Regional Research Settings Leads for RRDN WM

The role of the Regional Research Setting Lead is primarily to support research delivery within health and care settings; however, on occasion, the Leads will be asked to support wider NIHR and DHSC activities. The duties and responsibilities are grouped to reflect these two aspects. The Regional Research Setting Lead will be expected to attend regional and national meetings and events.

There are 4 roles available; please see JDs for differentiation and ensure you make reference to this on your EOI.

Salary will be in line with your current core salary (capped at £13,800).

Interviews will take place 30th September - 9th October.

Main duties of the job

The Specialties and Settings function will play a key leadership role in the ongoing development and performance of the RDN. As part of this function, Regional Research Specialty and Setting Leads will provide leadership and advice, support research delivery, and participate in regional or national projects relating to Specialty or Setting capacity, capability, and accessibility for research delivery. The Regional Research Specialty and Setting Lead provides the vital link between the regional, geographically-based networks (RRDNs) and national networks of expertise, which is essential to the success of the RDN.

In addition to the Regional Research Specialty and Setting Leads, we will also be appointing Specialty and Setting Leads at NHS E region level who will work with the Regional Research Specialty and Setting Lead to gather local intelligence and feed it into national strategies and projects, and National Specialty and Setting Leads who will lead the whole Specialty or Setting providing strategic input and oversight, and leading the development of national initiatives for research delivery.

Specialties and Settings provide key aspects of the intelligence gathering and responsive decision-making crucial to strategic development for research delivery.

Please see the attached JD for the full list of duties and responsibilities.

About us

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands, providing primary, acute, and community services. We are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfill our values, improve the quality of care for patients, and solve the healthcare problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organization and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as Good by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards including The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Primary Role

• Strategic oversight of the regional RDN Portfolio.
  • Support regional portfolio oversight activities undertaken on the current portfolio as requested and in collaboration with the RDN Study Support Service.
  • Identify and address impact on regional health and social inequalities at all stages of research delivery within your Setting.
• Support the RDN Study Support Service in the planning, placement, and performance monitoring of studies, including when requested:
  • Assist in the identification of sites and Principal Investigators making the best use of data combined with an understanding of health and social inequalities to inform placement of studies.
  • Undertake eligibility reviews.
  • Providing health or care intelligence to the on-request study performance service and the Active National Delivery service.
• Support funders and sponsors in study design to optimize deliverability, including providing early feedback on protocols.
  • Advise on study deliverability and undertake deliverability assessments when requested, including giving consideration to equitable community-wide access/areas of high patient need.
• Building regional capacity and capability for study delivery in your Setting.
  • Ensure local needs for research delivery are identified and addressed as part of building the capacity and capability for research delivery.
  • Under the RDN Operating Model for strategic development and Research Delivery Models, participate in projects to address any opportunities or challenges identified.
• Embedding research, and particularly research delivery into the NHS and wider care environment.
  • Engage relevant regional stakeholders including Private Providers, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and local authorities as relevant for the purpose of building regional research delivery capacity and capability within your Setting.
  • Assist in the development and mentorship of future Principal Investigators across the health and care sectors.
• Initiating, facilitating, and promoting regional cross-specialty and cross-setting collaborations for improved research delivery.
• Contributing to national and regional RDN strategic development through:
  • Attending national meetings
  • Attending regional leadership group meetings
  • Engaging with the annual review development process.
• Keeping up to date with innovative study design and delivery methods.
  • Share best practice across settings.
• Acting as regional NIHR RDN Ambassadors.
  • Support the National and NHS E based Setting Leads in activities to raise awareness of the Setting.
  • Engage in, and support, business development activities, including:
    • Providing health and care research expertise and knowledge to support optimal research delivery in discussions with commercial organizations.
    • Attending meetings and presenting at events, webinars, etc.
  • Identify and support the dissemination of RDN impact in your Setting.

Supporting role undertaken on request by other areas of the NIHR and DHSC, via the National Specialty Lead

• Support the NIHR Coordinating Centre to develop topics for commissioned research by providing expert advice on the current RDN study portfolio, innovative research delivery methods, and the needs of all patient and care groups, including underserved communities.
• Support the development of Chief Investigators, primarily with respect to good practice to support research feasibility and delivery, as part of a cross-NIHR programme.
• Provide peer reviews on studies for NIHR and regulatory authorities to contribute an expert opinion when needed.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of leading regionally in the relevant Setting area, developing that Setting collaboratively with patients and/or the public and other stakeholders and establishing and sustaining outstanding service and a high-performance management culture.
• Knowledge of national and regional systems, structures, and processes for supporting health and care research delivery.
• The ability to work collaboratively, with evidence of successfully developing and maintaining effective working relationships with a range of internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Strong team player with the ability to act as a good citizen within the network representing a diversity of views.

Experience

Essential

• Be able to demonstrate senior professional status as a health or care leader within the relevant setting.
• Be an acknowledged local opinion leader on research delivery within the relevant setting, with a breadth of appropriate knowledge.

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