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Welcome to the McPin Foundation
Thank you for your interest in our Public Involvement in Research
Coordinator post. This is a new position within our organisation.
About us:
Welcome to the McPin Foundation. Thank you for your interest in our
organisation and this post as our new Public Involvement in Research
Coordinator position. Our aim is to transform mental health research. Each of
our employees is vital to us in delivering our mission where mental health
research and research agendas place people affected by mental health
problems at the centre of all our activities. This post will join us to deliver our
public involvement in research programme led by Dr Thomas Kabir and
supported by an advisory group of mental health survivors, service users and
carers. This is a diverse range of activities working with research
organisations – universities, funding bodies, public health organisations,
voluntary sector – and peers with lived experience of mental health issues.
The role will include specific tasks supporting three Lived Experience of
Advisory Panels (LEAPs) within an NIHR applied health programme led by
Professor Max Birchwood based at the University of Warwick (see:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mds/projects/HaPS/PCCS/part
ners2/index.aspx). The study - PARTNERS2 - has three data collection sites
in Devon, Birmingham and Lancashire. This role involves supporting the PPI
programme in PARTNERS2 working closely with partner academics and
study research staff. You can find out more about us at www.mcpin.org.
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
Background to McPin Foundation
You will be working in a busy team based within an open plan serviced office
space in London. We are based in a building with other charities. The current
McPin team is made up of a research director, research manager, PIiR
manager and several senior researchers and researchers. The role of the
public involvement in research officer is a new position and vital in helping our
organisation develop new models of PPI (patient and public involvement)
research practice.
On a day to day basis your tasks in the first year include:
- Supporting the delivery of a new online forum for people with mental
health problems, mental health carers and researchers to discuss
research and ideas for new projects.
- Writing articles for the McPin involvement bulletin and the web site
- Supporting the peer research panel – a group of people who review
proposals and provide feedback to academic teams. This will include
allocating work to them, team building, planning training and promoting
the work of the group.
- Attend networking events, keeping up to date with developments in the
sector and generating ideas and new opportunities for progressing PPI in
mental health research
- Working on the PARTNERS2 study – a research project funded by NIHR,
supporting three LEAPs located in Devon, Birmingham and Lancashire.
- Collating and writing meeting papers, planning meeting agendas, booking
rooms and refreshments, chairing meetings, liaising with research team to
ensure LEAPs best support the research programme.
- Taking part in PARTNERS2 planning meetings, working closely with all
members of the PARTNERS2 PPI team.
- Travelling to PARTNERS2 meetings including overnight stays when
needed.
- Working with university academic teams to advise on how to design best
practice PPI in research strategies, and in some cases delivering these
strategies or aspects of them.
This is an exciting new role and it will evolve as the McPin Foundation
develops its PIiR programme over the next few years. This post will report to
the McPin PIiR manager
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
Job Description
Job Title:
Prepared by:
Public involvement in research
Public Involvement in Research
Coordinator
Manager
Location: Central London
Closing Date:
Tuesday 7th April 2015
Terms and conditions
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary FTE: Starts at £25687.51 PLUS £3351.01 Inner London Weighting
Holidays FTE: 25 days plus 8 public holidays and 3 additional days at
Christmas
Employment status: fixed term (2 years)
Probationary period: 6 months
Notice period: 4 weeks
Office base: London Waterloo
Line management: the post will be line managed by the Public Involvement in
Research Manager – Dr Thomas Kabir.
Purpose of the job:
As a member of the Public Involvement in Research (PIiR) team deliver part
of an agreed work programme to support the delivery of the McPin
Foundation’s mission to transform mental health services. One aspect of the
role is support to the PARTNERS2 research project.
Key Responsibilities:
Specific to PARTNERS2 study
 Deliver a model of support for PPI in PARTNERS2 in collaboration with
the Public Involvement in Research Manager and Research Director at
McPin Foundation as well as other research staff in PARTNERS2
 Coordinate PPI groups in the three PARTNERS2 study sites in Devon,
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
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Birmingham and Lancashire and attend monthly meetings
Develop the PPI groups in each site to an agreed standard through, for
example, research training and development days so that they are able
to deploy their expertise for maximum benefit of the research study.
Project manage and monitor tasks distributed to members of PPI
groups to ensure that work is delivered on time and to agreed
standards.
To contribute communication materials for the PARTNERS2 website
coordinating the PPI blog for the study and other outputs including peer
review journal articles
To provide input and advice to the overall PPI programme in
PARTNERS2
Specific to McPin Foundation PIiR programme
 Manage the McPin online research forum, due to be launched in March
2015 including moderating this resource.
 Write articles for the McPin involvement bulletin that is circulated to
survivor researchers, service user researchers and others interested in
peer involvement in mental health research.
 To organise lived experience panels for research teams and when
needed minute take these meetings
 To manage enquiries from the public about our work and opportunities
for peer researchers. Plan ways of engaging with stakeholders and
build the McPin Foundation supporter base.
 Contribute to our influencing strategy – developing a profile for mental
health research in key networks and supporting other people to be
spokespeople for the importance of mental health research. This will
include attending conferences and meeting to network across the
health and social care sector.
 To support the PIiR manager to develop the peer research panel,
including planning training and supervision in delivering lay reviews.
 Support the PIiR manager to develop and deliver the PIiR work plan.
 To contribute to the communication resources within the foundation –
writing blogs, adding website content, publishing peer review research
and PPI practice articles, developing toolkits and other outputs for
dissemination.
Dimensions
People – you will be supporting members of the public in three study sites,
and working alongside a team of service user researchers to deliver a
challenging programme of research. You will also be part of the McPin
Foundation team building the profile of PPI in mental health research through
networking, presentations and extensive team working.
Flexibility – this role will require flexibility in terms of mobility – travelling to
three study sites in different parts of England for PARTNERS2, staying
overnight as required, as well as adapting to the needs of the project
organising a PPI programme. There will be various tasks within McPin
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
Foundation that you will be asked to become involved with and potential for
the post to develop new ideas themselves.
Nature and Scope
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Comply with regulations including the Data Protection Act, as well as
the McPin Foundation’s policies and research governance framework,
and show a commitment to personal development in order to deliver
high quality work
The McPin Foundation is a small team within which everyone must
work on their own initiative, prioritise work and assist with the overall
efficient running of the Foundation to create a positive work
environment for employees and a professional resource for
stakeholders and members of the public.
The key responsibilities above give a broad outline of the functions of the
post. However, these duties must be approached in a flexible manner. The
post holder will be expected to adapt to changing circumstances and
undertake other duties appropriate to the grade of post as allocated by your
Line Manager as part of working in a small team to deliver the McPin
Foundation mission, vision and goals. The outline of responsibilities may
change from time to time.
Knowledge
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Must have a good understanding of mental health and the impact of
mental health problems on people’s lives (E)
Must have good knowledge of mental health services in England (E)
Must have good understanding of public and patient involvement in
research (E)
Must have good understanding of mental health research including
qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (D)
Skills
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Must be confident working in teams showing excellent team
membership qualities (E)
Must be adept communicator – both oral and written using well
developed skills. (E)
Must be confident speaking in public and chairing meetings (E)
Must show empathy with people with mental health problems and
confidence supporting people, coaching them and skill building others
to take part in PIiR (E)
Must be a highly organised and efficient worker, with the ability to
manage competing priorities and work to deadlines (E)
Must pay attention to detail as demonstrated through proof reading and
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
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accuracy in writing for different audiences (E)
Must have excellent computer skills, particularly in using Microsoft
Office software – word, access, excel, outlook (E)
Numerate and able to organise research information producing reports
as required (D)
Experience
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Must have personal experience of mental health issues and using
mental health services (E)
Must have experience of using their personal experience of mental
health issues in their work explicitly (E)
Must have experience of working with people with bipolar and
schizophrenia (E)
Must have experience of working with a mental health research team
(for example being sitting on a study service user and carer advisory
group etc) (E)
Must have experience of setting up and facilitating groups, including
delivering, planning, or facilitating training (E)
Must have written documents for the lay public (E) and mental health
service users and carers (D)
Must have experience of being actively involved in mental health
research (E)
Competency
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Quality: Maintain quality in own work and encourage others to act
consistently with policies, legislation and procedures (including
research governance framework) (E)
Equality: Value people as individuals Takes into account own and
others’ behaviour and its effects on others and take appropriate action
when own or others’ behaviours undermine equality and diversity (E)
Information: Gather, analyse and report on a range of information
effectively using appropriate methods and sources. Report the data
and information at the agreed time using presentation, layout, tone,
language, content and images appropriate for its purpose and agreed
recipients (E)
Communication: Communicates effectively using a range of different
media, including email, telephone, social media and web. Maintain
accurate and complete records consistent with legislation, policies and
procedures. Ensures effective communication with a range of people
on a range of matters; constructively managing barriers. Evidence
ability to develop and maintain communication in difficult situations and
with people on difficult matters recognising and reflecting on the
barriers to effective communication, modifying responses where
necessary (E)
Personal development: To take responsibility for their own
development by taking an active role in learning opportunities and to be
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.
able to identify own learning needs and evaluate the impact of learning
activities (E)
Qualifications
 Appropriate level of education and qualifications in order to
demonstrate clear ability in skills, knowledge and competency for this
post (E)
E = Essential
D = Desirable
Registered address and Head Office: The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
Company number: 6010593 Charity number: 1117336.