Parkwood Healthcare Ltd

Healthwatch Kingston

Information & Research Assistant

Job Description

PARKWOOD HEALTHCARE

Parkwood Healthcare Limited specialises in delivering community focused services in the health and social care sector. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alston Investments Ltd, a leading provider of support services to public and private sector clients providing services which, in addition to Healthcare, include grounds management, golf course management and the management of PFI projects.

HEALTHWATCH KINGSTON

The purpose of Healthwatch is to act as a consumer champion giving a voice to local people and patients to enable them to comment on and make representations about the way health and social care services in the area are commissioned and delivered. The aim is to contribute to the improvement and development of these services for the benefit of all sectors of the community.

The role of Parkwood Healthcare is to enable, support and guide the Healthwatch Kingston Board in its activities. The staff teamcarries out outreach community engagement work and research and deliver advice and information services in the community and provide support, advice and consultancy to the Healthwatch Board to enable it to make informed, evidence based and effective representations to local service providers and commissioning organisations.

Healthwatch Kingston represents the people of Kingston and examines the quality of local health and social care services for both adults and children & young people and make recommendations to commissioners and providers about how quality can be improved. It is the voice of the community of Kingston on the local Health and Wellbeing Board and ensures that the views and experiences of patients, service users and carers are taken into account.It also works to ensure that the insights and perspectives of the community and of service users is included in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Healthwatch Kingstonsupports people to understand the range of services available so that they can exercise as much choice as possible in relation to health and social care services. It also provides information and advice to appropriate advocacy services.

JOB PURPOSE

To develop and deliver a marketing and communication plan that makes use of local press and radio, internet and web based media andprinted materials for use in outreach publicity and engagement work.

Establishing, developing and sustaining aninformation, advice and signposting service that will include developing anetwork of volunteer Healthwatch Champions.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The responsibilities of theInformation & Research Officerwill include:

  • Using national Healthwatch branding and appropriate Parkwood Healthcare and Healthwatch Kingston materials to develop leaflets, freepost questionnaires, posters, suggestion boxes and other publicity materials
  • Working with Parkwood Healthcare’s Information Systems and Training Development Officer and utilising Healthwatch England advice and support to establish and maintain an up-to-date, accessible and user-friendly website.
  • Producing a regular ebulletin for Healthwatch Kingstonutilising Parkwood Healthcare’s Healthwatch database and providing up to date information and reporting on progress, events and developments and seeking feedback, comment and ideas.
  • Developing a comprehensive on-line directory of services for the Borough of Kingston with appropriate web links to services in neighbouring boroughs and to national information and helplines.
  • In cooperation with voluntary organisations and community groups developing information distribution networks and identifying and utilising existing systems including any existing email networks in order to publicise HealthwatchKingston.
  • Developing an information, advice and signposting service that has effective links and referral systems to relevant services across Kingston that is effectively coordinated with other information services so that local people can make informed choices about health, social care and other associated services andthat improves people’s understanding of their rights.
  • Working in collaboration with the Community Engagement Officer to recruit, train and support volunteer Healthwatch Champions to deliver outreach information, advice and signposting services from community venues – particularly aimed at ‘seldom heard groups’ in the community such as young people, people in work and isolated communities.
  • Assisting the Healthwatch staff team in the organisation of stakeholder events and public consultation meetings, exhibitions and conferences in various geographical locations and aimed at different sectors of the population.
  • Supporting Healthwatch Kingston with research-based evidence, data and statistics relating to local health and social care provision and detailed analysis of Healthwatch service users to enable evaluation by Healthwatch Kingston, Healthwatch England and the CQC.
  • Developing with Healthwatch staff and members articles for placement in local newspapers, in the newsletters of statutory, voluntary and community organisations.
  • Contributing to the production of evidence based reports with recommendations for the Healthwatch Board to inform their work plan.
  • Liaising with other local and national Healthwatch services to identify best practice in research, information gathering and publicity.
  • Ensuring secure data management and record-keeping of Healthwatch Kingston information.
  • Liaising with Parkwood staff nationally to ensure effective co-operation and a holistic delivery of services.
  • Undertaking administrative tasks necessary to achieve the outcomes.
  • Undertaking any other duties as may be required within the scope of the role.

THE CONDITIONS

TITLEResearch and Information Assistant

REPORTING TOHealthwatch Manager

LOCATIONKingston

REMUNERATION£9.60 per hour

HOURS28hours per week

PENSIONEligible to join the Group Pension Scheme

HOLIDAYS20 days annual leave plus statutory holidays, rising to 22 days after 5 years service

NOTICE PERIOD4 weeks

PERSON SPECIFICATION

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

The jobholder should have previous experience indeveloping information and advice giving services and carrying out research preferably within the context of community development. Experience of working in a voluntary organisation, managing a website and in the production of newsletters or publicity materials is highly desirable. Experience in complaints advocacy would be helpful.

PERSONAL

Work experience

1. Experience in delivering advice, information and sign posting services in a community setting.

2. Experience of collecting and organising community information in a paper or web based directory and liaising with a variety of community organisations

3. Experience of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers from diverse backgrounds.

4. Experience of organising community events, public meetings, seminars and workshops.

5. Experience of organising and prioritising a demanding workload.

Knowledge

6. Knowledge of information and advice particularly within a health and social care context.

7. Knowledge of the voluntary and community and/or the health and social care sector especially in the Borough of Kingston.

Skills

8. Ability to communicate with, train and support a diverse range of individuals.

9. The patience and listening skills to support people who have a complaint to make against health or care providers

10. Ability to write, design and produce attractive leaflets, posters and information materials.

11. Ability to maintain an attractive and informative website

12. Ability to use initiative, work unsupervised and be self- administrating

13. Ability to work as part of a team and support colleagues.

Attitudes/Aptitudes

14. A commitment to equality and diversity.

15. To be creative and innovative but also willing to learn new skills.

16. Adept in the use of Microsoft Windows and associated software applications especially Word, Access, Excel and PowerPoint.

CIRCUMSTANCES

It is desirable that the post holder lives in the Kingstonarea and within a reasonable travelling distance of the offices in Kingston.

There will be frequent need to visit other organisations and projects across the area and occasional travel to other parts of the countryto attend conferences, meetings and training related to the national Healthwatch programme and to the Parkwood Holdings Group. Access to a car would be highly desirable and travel expenses are paid.

It is essential that the post holder recognises that working with volunteers and community groups will require flexibility in their working hours that will include both weekend and evening work. Very occasionally attendance at a conference or training may require an overnight stay.