About the Secure Research Service

1. Introduction

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Secure Research Service (SRS) is a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) and gives accredited or approved researchers secure access to a wealth of de-identified, unpublished data in order to work on research projects for the public good.

We have been accredited as a Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 processor by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) for the preparation and provision of data for research purposes.

2. The Five Safes Framework

For safe use of secure data, the Secure Research Service (SRS) uses the Five Safes Framework. This is a set of principles adopted by a range of secure labs, of which researchers and their organisations must adhere to. These protocols provide complete assurance for data owners. The Five Safes are:

• Safe People
  Trained and accredited researchers, trusted to use data appropriately.


• Safe Projects
  Data are only used for valuable, ethical research that delivers clear public benefits.


• Safe Settings
  Access to data is only possible using our secure technology systems.


• Safe Data
  Researchers can only use data that have been de-identified.


• Safe Outputs
  All research outputs are checked to ensure they cannot identify data subjects.

3. Other Trusted Research Environments

The Secure Research Service (SRS) is not the only Trusted Research Environment (TRE) accredited under the DEA. Becoming an accredited researcher under the DEA will also enable access to other TRE’s. A complete list can be found on the UK Statistics Authority Website.

ONS accredited researchers will be able to gain access to secure data through the SRS and UKDS. For access to data within other TREs please check the individual environment requirements.

4. Accessing our data

Most datasets are available to access through remote access to the SRS. In some instances, the data can only be accessed from an approved safe setting.

If you would like to access our data, and are not already an accredited or approved researcher, then please follow the steps outlined on the Safe Access page.

5. The Integrated Data Service

Building on the success of the SRS, the Integrated Data Service (IDS) is a cross-government service that intends to create a central hub of high quality, accessible data - critical for driving efficiency and improving public services.

For more information about the IDS, please consult our overview.

6. Receiving support

If you need support or have any questions, the SRS Customer Support team are available Monday to Friday from 8am until 5pm.

They can be contacted by telephone on +44 (0)1329 447871 or by email at srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk.

7. Feedback on our SRS catalogue.

We are continually looking to improve the SRS Metadata Catalogue so we would love to hear back from you on your experience. Let us know by completing the Feedback form.