Research Activities
The postholder will lead a desktop review of the current UK government policy environment and the broader external landscape relating to Children and Young People (CYP).
Use mixed research methods to synthesise evidence, identify gaps and opportunities, and provide clear, actionable recommendations to the ICF leadership team to inform strategy, partnership collaborations, and future research bids.
Systematically review UK government policy, guidance, consultations, parliamentary activity, and regulator outputs relevant to CYP across education, health and mental health, care, youth justice, safeguarding, digital/safety online, and inequalities.
Monitor policy pipelines, for example upcoming bills and relevant publications.
Analyse activity across charities, foundations, think tanks, NHS bodies, local authorities, youth sector organisations, and relevant industry partners.
Identify key programmes, evidence gaps, funding streams, and partnership opportunities aligned to institutional strengths.
Ability to pull all information together to produce using appropriate methodologies. e.g., rapid evidence assessments, scoping review, and thematic synthesis of academic and grey literature.
Plan and prioritise own day to day work and resources to achieve agreed research objectives, leading the work of small teams of research assistants and/or research students as required.
Write up results of own research and prepare to present finding to internal (and / or external) stakeholder groups, including ICF leadership team.
Use initiative and judgement to develop appropriate techniques to facilitate research work and resolve problems affecting the achievement of objectives and deadlines.
Liaison and Networking
Contribute to the dissemination of research findings through journals, conferences and seminars, in order to further the institution’s standing in the HE and research community.
Participate in the development of internal and external partnerships and networks in order to disseminate information, share best practice, generate income, establish opportunities for collaborative work, and to enhance the reputation of the University.
Work with partners and external agencies on collaborative projects that benefit both the department and the Faculty.
Service Provision
Keep relevant stakeholders updated on progress, and be responsible for exploring their needs, and acting on feedback, in order to ensure that research delivers against their requirements.
Collaborate with senior academic staff to organise, manage and carry out appropriate research.
Respond to enquiries and requests for information from potential students, academic staff from other HE institutions, and relevant stakeholders, when required.
Proactively and effectively engage with quality assurance procedures to ensure that University standards are upheld.
Team Working
Actively participate as a member of the ICF /research team, providing mutual support to colleagues to achieve successful completion of projects.
Attend Faculty, Department and Programme meetings/boards as appropriate and proactively contribute to decision making.
Introduce new starters to the area, giving training on basic skills and activities to assist their induction to the team.
Miscellaneous
You have a legal duty, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure that you do not endanger yourself or anyone else by your acts or omissions. In addition, you must cooperate with the University on health and safety matters and must not interfere or misuse anything provided for health, safety and welfare purposes.
You are responsible for applying the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy in your own area of responsibility and in your general conduct.
You have a responsibility to promote high levels of customer care within your own areas of work.
Such other relevant duties commensurate with the grade of the post as may be assigned by the Manager in agreement with you. Such agreement should not be unreasonably withheld.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to Environmental Sustainability in order to reduce its waste, energy consumption and carbon footprint.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to delivering value for money services that optimise the use of resources and therefore should consider this when undertaking all duties and aspects of your role.