Opinion Research Services

About ORS

ORS is a social research agency that comprises a multi-disciplinary team of colleagues covering the full range of social studies disciplines.

We focus on delivering thoughtful work and providing added value, and offer a genuine research service with a social (rather than market) research orientation. Clients can call ORS without feeling the clock is running, and senior staff are directly involved in projects throughout.

Our Mission

To provide our clients with robust evidence and practical insights based on high quality, thoughtful and impartial social research

Our values are to...

be open and honest be flexible and responsive work collaboratively build strong relationships enable staff to develop be rigorous yet pragmatic not be unduly commercial

Our History

ORS was founded within Swansea University in 1988 as a social research consultancy undertaking applied research projects; and after ten years became a University spin-out company. Since then ORS has retained its research orientation while developing a UK-wide reputation for engagement of residents, service users, stakeholders and employees.

ORS now specialises in quantitative and qualitative research and engagement, using a wide range of methodologies. We do not typically outsource work and maintain our own fieldwork team and Contact Centre to offer value for money and quality control. We offer a range of other services that provide considered evaluation and insight that deliver real added-value for clients. ORS also provides a range of consultancy services, managing statutory consultations and providing evidence for housing and planning policy.

We focus on building strong and collaborative partnerships based on open and honest working relationships that respond to our clients’ needs, and develop their trust in our capabilities, flexibility and responsiveness. Where there is strategic value, we work in partnership with other organisations or associates to jointly collaborate on additional projects.

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I really enjoy working with the ORS team. They are extremely reliable and organised, and bring a lot of expertise to the table. The team helped to really think through the key issues in firming up purpose of a project, framing questions and sampling as well as process and timelines. They are approachable and respond quickly to queries as well as being flexible and able to adapt approaches as things change. The team's outputs are of an extremely high quality and they provide a significant amount of aftercare to ensure that we are happy with the end product. They are also very patient with us and sympathetic to our heavy workloads and related delays in getting things signed off at times. Most of all they are a pleasure to work with and I hope we will work together again in the future.
Public Health Wales

Our Team

The team’s expertise covers economics, history, psychology, philosophy and politics, as well as housing strategy and planning policy. Our skills include the design and management of applied research projects, statistical and econometric analysis, database design and software development.

We are not a loosely organised group of associates or external consultants, but a permanent team committed to the long-term excellence of our work.

Dale Hall

Chairman
Dale established ORS in 1988 and has considerable experience of delivering applied research for public and private sector clients, and as Chairman he is actively involved in some of our most important projects

Jonathan Lee

Managing Director
Jonathan specialises in analytical projects and the development of innovative data visualisation and modelling techniques, and as Managing Director he takes overall responsibility for some of our largest and most challenging projects

Stella Williams

Head of Finance & Administration
Stella takes overall responsibility for key business matters including company finances, quality standards, and employment and welfare issues, and as Company Secretary she takes oversight of contract delivery

Kester Holmes

Head of
Research Projects
Kester has overall responsibility for the research team and he leads the majority of our complex, and often controversial, consultations

Belinda Herbert

Head of
Insight & New Business
Belinda has both agency and client-side experience, her focus is on research design and delivering actionable insights for our clients

Leanne Hurlow

Head of
Operations
Leanne is responsible for the operational aspects of project delivery, including the field interviewers, contact centre and data processing teams

Richard Harris

Head of
Data & Analysis
Richard manages data across ORS ensuring both quality and security of our information, and he is our Data Protection Officer

Kelly Lock

Head of
Qualitative Research
Kelly has considerable expertise facilitating deliberative research and undertaking in-depth discussions with a broad range of stakeholders

Anna Shakeshaft

Head of
Surveys
Anna is a highly qualified researcher who manages a diverse portfolio of quantitative work, seeking to add value from the results

Nigel Moore

Head of
Housing Assessments
Nigel is an experienced researcher with a wealth of applied statistics expertise who specialises in the analysis of local housing markets

Steve Jarman

Head of
Traveller Assessments
Steve is an experienced planner who leads on our portfolio of Gypsy and Traveller Assessments across England and Wales

Scott Lawrence

Needs Assessment
Manager
Scott is responsible for the specialist and expert team that delivers our housing and traveller needs assessments

Alys Thomas

Senior
Researcher
Alys manages a wide range of quantitative research projects, in particular questionnaires undertaken to inform major public consultations

Michael Bayliss

Senior
Researcher
Michael specialises in delivering needs assessments and has a detailed knowledge of the relevant legislation, policy and guidance

Charlie Wilson

Senior
Researcher
Charlie is an expert in consultation, working closely with customers to design, deliver, analyse and report effective and robust programmes of engagement

Daniel Morris

Senior
Researcher
Daniel takes responsibility for a number of large continuous projects with a particular focus on our work for police forces across the UK

Hugo Marchant

Senior
Analyst
Hugo oversees our data modelling and database design, and also graphical representation of data through GIS and other visualisation systems

Angharad Davies

Senior
Researcher
Angharad has considerable experience of conducting qualitative research with a wide variety of public, private and third sector clients

Catherine Wall

Senior
Researcher
Catherine is a longstanding member of the research team with extensive experience of designing and managing surveys for councils and housing associations

Emma Price

Senior
Researcher
Emma has considerable experience in conducting a wide variety of qualitative research projects across both the public and private sectors

Trevor Baker

Senior
Researcher
Trevor is a highly experienced researcher with a particular interest in housing needs assessments and the practical implications of housing policy and disability issues

Karen Jenkins

Senior
Researcher
Karen is especially well-practised in working with both primary and secondary data, and has a key role in maintaining our ISO accreditations

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My colleagues and I have enjoyed working with all of the team at ORS.
We have been impressed with the professionalism and efficiency applied to the project and hope to continue working with them in future.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Research & Engagement

Research & Engagement

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Evaluation & Insight

Evaluation & Insight

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Managing Consultation

Managing Consultation

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Evidence for Planning

Evidence for Planning

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ORS provides clients with robust evidence and practical insights based on high quality, thoughtful and impartial social research

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