Head of Research and Development

We love what we do and we think you will, too! At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county. We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you’. We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and we are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality teams in all areas of the Trust.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to lead the Trust’s Research and Innovation Team in delivering the objectives of its Research and Innovation Strategy which aims to position GHC as a centre of research excellence. Based at the Fritchie Research Centre in Cheltenham, the GHC research team delivers a variety of research and evaluation projects across many different clinical areas in both Mental and Physical health. Working alongside our Clinical Directors for Research and the Regional Research Delivery Network, the postholder will lead on developing the local research team, expanding the trust’s research capability across the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research portfolio, as well as supporting local teams and clinicians to develop their own research and evaluation projects. They will work across a variety of clinical areas from Mental Health, Dementia, and Community-based services as well as primary care and general practice. The post will play a key role in creating and strengthening research partnerships with a range of local organisations such as the University of Gloucestershire, the COBALT imaging unit, local authorities, social care, as well as charity and voluntary organisations.

The Trust has a small, dedicated and ambitious research team who are focused on putting GHC ‘on the map’ with support from a team leader with the same drive and ambition.

Main duties of the job

• Provide highly skilled, professional leadership and operational delivery to implement national and local research strategies and plans to enable GHC to be recognised locally and nationally as a provider of the highest quality of care driven by evidence and a research culture.
• Oversee the infrastructure and systems in place to ensure sound research development (portfolio, academic & commercial), governance and compliance across the Trust.
• Ensure continued excellence with all research activity conducted within the Research Governance Framework, and other relevant UK and EU regulatory frameworks.
• Manage staff and resources to enable a supportive and coherent mental health and community research unit across the Gloucestershire area served by GHC, to support effective study set-up and delivery.
• Work with other research leaders across the Gloucestershire Health System (NHS, social care, education and voluntary sectors) to support system-wide approaches to research management and governance.
• Lead and develop a complex research culture that enables staff to develop research skills and/or use the results of research in practice for the benefit of patient care.
• Provide expert, professional research advice to the delivery of the Trust’s Research activity.
• Oversee expert research advice to the development of the Trust’s Research Centre.
• Manage the Fritchie Centre environment resource once developed for Trust wide benefit.

Working for our organisation

We have in excess of 5000 staff working over 50 sites, providing a diverse range of services. We strive to support an organisational culture that is welcoming, builds and celebrates inclusivity and diversity and provides a sense of belonging and trust. The annual NHS Staff Survey gives our people the opportunity to tell us about their experience working at the Trust. For the 2023 survey just over 2800 colleagues gave us their views (58.5%). It was great to see from the results that colleagues are saying that: 89.7% believe they are making a positive difference to patients/service users; 73.3% would recommend the organisation as a place to work; 82.4% agree that care of patients and service users is the organisations priority; 76.7% would be happy with the standard of care for a friend or relative. Our results put us as 5th nationally as a Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities NHS Employer of Choice and 1st equal amongst all NHS Provider Trusts in the South West. However, we know we have more to do and will continue to drive forward our commitment to making GHC a Great Place to Work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for overseeing the set-up, maintenance, and close of studies adopted to the NIHR Portfolio, in accordance with local, national and international legislation. The post holder will be operationally responsible for:

• Work with the Clinical Research Directors to design and develop long-term strategic plans, policies and initiatives to ensure the continuing advancement of research activities across the Trust.
• Expert operational leadership of the Trust’s Research Strategy providing regular review and enabling positive development across the organisation and with research active practitioners from all disciplines.
• Developing, implementing and monitoring R&D policies to govern the conduct and management of both commercial and non-commercial research throughout the Trust in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Engaging with research sponsors including commercial companies and academic departments.
• Act as a central focus for all matters pertaining to local research activities ensuring they are recognised as a vital component of the Trust’s core business.
• Promote partnership in R&D, facilitating researchers and other interested individuals, groups, communities to work effectively in partnership to advance quality R&D.
• Develop and promote appropriate NHS, Academic, voluntary and social care sector collaborative R&D through leadership of the service.
• Act as an expert resource for the research team and Trust staff and undertake the management responsibilities for all Research Team staff.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree/Professional Qualification in a science related discipline or Registered Nurse, Allied Health Professional or Social Care qualification e.g. Social Work, Occupational Therapy.

Knowledge

• Highly developed specialist knowledge of research including governance, methodology, clinical research policy and management, change management.
• Knowledge of the complexities of undertaking research in the mental health specialism or other complex settings.

Professional/Specialist Knowledge

• Ability to build effective working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues.
• Ability to value, understand and synthesise complex information from many sources and to implement that knowledge to influence decision/developments.

Personal Skills & Attributes

• Ability to interact and liaise with internal and external healthcare, academic and industry professionals.

When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:

• Free car parking at many of our sites.
• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service.
• A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.
• A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours.
• Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities.
• Recognition and long service awards.
• Fast Track physiotherapy.
• Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application.

If you would like to discuss the post in more detail, Dr Amjad Uppal, Medical Director on amjad.uppal@ghc.nhs.uk. You are also welcome to contact our Clinical Directors for Research, Dr Tarun Kuruvilla at karen.bedrossian@ghc.nhs.uk and/or Dr Rob Macpherson at rob.macpherson@ghc.nhs.uk to discuss the post. If you would like to visit the Fritchie Research Centre to see our facilities, please contact our Senior Research Governance Administrator, Donna Hooper at donna.hooper@ghc.nhs.uk or on 0300 421 4222.