Job Description

Research & Community Engagement Manager

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire

Full-time (job-share or part-time considered for suitable candidate). Based in North Northamptonshire

We are excited to be managing the Healthwatch North Northamptonshire Service and appointing new staff for the service. Our aims and mission are to give voice to the public and engaging communities especially those who are least heard and the most vulnerable. You will also be committed to working collaboratively with communities, VCSE and statutory sector services.

The Research and Community Engagement Manager will have significant knowledge and experience of health and social care services and community engagement including managing key research projects and working with people who use services. You will be able to lead all the key functions including:

Carry out priority areas of research, using a range of methods and sources of data, on health and social care.

Produce high quality analysis, reports and presentations for a range of audiences.

Facilitate co-production activity, working with experts by experience, service users, carers, and peer researchers.

Work with Healthwatch NN staff and volunteers

We are looking for someone who is committed to social justice and equalities and able to translate this into practice. We need a confident research specialist who is credible and can lead an effective work research and community engagement programme relevant to meeting the needs of local communities and informing change to policy and practice of health and social care services.

For an informal conversation which we encourage please contact:

Pratima Dattani CEO Support Northamptonshire

pratima.dattani@supportnorthamptonhsire.org.uk

Victoria Bell Development Lead, Support Northamptonshire.

Victoria.bell@supportnorthamptonshrie.org.uk

APPLICATION: Please send your CV and a covering letter showing how you meet the detailed job and personal specification.

CLOSING DATE: Monday 19 May at 12 noon

PROPOSED INTERVIEW DATE: Friday 23 May or Wednesday 30 May

Research and Community Engagement Manager: Healthwatch North Northamptonshire

Title:

Research & Community Engagement Manager,

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire

Salary:

30-32,000 FTE

Reporting to:

Healthwatch NN Manager

Location:

Wellingborough Office/ Hybrid working

Hours:

Full Time/Part Time considered for the right candidate

(minimum of 28 hours per week)

Background

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire is one of more than 150 local Healthwatch formed in response to the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Healthwatch represents the views and experiences of local people and help communities to exercise greater choice over the services they receive.

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire will champion the health and social care needs of our communities, acting as an independent local voice and ensuring that services meet the needs of our communities and remain high quality.

Our vision is to inspire positive change in North Northamptonshire's health and social care service through effective community engagement and ensure people and communities have a strong voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided.

We hope to ensure that Healthwatch North Northants has a strong presence, with an effective, proactive and independent local voice. We act as a 'critical friend' to the commissioners and providers of health and social care services to enable progressive and beneficial decisions to be made.

Job Purpose:

A core element of Healthwatch NN's work is the management of research, collection, analysis, and subsequent reporting on information and data relating to people's experiences of publicly funded health and social care services. The Research and Community Engagement Manager is responsible for overseeing this crucial function, ensuring its effective delivery.

In addition to managing research activities, the Research and Community Engagement Manager takes the lead in developing and executing the CRM system. Furthermore, they spearhead the creation of impact measures for the organisation, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with our mission to improve health and social care services in North Northamptonshire.

Our aim is to raise awareness amongst commissioners, providers and other agencies about the importance of engaging with communities, and the expertise and value that individuals can bring to discussion and decision making on local and national issues.

We hope to carry out activities across a number of different programme areas to enable us to fulfil our statutory functions and the Research and Community Engagement Manager will be responsible for:

By capturing community views through people's experiences and by understanding and reporting on these experiences to health and social care services.

By actively promoting community involvement in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of health and social services, giving people and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality.

By undertaking community-led research in priority areas to examine the impact of health and social care services, its pathways and make any recommendations for change.

Healthwatch can monitor and review how local services are planned and run (except for social care facilities for children and young people) and have the statutory power to 'Enter and View' premises delivering health and social care services. This enables authorised representatives of Healthwatch to observe the nature and quality of services, report on their findings and make recommendations so that local authorities and health services can exercise their duty to respond.

By providing Information & Signposting Service to help people understand the services available in their local area and to make informed choices about different health and social care services.

KEY TASKS:

To work closely with the Healthwatch Service Manager, Healthwatch NN Advisory Group and the Support Northamptonshire's CEO to:

Main duties and responsibilities

Organise, design and carry out participatory qualitative fieldwork.

Designing peer-research models of social research investigation.

Conducting qualitative analysis of data conducted through interviews, focus groups, workshops or other methods, with a focus on lesser heard voices.

Carrying out quantitative data analysis using Excel.

Utilising a wide variety of research approaches, particularly participatory approaches, which inform, involve and bring together individuals, groups, service providers and decision makers.

Research and analysis

Carry out priority areas of research, using a range of methods and sources of data, on health and social care.

Produce high quality qualitative analysis, reports and presentations for a range of audiences.

Facilitate co-production activity, working with experts by experience, service users, carers, and peer researchers.

Work with Healthwatch NN staff and volunteers and provide regular progress feedback.

Analyse quantitative information gathered through research and engagement collected by Healthwatch NN to draw out trends in relation to health and social care service provision.

Translate research findings into practical learning for developing and improving health and social care services.

Take responsibility for data and project management and administration as it relates to our social research activity.

Collaborate with stakeholders and colleagues to develop the annual research programme.

Lead and oversee the delivery of the annual research programme, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives.

Utilise creative and appropriate methodologies to design and manage research projects, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Apply various research techniques, including document analysis, surveys, focus groups, interviews, and case studies, to gather relevant information.

Produce research-based briefings and provide support to stakeholders in understanding key points.

Analyse and evaluate research findings, interpreting data to identify key issues and develop actionable recommendations.

Present research data in formats suitable for different audiences, including reports and infographics.

Collaborate with CEO and team to gain insight into themes identified through community-based activities.

Support in developing engagement activities based on service user feedback and intelligence.

Identify simple interventions that Healthwatch NN can implement to impact service improvement.

Develop an impact reporting system to measure and communicate Healthwatch NNl's impact effectively.

Liaise with admin regarding information requests, research promotion, and evidence collection from web and social media.

Analyse the Healthwatch NN database to produce representation reports for commissioners, providers, stakeholders, and the Executive Board, informing them of current trends.

Provide regular performance reports for the Advisory group.

Produce reports from the Healthwatch NN database for multidisciplinary boards such as the Health and Wellbeing Board, Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, Overview and Scrutiny Committee etc.

Team working

Train and support people to take on peer research roles, putting control and ownership of the research process with people interested in and affected by health and social care services.

Support those actively involved in Healthwatch NN to develop a shared understanding of the implications of gaps in involvement of people from different communities.

In consultation with the Healthwatch NN Service Manager and Support Northamptonshire CEO:

Represent Healthwatch NN at strategic meetings, conferences and public engagement events as required, acting as a spokesperson for Healthwatch NN at such events.

Deliver presentations to the public, stakeholders and partner organisations.

Engage with the Healthwatch network, and health and social care system partners across Northamptonshire and neighbouring area as appropriate.

Other duties and requirements

Provide monitoring information and reports as required.

Work with other staff team members to develop appropriate internal systems and practices.

Adhere to and promote understanding about the collection and processing of personal data in line with General Data

Person Specification:

The ideal candidate for this role:

Is passionate about social justice and addressing health inequalities

Has experience of co-production and best practice in community engagement

Is knowledgeable about key health and social care services.

Has experience of research methodologies, management, community and stakeholder engagement, to capture views and experiences of local health and care service users and produce recommendations for change to reflect what people tell us.

Has the skills and confidence to influence change by working in partnership with other organisations and system partners

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

Educate to degree level

Masters degree

Research projects and management

Experience of quantitative and qualitative data analysis and research report writing.

Experience of creating and delivering training to volunteers.

Experience of supporting and managing volunteers.

Skills, Abilities, Knowledge

Understanding of structural inequality and its impact on health and wellbeing.

Understand the importance of public involvement in health and social care.

Ability to work sensitively and constructively with a range of people and communities including service users, carers, commissioners, providers, and key decision makers.

Knowledge of online survey tools

Ability to perform quantitative data analysis using Excel.

Ability to write evaluation/research reports, distil research findings and present them to a range of audiences

Ability to write to a publishable standard

Ability to quickly adapt to changing project priorities and seamlessly transition between different tasks and responsibilities.

Ability to manage competing deadlines and respond quickly to shifting priorities.

Ability to grasp new topics and research areas rapidly and apply knowledge effectively.

Personal Qualities

Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Resourcefulness in finding solutions to challenges, identifying opportunities for improvement, and proposing new project ideas and strategic partnerships.

Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

Enjoys a collaborative team environment, supporting colleagues and sharing insights to enhance the overall productivity and success of Healthwatch NN

Has a results-oriented approach, with a focus on achieving project goals and delivering high-quality research, insights, and evaluations efficiently.

Other Requirements

Able to work flexibly and travel in and across North Northamptonshire .

Evidence of ongoing personal development and training.

A flexible approach to tasks, willing to seek support and guidance where required, and able to work occasional evenings or weekends.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 30,000.00-32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

On-site parking Work from home
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Wellingborough NN8 1HR

Reference ID: Healthwatch North Northamptonshire - Research and Community Engagement Manager