Services during the pandemic. He is a former Corporate Director leading on Children’s and Adults Services and a former President of the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSS Cymru). Albert has represented ADSS Cymru in a number of roles including, a Lead Director for Children and a Lead Director for Safeguarding and Prevention. Albert is a former Chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board and of the Area Adult Protection Committee. Albert is committed to promoting and ensuring citizen rights and inclusive practice, which brings a commitment to working in partnership. He has also been actively involved in a range of collaboration and integration initiatives.
Albert is learning Welsh and is co-chair of the Welsh Language in Health and Social Services Partnership Board.
Glyn Jones
Glyn Jones is the Chief Digital Officer for Welsh Government, having previously held the position of Chief Statistician for Wales. Glyn has been a driving force in the ADR UK initiative during his tenure as Co-Director of ADR Wales (2018-2020).
His ambitious attitude to the safe reuse of data to inform government decision making resulted in the establishment of the Welsh Government’s first Data Science Unit. With Ministerial backing, this flagship initiative raised data science capability within Welsh Government to directly deliver projects to support better decision making and internal processes. Glyn was responsible for leading the administrative data research agenda in Wales, embracing a positive culture of secure data sharing for research to ensure that Welsh datasets are available for re-use in a sustainable and repeatable manner.
Tracey Breheny
Tracey is Deputy Director for Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Vulnerable Groups within the Welsh Government’s Health and Social Services Group. She is responsible for leading Welsh Government policy on: mental health; vulnerable groups; offender health substance misuse and dementia. Before this Tracey held a number of policy, legislative and corporate roles most recently in the areas of poverty, child poverty and communities policy. During her career Tracey has also worked on European structural fund policy, local government reform and was a member of the (then) Welsh Office Devolution Unit which supported the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997. A career civil servant, Tracey has worked in the Welsh Office and Welsh Government for over 30 years.
