IMPACT Facilitator - Social Work and Social Care - 106921 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,130 to £45,413. Grade 7 Part Time – 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE) Travel may be required for this role Fixed Term contract for 12 months, target start date September 2026 Closing date: Tuesday 9th June 2026

Summary of Role

IMPACT is the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Health Foundation. IMPACT draws on knowledge from different types of research, the lived experience of people who draw on care and support and carers, and the practice knowledge of social care staff.

IMPACT Facilitators work in a specific local organisation or system to help get evidence of what works used in practice to make a difference to services and to people’s lives. To do this, they co-design an evidence-informed change project, work with diverse stakeholders to implement the project in practice and share learning with others.

Positions are offered at 50% FTE for 12 months and will be based primarily in the Facilitator site/host organisation. While successful candidates are often employed by the lead University in each nation (Stirling, Ulster, Cardiff, Birmingham or Sheffield), the nature of our delivery roles also make them ideal for possible secondments from policy, practice, applied research or citizen-led organisations.

As part of IMPACT’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our practice we are particularly keen to receive applications from people from black and minority ethnic communities, and will be operating the ‘Rooney’ rule (i.e. at least one person from a black and minority ethnic community background will be shortlisted where they meet the essential criteria for the role). We are also keen to receive applications from people who have lived experience of drawing on care and support, are carers or are front-line practitioners, as well as from people who have experience of working with groups whose voices are seldom heard.

While these are part-time and very flexible posts, successful applicants will be expected to attend fortnightly online meetings with the broader IMPACT team where possible – these are held on Monday mornings (11am-12) and a fortnightly Facilitator team meeting on Wednesdays (4-5 pm). There will be an induction in Birmingham on Wednesday 23rd September 2026.

Main duties

• Based in a host organisation (see IMPACT website), and with the support of IMPACT’s national Facilitator lead and other team members, co-design/deliver an evidence-informed change project, and participate as required in IMPACT’s internal evaluation.
• Share learning from the project with others and support the embedding of lessons learned in policy and practice across the UK.
• Be a full member of the IMPACT team, taking part in team meetings on-line, informally contributing skills and experience to other aspects of IMPACT’s work as appropriate and helping to distil lessons that can shape IMPACT’s future ways of working.
• Ensure that the project gathers and applies evidence from research, practice knowledge and lived experience through extensive engagement with people who draw on care and support, carers, front-line care workers, and other key stakeholders in order to achieve the aims of the project.
• Work sensitively with issues of power, ensuring the inclusion of people whose voices are seldom heard.
• Champion and operationalise IMPACT’s commitment to co-production, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Apply and develop knowledge in a way that develops new intellectual understanding in the fields of social care and implementation, through a process of learning by doing.
• Disseminate lessons learned and findings to a diverse audience in creative and impactful ways.
• Share lessons around what helps and hinders the implementation of evidence-informed approaches in front-line practice with IMPACT colleagues and other audiences, contributing to the future evidence base.

Person Specification

• First degree of a good standard relevant to this area of practice OR equivalent professional qualification OR sufficient experience to demonstrate connected knowledge and skills.
• An understanding of public policy, public services, front-line practice and/or the realities of people’s lives – including of factors that enable or prevent change in such settings.
• Experience of applied research and/or the implementation of innovation/new ways of working within a social care or related area of practice and policy.
• A strong commitment to the principles of co-production and to embedding these in all aspects of their work.
• Excellent presentation skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to communicate effectively, in-person and on-line, with a range of different social care stakeholders including people and communities, practitioners, managers, academics and policy makers.
• High level of personal organisational skills and self-motivation to work independently as well as flexibly and collaboratively with the wider IMPACT team.
• Collaborative and flexible approach to work and excellent inter-personal skills.
• An awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses and an ability to work reflexively.
• Good skills in building networks with others.

To apply, you must:

1. Send a CV and cover letter to impactcentre@contacts.bham.ac.uk, clearly detailing the role, project and location you are applying for in the subject of the email.
2. Complete our mandatory additional information form: https://forms.office.com/e/4LxzkV2r8W.

Informal enquiries can be sent to impactcentre@contacts.bham.ac.uk.