This post is responsible for being an effective leader and engaging with health and social care organisations across the region and identifying and acting on opportunities to improve and grow the use of existing and new data for the purpose of research. The leader will promote the importance of research and how it can be utilised in practice. This post will foster and engender a whole systems approach across health and social care which supports integration of data and working digitally, to the benefit of research as well as the public.

The postholder will have a good understanding of local government, health and social care and previous experience of conducting research initiatives. They will be expected to work collaboratively with key regional partners to identify and develop research opportunities in the area of adult social care and to show considerable initiative in identifying solutions to business problems and in championing innovation and change across the region.

Acting as technical specialist on a number of projects, but also identifying and delivering regional projects based on audits, service evaluations and gap analyses with the aim to improve the capacity and capability of health and social care data and digital ways of working to be utilised to develop and deliver research. 

The postholder will be required to develop a strong understanding of regional health and care digital and data initiatives and ensure that research activity is supportive of and builds on existing work and good practice.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Engage with a number of organisations who may have limited experience of research and support them with developing data and digital ways of working to support research

2. Responsible for the production, development and promotion of how data and working digitally can benefit the public's opportunities to participate in research

3. Develop a network of adult social care research leads across the region and support them to develop research capacity and capabilities

4. Ensure research proposals, approaches and activity are congruent with social care values including co-production, person-centred care and social justice

5. Responsible for the formulation of long term plans and strategic direction within business area(s)

6. Provides expert advice and guidance on information matters including the development of health and social care related data sets and information

7. Manages projects and/or staff