Social Work Research Lead | Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer: Lancashire Care Foundation Trust
Location: Preston, PR5 6AW
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full time
Disability Confident: No
Closing Date: 30/04/2026
About this job
At LSCFT, our social work practice is grounded in our Brilliant Basics framework.
This model ensures we excel in four critical areas: Clinical Practice, Leadership, Education, and Research.
As the Social Work Research Lead, you will be the driving force behind the Research element of this framework.
Your goal is to move beyond standard practice by identifying key priorities for new knowledge and ensuring every intervention we provide is backed by the strongest evidence.
Leading the Research Agenda
In this role, you won't just oversee projects; you will cultivate a research-active culture that empowers our staff and improves patient outcomes.
• Identify & Innovate: Pinpoint gaps in our current knowledge base to deliver better care and support for people accessing our services.
• Support & Mobilise: Actively support LSCFT social workers with their own research while sharing findings through effective knowledge mobilisation.
• Collaborate for Quality: Lead quality improvement projects and research into patient experiences to inform person‑centred service design.
• Address Inequalities: Contribute to projects that explore strategies to reduce health inequalities and challenge discrimination within our diverse communities.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Partnerships: Effectively link with academic partners (including UCLAN, Lancaster University, and the University of Manchester) to develop high‑quality research bids.
Grant Leadership: Lead the development and submission of research grant bids, such as NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.
Evidence‑Based Practice: Inculcate research awareness among social workers to promote a culture of evidence‑based practice.
LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce.
We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups.
If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.
LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing.
We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.
The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do.
We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.
Explore opportunities for wellbeing support here: Keeping our workforce well
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