Meeting New Horizons & Hull CVS
Healthwatch East Riding
Research Officer
Job Description

Job Title:Healthwatch Research Officer

Responsible to:Healthwatch East Riding Delivery Manager

Based at:Brough Business Centre

Working Hours:21hours per week

Salary:£24,000 papro rata

Overall Objective:
The overall objective of the post is to ensure the effective implementation and delivery of a research and reporting function for Healthwatch East of Riding of Yorkshire. The post holder will work closely with the Healthwatch Delivery Manager to lead on issue-based investigations and develop reports with recommendations that effectively represent the patient and public voice and contribute towards the implementation of improvements to local services.
Scope:
Healthwatch East Riding CIC was established in April 2013 to replace the Local Involvement Networks (LINks) and to become the new consumer champion for local health and social care services. The organisation is the consumer voice on health and social care issues for the population of the whole of the East Riding. Hull CVS and Meeting New Horizons have been contracted by East Riding Council to set up and support the development of the new organisation.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Statutory Functions:
  • Work with the Healthwatch Delivery Managerto assess issues that have been raised as a concern and to set a workplan based on the feedback from patients and the public.
  • Analyse key strategic documents outlining local priorities such as the CCG Commissioning Plan and Health and Wellbeing Strategy and work with the Delivery Manager to identify the remit of Healthwatch within these strategies.
  • Work with the other members of the staff team to devise and implement appropriate plans of engagement to best gather wide ranging and representative evidence relating to local issues and investigations.
  • Work with the Information and Signposting Officer and the external NHS Complaints Advocacy Service to ensure information they are gathering is feeding into research, investigations and workplan setting.
  • Conduct issue led investigations and, in conjunction with the Independent Strategic Advisory Body and Delivery Manager, devise a plan of research and engagement.
  • Implement and lead on other workplan projects that are of a research nature.
  • Liaise with local service providers across public, private and voluntary sectors to obtain an objective view of current service provision and future plans for development.
  • Liaise with local and national stakeholders to gather key statistical data that will support investigations and research projects.
  • Conduct research into services and conditions to obtain a broad understanding of issues that are raised.
  • Act as the key point of contact for commissioners and service providers for all live and ongoing issues and investigations.
  • RepresentHealthwatch East Riding of Yorkshire at issue-specific boards and networks, and report back on outcomes and developments.
  • Assist the Delivery Manager in directing the delivery of the Enter and View function.
  • Collate and present the findings of Enter and View visits, either into an individual Enter and View report, or in a format that will contribute towards a wider investigative report.
  • Scrutinise the evidence and intelligence gathered over the course of an investigation and formulate in to a report with formal recommendations for submission to service providers and commissioners.
  • Work in conjunction with the Delivery Manager to devise a plan for follow up activity and informing the local community of developments, and identify appropriate actions when an insufficient response has been received from local providers.
  • Alert the Delivery Manager if during an investigation areas of serious concern are identified and require escalating to the CQC.
Performance Monitoring:
  • Reporting back to the Healthwatch Delivery Manageron activity and highlighting any areas of cross boundary activity.
  • Support the Delivery Manager in the collation of monthly and quarterly reports through the provision of data relating to research and scrutiny activity.
  • Support the Delivery Manager in the collation of information for the Annual Report.
General Duties:
  • To ensure that members of your team and wider Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS are kept adequately informed of your work as appropriate and that information is provided as requested by your line manager.
  • To participate in planning and team building activities within Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS and to contribute to the core operation and development of the organisation.
  • To take part in supervision / appraisal meetings as agreed in line with Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS policy.
  • To undertake in-service training as appropriate.
  • To respect confidentiality of all information acquired through working at Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS within the framework of the confidentiality policy.
  • To work in a self-servicing capacity.
  • To adhere to Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS policies and procedures.
  • To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post which you may be asked to undertake by the Meeting New Horizons/Hull CVS CEO.