HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 6
Directorate: Safety and Rehabilitation
Job Description: OPD Pathway Research Officer
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
Document Type
Management
Version
1.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
1 October 2019
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
Job Description
Job Title
OPD Pathway Research Officer
Directorate
Safety and Rehabilitation
Band
6
Overview of the job
This is a two-year fixed-term post, where the job holder will report to the Offender
Personality Disorder Programme Pathway Research Manager (HMPPS central team).
This post will broadly involve working on research, evaluation and analysis projects
for the OPD programme in line with the programme’s research and evaluation
strategy.
Summary
The post holder is responsible for carrying out in house evaluation and data analysis
projects, as well as using their expertise to provide advice on external and service-
lead research and evaluation projects. Part of this role requires support and advice
on the drive to improve the OPD pathway database, as well as testing developments
so as to inform future, large-scale evaluations.
The post requires working with a range of stakeholders, including data contractors,
the joint OPD teams in HMPPS and NHS England, service providers (HMPPS, NHS,
voluntary sector organisations and others), and service users.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
? Carrying out in-house research and evaluation in line with the OPD research
and evaluation strategy, employing both qualitative and quantitative
techniques.
? Carrying out feasibility projects to inform larger evaluation projects for
commissioning.
? Carrying out analysis on ‘big data’ sets, using R (or SPSS if data allows)
linking data to OPD-related outcomes.
? Conducting literature reviews to inform service development, strategy and
wider knowledge base, as required.
? Acting as a source of expertise to understand administrative datasets and
how they can be used for evaluation within the OPD programme.
? Providing expertise and support to OPD services to ensure service-based
evaluations are as robust as possible and have been through relevant ethics
and governance processes.
? Support and continue to build the OPD academic network, identifying and
contributing, if required, to external funding applications.
? Support externally commissioned research projects by providing expert
knowledge and/or data extracts, while ensuring data compliance.
? Contribute as required to FOIs and business requests concerning OPD
evaluation and data.
DATA ANALYSIS TO INFORM IMPROVEMENT
? Developing a ‘whole systems’ knowledge of OPD pathway data, across
prison and probation and what reliable data can be used to link and
evaluate programme outcomes.
? Support the OPD data quality analyst, as required to provide data extracts
and/or with the data admin network.
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
? Contributing to quality assurance as required.
? To work closely with OPD data contractors on continuing quality
improvement and updating the OPD database to provide data suitable for
outcomes evaluation.
? To work collaboratively and build supportive professional relationships with
colleagues from NPS and health organisations.
? Building and maintaining relationships within MoJ analytics and NHS
England, to enable the exploration of linking criminal justice and health
data.
? Provide evidence-based advice and use available data to identify emerging
trends across the pathway so as to support commissioning decisions and to
identify and make recommendations for improvement.
? Explore and use data visualisation techniques to present research and data
outputs in a meaningful way to technical and non-technical audiences.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
? Ensure that information management needs are met in order to enable
effective data sharing and monitoring of quality.
? To acquire the knowledge and expertise on the complex relationship and
sharing agreements needed for a joint health and justice programme. To be
able to assist others and give advice on information sharing.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not
intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable
alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant
adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall
be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Behaviours
? Changing & Improving
? Managing a Quality Service
? Seeing the Big Picture
? Delivering at Pace
? Communicating and Influencing
? Working Together
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
? Previous experience of applying analytical skills (minimum 2 years). This
could be a data analyst role, applied academia, government or work towards
a successful postgraduate qualification
? Interpretation of data (qualitative and quantitative), presentation of results,
provision of recommendations conclusions
? Application of ethics to research
? Experience of mixed methods research is desirable
Technical
? A minimum of a 2:1 degree (undergraduate) or equivalent in a social science
Requirements
related subject with sufficient social research content (a minimum of 30% in
social research methods)
? Postgraduate qualification in a related field is desirable
? Knowledge of prison and probation data management systems and/or health
systems is desirable
Ability
? Technical skills: Qualitative methods, including research design, data
collection (i.e. interviewing, focus groups, ethnographic), data analysis (e.g.
thematic analysis)
? Quantitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e.
questionnaire design, sampling, weighting), data analysis (e.g. statistical
analysis)
? Research skills: Study design, hypothesis formation, testing and evaluation
? Systematic/literature reviews
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
? IT literacy with good knowledge of MS Office products (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Outlook). Strong data analytical skills are essential with
excellent knowledge in using R, SPSS or equivalent
? Excellent written and oral communication skills, and ability to translate
complex data and IT information into lay form, including via data
visualisation
? Understanding of the legal requirements around information sharing of
sensitive data between HMPPS and partners, and in particular NHS England
and providers
Minimum Eligibility
Please do not alter this box
? All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
? All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are
subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within
HMPPS.
? All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or
organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Changing and Improving
Technical skills: Qualitative
Previous experience of
A minimum of a 2:1 degree
methods, including research
applying analytical skills
(undergraduate) or equivalent in a
design, data collection (i.e.
(minimum 2 years). This could
social science related subject with
interviewing, focus groups,
be a data analyst role, applied
sufficient social research content (a
ethnographic), data analysis (e.g.
academia, government or
minimum of 30% in social research
thematic analysis)
work towards a successful
methods)
postgraduate qualification
Managing a Quality Service
Quantitative methods, including
Interpretation of data
Postgraduate qualification in a
research design, data collection
(qualitative and quantitative),
related field is desirable
(i.e. questionnaire design,
presentation of results,
sampling, weighting), data
provision of
analysis (e.g. statistical analysis)
recommendations/
conclusions
Seeing the Big Picture
Research skills: Study design,
Application of ethics to
Knowledge of prison and probation
hypothesis formation, testing and research
data management systems and/or
evaluation
health systems is desirable
Delivering at Pace
Systematic/literature reviews
Experience of mixed methods
research is desirable
Communicating and Influencing
IT literacy with good knowledge
of MS Office products (Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Strong data analytical skills are
essential with excellent
knowledge in using R, SPSS or
equivalent
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0
Working Together
Excellent written and oral
communication skills, and ability
to translate complex data and IT
information into lay form,
including via data visualisation
Understanding of the legal
requirements around information
sharing of sensitive data between
HMPPS and partners, and in
particular NHS England and
providers
HQ-JES-2639 OPD Pathway Research Officer v1.0