Patient Involvement and Inclusion Lead

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

The post holder will be central to the development, implementation, and oversight of the Clinical Research Facility (CRF) Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategies for the period 2026 – 2029.

The post holder will be the primary contact for researchers and other CRF staff members who wish to involve members of the public in their work or research. They will respond to enquiries of this nature and meet with researchers to discuss and understand their needs, providing expert advice on PPIE and coordinating meetings with public members. The post holder will signpost to and provide training, support, and resources to make sure researchers and staff have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to involve PPIE members at different stages of the research cycle.

The post holder will be responsible for the coordination and management of the CRF PPIE group. They will answer questions from new and existing members, organise training and events (including quarterly online group meetings), facilitate interactions between researchers, CRF staff members, and public members, and oversee the process of obtaining meaningful involvement opportunities. The post holder will be responsible for consistent communication with the CRF PPIE group and maintaining relationships via the biannual PPIE newsletter, regular emails, telephone calls, and face‑to‑face catchups when required.

They will promote and raise the profile of the CRF, the PPIE group, and the recruitment of new members by working with the Trust Communications Team to produce high‑quality promotional materials, and by working with the Trust EDI Team to participate in outreach work to engage seldom‑heard communities.

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust‑wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person‑centred, digitally‑enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people. King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

The post holder will be responsible for the development and oversight of the CRF EDI working group, which also consists of public members. They will organise and chair meetings and establish a programme of staff training on core EDI topics. The post holder will be responsible for correspondence with group members and producing reports based on evaluation surveys following training and events. They will act as the first point of contact for community outreach initiatives such as the CRF’s work experience and school engagement programmes. They will respond to enquiries and coordinate work experience students’ timetables, allocate their placement mentors, and liaise with schools to complete the required documentation. They will lead on school open day and outreach events, managing the relationships between teachers and career counsellors, CRF staff, and researchers.

The post holder will be responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of all of the CRF’s PPIE and EDI activities by producing quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys and written reports. They will sit on the CRF Management Board and provide written and verbal reports to the CRF Manager, Director, and other stakeholders. The post holder will be responsible for developing a systematic approach to measuring the impact of PPIE and EDI activities. They will be responsible for external reporting on this to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The post holder will maintain records of important information such as PPIE group contacts and PPIE staff contacts across King’s Health Partners (KHP) and the UK CRF Network.

The successful candidate will have experience working in a healthcare or research setting and will possess excellent communication and administrative skills. Excellent interpersonal skills and experience in organising public engagement events are also essential. The post holder will be delegated a high level of responsibility, manage their own work and use their own initiative taking key decisions within broadly defined administrative policies, frequently without reference to the CRF Director/Management team.

Education and Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or above
• Post graduate qualification, working towards a Masters or equivalent experience
• Experience of Continuing Professional Development
• Relevant qualification/training in working with patients, volunteers and/or communities under‑represented in research
• Familiar with Good Clinical Practice & Certification

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant experience working in a charity, healthcare, or research environment
• Significant PPIE experience, or experience working with and supporting volunteers or patients
• Experience in planning and delivering PPIE projects and activities
• Experience in designing and facilitating workshops and/or training sessions
• Experience delivering outcomes within scope, on time, and within budget
• Experience of writing documents and communication materials for PPIE audiences
• Experience of working with diverse groups of people and promoting inclusivity
• Experience of designing and implementing equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) projects within a healthcare or research context
• Experience of effective multidisciplinary team working
• Experience of contributing to reports for internal and external stakeholders and funders
• Experience of managing and maintaining website content

Skills and competencies

• Knowledge of PPIE methodologies and benefits and challenges of implementation
• Knowledge of research methodologies, quality, standard setting, benchmarking/audit
• Articulate with advanced written and oral communication skills
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Excellent IT skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, website platforms and patient database systems
• Flexible approach towards teamwork and patient/family involvement
• Enthusiastic, professional and accountable
• Knowledge of health inequalities
• Discussion/focus group moderation and facilitation skills