Research Clinican (Learning Disabilities Care Hub) | Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust in Heywood

Learning Disabilities is one of the Trust's priority areas for research in the Trust's Research Strategy. In order to support our research ambitions, we are seeking to recruit a Research Clinician to join our learning disabilities research hub, which is comprised of enthusiastic and engaged clinicians.

The Research Clinician will support our aspirations to become an international pioneer of research, which will ultimately support the delivery of world-class and sustainable specialist health and social care services for people with learning disabilities. Our Learning Disabilities Research Hub aims to achieve this by undertaking high-quality research into interventions, treatments and services for people with learning disabilities, and to disseminate the findings. If you are enthusiastic about transforming the lives of people through research, we would love to hear from you!

The post is fixed term and will be based in the LD Care Hub with some agile working. The postholder will work closely with the senior clinicians, other partners, learning disability teams, service users, families and carers. This role will support people who would like to have research as part of their career development.

Our learning disabilities teams deliver care in the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with primary care, local authorities and other social and health care and voluntary sector providers. Working with our partners in Greater Manchester, we are pioneering and focusing on new ways to improve care for people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

The Learning Disabilities Care Hub consists of community learning disability teams for adults, children and young people as well as two residential services, of which one Radcliffe Place was a new innovative admissions avoidance unit commissioned from the concept of research in keeping people out of hospital and providing care within the community.

We have our own LD Research Hub which links into Pennine Care's Research and Innovation Department, and we work alongside academic partners across Greater Manchester and broader afield. Our service users are at the heart of everything we do, and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible experience as well as delivering safe, high-quality care.

We are proud to provide high-quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community. Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

Please see full job description and person specification. The Learning Disabilities Care Hub has its own Research Hub which links into the Trust's Research and Innovation Department which has responsibility for all elements of research governance within the Trust and also provides corporate support to internal staff and external partners undertaking research, service evaluations and innovation projects.

Working alongside existing Research Project Managers, this post will be responsible for supporting the delivery of clinical research studies within Learning Disabilities services across the Trust. The role will involve recruitment and informed consent of participants in research studies, delivery of research interventions and undertaking assessments as per study protocols and local guidelines and completion of research documentation. The role also involves providing information and answering any questions/queries from patients, staff and carers about the various studies being conducted within the Trust.

It will be a varied, involved and busy position that requires excellent communication with a variety of stakeholders, and significant organisation skills in order to prioritise and manage a demanding workload.

• Ensure that research procedures (including consent processes, interventions and follow up) are carried out according to the approved protocol and the UK policy framework for health and social care research.
• Provide complex research-related information to research participants and, if applicable, their families/carers when taking informed consent for the research study or carrying out a research procedure.
• Assist participants with the completion of questionnaires or interventions as appropriate, in consideration of individual need, using prioritisation and delegation skills.
• To be aware of the psychological/emotional needs of the patient/carer, responding and reporting appropriately.
• To assess patient condition, clinical situations and report as necessary adverse and serious adverse events and breaches of trial/study protocol.
• To maintain confidentiality of information regarding patients, families and carers at all times.
• Communicate and liaise effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary and research teams within and external to the Trust, both verbally and in writing, providing and receiving complex or sensitive information.
• Liaise with the Chief Investigator in regards to the ongoing support and feasibility of the project.
• Maintain and provide up-to-date project and recruitment information for the project which includes consent of patients, completion of case report forms and quality assurance of test kits.
• To manage and prioritise own workload and tasks, working to appropriate deadlines and targets set.
• Ensure that appropriate facilities and resources are available as required per research visit.
• Actively promote the research study and any other research opportunities to staff and services. Act as an ambassador for Research and Innovation.
• Maintain a working knowledge of current research governance, practices and legislation; and to adhere to them.
• Present at conferences, study days and meetings when required.