Organisation: Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness

Salary Details: £10,918.00 (£27,295 FTE)

Closing date for applications: 12 Aug 2024

Department: Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness

Reporting to: Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness Manager

Contract: Part time (Permanent)

Hours: 15 hours per week

Salary: £10,918.00 (£27,295 FTE)

Location: Westmorland and Furness (potential for hybrid/remote working).

Holiday entitlement: 20 days (FTE), plus bank holidays and Christmas closure, length of service increments (one additional day per year up to five years).

Benefits: 6% pension employer contribution, values-based organisation, flexibility of working hours, extra day off for your birthday.

Who we are

Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness is delivered by People First Independent Advocacy. People First is an independent customer-led charity that has been established for nearly 35 years. We are passionate about our values of equality, respect, and inclusion. We provide a wide range of advocacy, support and information services across Cumbria, Lancashire and Teesside, all aimed at helping people to live informed, respected, healthy and fulfilled lives. Our Westmorland and Furness office is in Barrow. We also have offices in Carlisle and Lancashire. Find out more at: https://wearepeoplefirst.co.uk/about-us

The Department

Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness is an independent champion of the views of and people who use health and social care across the local authority area of Westmorland and Furness. Our goal is to make services better and improve health and wellbeing. We work closely with health and social care services, service users, residents and families, members of the public, and employees working in these environments, with a key focus on engaging with hard to reach and seldom heard groups.

Our main activities include:

• Gathering information from patients and the public on the quality of health and social care services in Westmorland and Furness, highlighting local issues raised.
• Promoting involvement of people in the provision and scrutiny of local health and care services to deliver better and more joined-up services.
• Connecting with community groups and the voluntary sector, NHS partners and local authority.
• Carrying out Enter and View visits at a wide range of health and social care settings.
• Providing free information and signposting support to help people know about health and social care services and understand the choices available.

You can find out more about us here: https://healthwatchwestfurn.co.uk

Purpose of the job

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and driven data and research officer who is resident of Westmorland and Furness, to join our growing, ambitious organisation.

In a fast-paced environment you will help us show Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness’s work in a consistent and impactful way. The responsibility of the Research and Data Officer will be to design and deliver a range of research and evaluation projects and to regularly monitor intelligence collated from local health and social care service users in order to identify areas of best practice and areas for improvement within the NHS and local authority.

This will include developing the project planning and management, research and intelligence functions of the organisation and working closely with team members. It will also include the sharing of research project outcomes in reports. The successful candidate will work with our communications and administrative co-ordinator to share their work with stakeholders and the public online and in-person.

With energy and drive, you will co-ordinate our Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness team to deliver excellent, impactful and targeted work based on feedback and analysis. Working with the manager and alongside the engagement team, you will create targeted Healthwatch workplans based on our strategic objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Duties will include

• To lead on the collation and analysis of a wide range of data and intelligence drawn from people’s experience of health and care services in Westmorland and Furness.
• To co-design and deliver a range of research and evaluation projects.
• To plan, design and write high quality reports using case studies and data analysis to inform recommendations.
• With the engagement team, co-design and manage the implementation of data collection methodologies.
• Regularly monitor and update KPI dashboards.
• To research and prepare literature reviews and briefings.
• To prepare and deliver presentations to other health and social care organisations/working groups.
• To undertake qualitative and quantitative research including survey design, administration and analysis.
• Monitor, analyse and help develop Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness’s Feedback Centre and track themes to regularly update the team to shape further work.
• To attend steering group meetings for research projects .
• To take part in engagement events and opportunities that support research projects.
• To liaise and co-operate with other People First staff, particularly on research and data.

Other duties

The duties outlined above are not intended to be exhaustive and may

change as the needs of the organisation alter in line with current agendas.

Due to the developing nature of our organisation, we require staff to

remain highly flexible in their approach, and work to meet the changing

needs of the projects.

Qualifications

• Social research qualifications would be advantageous.

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Practical experience of all stages of the research process including research design, fieldwork, analysis and report writing.
• Experience of using analysis tools
• Excellent IT literacy especially the appropriate facets of Microsoft Office including Excel, survey software, Word, Outlook.
• Knowledge of GDPR regulations.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Excellent command of written English, both on and offline.
• Enthusiasm, energy and a proactive ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Ability to prioritise effectively to meet deadlines and manage own workload.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work well with others.
• Commitment to equality and diversity with capacity to work with a diverse range of people.

Driving – is a car essential for this role?

A current driving licence and access to own transport is desirable but not required for this role. You may be asked to travel to meetings; run business errands during the day, or travel between different People First business sites. If you intend to use your car you are required to have the appropriate ‘business use’ insurance in place. Mileage and expenses are paid while travelling on work business but not to and from your designated place of work.

To apply

If you would like an informal chat about the role please email manager Kate at kate@healthwatchwestfurn.co.uk or call 01228 474700.

To apply for this position, please email a copy of your CV and cover letter and details of two references to recruitment@wearepeoplefirst.co.uk

Alternatively, you can post these for the attention of Barry to: People First Conference Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, CA2 5XB.

All applications should be clearly marked:

Confidential – Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness Research and Data Officer

To arrive no later than 5pm, Monday, August 12^th, 2024.