Role Summary

As IMPACT evolves there is a substantial and growing evidence base generated from a series of local change projects across the UK. Our delivery projects implement research findings to drive change and innovation in practice in social care organisations. The national embedding team look for opportunities to sustain, scale and spread what we have learned, to get this embedded in national policy and practice to drive long-term innovation.

IMPACT is expanding its’ national embedding team with the addition of a second National Embedding Officer, and three senior part-time Embedding Leads for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These senior appointments will be managed by the Deputy Head of National Embedding with a dotted line to the national lead for IMPACT in their nation. The role holder will be able to draw on some support from the national project officer for their nation. This is a unique opportunity to take practical evidence of what works in adult social care and maximise the difference it makes to people’s lives by finding ways to influence policy and practice.

The National Embedding team is led by IMPACT’s Deputy Director Ewan King (Chief Executive, Shared Lives Plus) and Deputy Head of National Embedding Dr Laura Griffith. In addition to working closely with IMPACT’s Deputy Head of National Embedding, the postholder will develop a close working relationship with the central IMPACT team (especially the Communications and Engagement Manager, Strategic Communications Advisor and Head of Operations) as well as IMPACT’s delivery and national leads.

Remote working will be supported within this role; however, the role holder will be expected to spend a minimum of two days twice per year (inclusive of travelling time) at an in-person meeting whose location will rotate around the nations. There will be monthly team meetings that can be attended on-line. Occasional travel to IMPACT events and/or specific delivery project meetings will be required, and will be reimbursed from the usual place of work.

Main Duties

The National Embedding leads Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will include:

• Delivering significant knowledge transfer activities in partnership with people who draw on care and support, carers, care workers, public services, government, care commissioners, regulators and other national adult social care stakeholders; this could be in the form of policy round tables, events, policy advice and/or other influence and engagement activities.
• Drawing on both an in-depth knowledge of adult social care policy and practice priorities, plans and strategies in their nation and IMPACT’s theory of change to co-ordinate, plan and organize IMPACT priorities for knowledge transfer activities, and translating these into a plan to sustain, scale and spread implementation of research findings over a number of years across the adult care sector in their nation.
• Leading on the development and forward planning of embedding related public engagement/outreach activities aligned to government and sector priorities - working closely with IMPACT Comms and Engagement Manager/team.
• Leading on forward planning for implementing embedding activity in their nation over a number of years, by aligning their plans to IMPACT’s four aims and sector and government priorities.
• Developing and maintaining high level networking links and collaborations, with government, regulators, social care leaders, professional bodies and improvement agencies across the four UK nations.
• Supporting the IMPACT Head and Deputy Head of National Embedding in shaping debates through expert contributions to media (which may be print, broadcast, online and social media) and policy debate, aimed at long-term and sustained change.
• Contributing to options appraisal being developed by the IMPACT Head and Deputy Head of National Embedding for their nation.
• Working collaboratively with a broad range of partners in their nation, helping to deliver a demonstrable impact from local delivery projects in the long term by planning and organising their priorities in alignment with partners’ strategic priorities.
• Supporting the IMPACT Head and Deputy Head of National Embedding on important sectoral bodies (e.g. professional/service/educational regulators, government committees, arms-length bodies etc) and acting as deputy/supporting their attendance when required.
• Ensuring that our national embedding work is co-produced with IMPACT’s Co-production Advisory Group, people who draw upon care and support and carers – and that our embedding work draws on lived experience and practice knowledge to maximise its impact/live out our values.
• Taking collective ownership of challenges faced by IMPACT and its partners and working with colleagues to develop solutions.
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour in line with university policies.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Higher Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus significant relevant practical experience – where no equivalent qualification is held substantial practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required;
• Substantial experience of implementing evidence informed change in an adult social care or other public service setting
• In-depth knowledge of government and sector long-term priorities for adult social care in their nation
• Ability to plan a programme of knowledge mobilisation activities with the potential to deliver long-term sustained change in adult social care practice and policy.
• Substantial experience and demonstrable high level of achievement in knowledge mobilisation and similar activity
• Substantial experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including orally and in writing, with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a range of stakeholders based on credibility and trust
• Substantial experience of working collaboratively internally and externally with key stakeholders to achieve measurable outcomes;
• Ability to work on own initiative to plan and deliver high quality outcomes working within agreed parameters
• High level of self-motivation and personal accountability with ability to plan and deliver goals to deadlines under pressure
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document [https://bham.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/HRDC/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc={7c4