Job Number
BU03822
School/Department
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Grade
7
Contract Duration
2 years
Responsible to
Director of Research, Impact and Engagement
The Project
The team is comprised of experts and specialists in language and communication, deaf mental health, deaf health and well-being, interpreting services, the law, and environmental access and well-being. Working together with members of the deaf community, they will co-design, co-construct, implement, and evaluate community-led solutions for their communities in Wales.
The aim is to focus on interventions to address the health disparities that Welsh deaf individuals experience in Wales. The project has been split into six Hubs, each of which focuses on a particular area related to health in Wales. While there are six distinct Hubs, they do overlap in some shape and form. The Hubs are Public Health, Mental Health, Interpreting Services, Language and Communication, Natural Resources, and Law and Human Rights. Examples of interventions include working with Public Health Wales to ensure that health information is accessible, improving the provision of deaf mental health services in Wales, increasing the number of interpreters in Wales, developing a BSL corpus of Welsh regional signs, improving access to the national resources of Wales, and addressing issues in raising complaints when things go wrong.
In addition, we will also be developing an online dictionary and resources to help interpreters, service providers and those interested in signed languages and signed language research. We are also developing video guide apps to improve access to Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons).
Purpose of the Job
These two-year posts are part of an established team working in the area of Welsh deaf health and wellbeing. The project involves working with an interdisciplinary research team on a three-year AHRC grant on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of the Welsh deaf community and developing interventions and proposals to address identified inequalities and issues. The postholder will contribute to and conduct research, gather, prepare and analyse data and generate original ideas and results. They will also be responsible, among other things, for helping to implement and coordinate a series of meetings, focus groups, and online studies, consulting with external and internal partners, along with some elements of project management. The postholder will also help with the project’s communication and social media engagement.
While there will be some overlap between the two posts as and when required by the project team, it is expected that each post will focus on: 1. Supporting and gathering data and content for the Hubs. 2. Facilitating interviews and focus groups across Wales, which will be an opportunity to engage with local deaf people to ask them to contribute their views. 3. Raising awareness of the project’s newly created platforms and resources. 4. Supporting the evaluations of the work in each Hub during the design/build phase. 5. Attending project team meetings to discuss and shape the project. 6. Developing vlogs, blogs, team reports, and papers about the project. 7. Discussing and developing ideas towards future grant proposals as the project develops.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Get to know and work collaboratively with all members of the project team.
2. Pro-actively contribute to and conduct research, including gather, prepare and analyse data, generate original ideas and present results.
3. Prepare reports, draft patents and papers describing the results of the research, both confidential and for publication.
5. Demonstrate and evidence own professional development, identifying development needs with reference to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, particularly with regard to probation, PDR and participation in training events.
6. Maintain and enhance links with the professional institutions and other related bodies.
7. Observe best-practice protocols in maintenance and retention of research records as indicated by HEI and Research Councils records management guidance. This includes ensuring project log-book records are deposited with the University/Principal Investigator on completion of the work.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements and Dignity at Work and Study Policy.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for them selves self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.
Person Specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential
• Fluent in English and British Sign Language (minimum BSL Level 3) OR a native signer.
Desirable
• BSL Level 6.
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
• Knowledge of working with deaf communities.
• Actively networks with deaf communities in Wales.
Desirable
• Proven track record in organising and managing events within the deaf community.
• A demonstrable ability to conduct research in line with the objectives of the project.
• Lived experience of culturally deaf people.
• Previous experience in the use and management of online secure software for data collection and experience of filming and video editing of BSL material.
• Previous experience of data handling, management, curation and analysis.
Skills/Abilities
Essential
• Knowledge of challenges of rural/urban communities across Wales with an understanding of multicultural and multilingual working environments.
• Ability to travel independently around Wales.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work to deadlines, to work independently and collaboratively in a team.
• IT literacy including MS Office, PowerPoint, Excel.
Desirable
• The ability to speak Welsh.
• Evidence of conducting research surveys, interviews, and being involved in data analysis with the ability to actively engage in and contribute to writing research publications and reports.
• Evidence of planning skills to contribute to the research project.
• Demonstrate proven project management skills.
• Experience with social media platforms (posting, content management).
Other
Desirable
• UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
General
Disclosure & Barring Service