Based in the Faculty of Health, the School of Health Professions has something for everyone interested in health and care-related professions and is committed to shaping students into the best health professionals they can be.
InterCity Place is the first-class new home for our healthcare teaching and research providing students with skills to meet the needs of 21st century careers. The School offers a unique interdisciplinary learning environment, where students from the largest breadth of healthcare disciplines in the South West can benefit from excellent skills and research laboratories, research-informed teaching, stimulating practice placements and teaching delivered by professionally registered academic staff.
The School is proud of the commitment to student voluntary work, staff–student partnership, strong professional values and our record of student achievement and student satisfaction. State-of-the-art facilities and equipment help students maximise their potential and develop their core skills, preparing them to embark on exciting and rewarding careers. The School holds an Athena SWAN Silver award demonstrating the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and success for all.
We have an exciting opportunity for a researcher with an interest in person-centred care to join our project developing a decision-aid tool to support appropriate footwear choice to protect against foot ulceration in people living with diabetes.
Many people living with diabetes are at risk of foot ulceration, which can be a life-threatening condition if left untreated. Proper footwear can reduce this risk of foot ulceration, however, adherence to proper footwear can be low. This is because footwear that is appropriate to reduce the risk of foot ulcers may not always fit with a person’s lifestyle. Therefore, the aim of our project is to develop a decision-aid tool that can support people living with diabetes to choose proper footwear to reduce their risk of foot ulceration and fit their lifestyle. We envision that the tool will be used to help improve the quality of conversation people have with their health professional (e.g. podiatrist). The decision-aid will be developed according to the NICE framework for shared-decision-making support tools and be accessible to underserved communities.
This project is funded by Great Foundations and our research team includes both clinical and health behaviour science expertise. We will be working closely with a team from the University of Southampton, who are developing a similar decision-aid tool relating to offloading device selection for people with who currently have diabetic foot ulceration.
We are looking for a researcher experienced in healthcare and behaviour science, with expertise in qualitative methodologies and experience with patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). More generally, we are looking for a researcher with excellent communication and relationship building skills, and an ability to be flexible and work autonomously. This position requires a mix of skills and behaviours both academic and inter-personal, particularly with regards to engagement (e.g., ability to engage with diverse stakeholders; ability to communicate with non-researchers) and organisational and project management skills.
You will also carry out leadership, management and engagement activities, in line with University/School’s strategy, and may be required to support research informed teaching and learning. All activities undertaken within this role will be compliant with the University’s policies, including Health & Safety, Equality and Diversity, Ethics, Data Protection etc.
There is an essential requirement within this role that you will be required to travel to and work at different sites, between Devon, Cornwall and London. For example, you may need to travel to a location to interview a participant in person. Travel reimbursement will be granted for project purposes. We envisage this travel to be for a few days at a time at key points during the course of the project. Flexible working and remote working, where appropriate, is possible.
The successful candidate may be required to obtain an ATAS Certificate prior to this research being undertaken.
Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.
For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Sally Abey / Joanne Paton by email at sally.abey@plymouth.ac.uk / joanne.paton@plymouth.ac.uk.
This role will require an Standard Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Interviews are likely to take place in January 2024 and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted or not.
This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis for a period of 21 months due to funding.
We offer a competitive salary package and a generous pension and holiday scheme. We also offer a range of other benefits, including ongoing development opportunities.
The Faculty of Health holds two Silver and two Bronze Athena Swan Awards which recognises commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.
Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.
The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.
The University of Plymouth is a diverse, welcoming community where everyone makes a difference and is encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. To find out more about our inclusive community, initiatives such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter and our range of benefits / support mechanisms such as flexible working, staff networks and enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption leave please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages
We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups such as BAME/BIPOC and LGBT+.
Job Description
