Job Title:Healthwatch Torbay Project and Research Officer

Job Description

Reports to:Pat Harris Chief Executive

Accountable to:Healthwatch Torbay Board of Trustees

Salary:£23, 945 Per Annum

Location:Healthwatch Office Paignton Library and Torbay

Working hours:20 Hours(contract until end Sept 2015)

OBJECTIVE

Healthwatch Torbay is a newly established consumer champion for health and social care in Torbay. Healthwatch Torbay will work to help local people get the best out of their health and social care services, whether it’s improving them today or helping to shape them for tomorrow. Healthwatch Torbay is all about local voices being able to influence the delivery and design of services.

Healthwatch seeks to engage with people in local communities from a wide range of backgrounds, including those who are socially isolated or seldom heard. It provides a focal point for the articulation of views of local people, for them to be listened and responded to by health and social services commissioners and providers, to challenge and influence change.

The Healthwatch Torbay Project and Research Officer will oversee, coordinate and advise on Healthwatch Torbay research activity. The post will ensure that all Healthwatch Torbay reports, recommendations plans and campaigns are evidence based and drawn from the collection and collation or robust data from multiple sources.

JOB DESCRIPTION

To take a lead role in developing, overseeing and carrying out Healthwatch Torbay qualitative and quantitative research, to evidence local people’s experiences and views on health and social care services, carry out evidence-based research and produce reports and recommendations for changes and improvements to services

To play a lead role in ensuring that Healthwatch Torbay can evidence and promote

the impact of its Community Engagement working collaboratively with partner organisations undertaking this work

To assist the Healthwatch Torbay to prioritise Healthwatch Torbay’s workplan

To take a lead role in working with Healthwatch Torbay stakeholders to assist and support them to undertake research.

To ensure that Healthwatch Torbay research activity is integrated into the Healthwatch Torbay service as a whole.

To contribute to developing and maintaining effective dialogue between Healthwatch Torbay and professionals planning and delivering services impacting on health and social care.

To contribute to ensuring that Healthwatch Torbay engages, consults and involves individuals and groups from all sections of the community, including hard-to-reach and seldom heard communities.

Support and cover for the Engagement Officer

Attend meetings and representation at meetings as agreed with the Chief Executive

To liaise with the Information and Communications Officer to provide information and data to generate reports and findings

To maintain effective liaison with and support as appropriate other areas of Healthwatch Torbay

TASKS

To have a detailed understanding of the Healthwatch Torbay service
specification and the role of research within it
To ensure that Healthwatch Torbay is delivered in order to meet the
Equalities Act and be appropriate to people’s diverse needs
To oversee the operation of Healthwatch Torbay’s agreed decision-making process and prioritisation matrix, using data recorded on the CRM, and to prepare recommendations for the Healthwatch Torbay Board on the content of its evidence-based work plan.

To oversee, enable and support all Healthwatch Torbay research activity, ensuring it meets the standards as agreed by Healthwatch Board of Trustees

To develop and oversee project plans and project groups

To analyse and interpret the results of research and prepare reports and recommendations resulting from investigations carried out as agreed with the Information and Communication Officer

To keep up to date with current trends in health policy, service provision, current practice and matters concerning people as citizens, by reading, attending courses, networking, etc.

To effectively and efficiently deal with correspondence, calls and record keeping.

To carry out other such duties as may be required by the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees that are consistent with the duties and responsibilities of the post.

CONDITIONS

The working week shall be 20 hours during standard office hours. The nature of the work will also necessitate occasional evening/weekend work to attend meetings etc. for which time off in lieu will be granted.

The nature of the post will require travel in the Healthwatch Torbay Project Research Officer’s own car for which expenses will be paid as set by the Trustees. The post holder will be required to hold a current driving license.

The other conditions of service and other current procedural agreements will be enclosed with the post-holders Contract of Employment.