Location Brighton, UK Hours Full time or part time hours considered up to a maximum of 1.0 FTE/ 37.5 hours per week. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need). Salary Grade 7 starting at £37,999 to £45,163 per annum, pro rata if part time. Contract Type Fixed Term Contract About the role This role supports a two-year project funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to improve residential social care and supported living services for autistic adults. It aims to develop a usable, accessible, evidence-informed implementation framework for the National Autistic Taskforce’s Independent Guide to Quality Care for Autistic People (NAT Guide), the only independent, autistic-authored resource developed to describe what makes high-quality care for autistic people of all ages and across the autistic spectrum. The Guide sets out a way forward towards improved care and quality of life, by shifting the focus from behaviour management to supportive relational understanding. You will work closely with the co-Principal Investigators, Dr Yo Dunn of the National Autistic Taskforce, and Dr David Orr, from the University of Sussex, and the other project leads, Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson of the University of Edinburgh and Dr Kathy Leadbitter of the University of Manchester. You will conduct fieldwork at two residential settings (involving monthly travel and some overnight stays), using interviews, observations, surveys and documentary analysis of service records. You will work with staff, residents and their family members/friends, and with action research groups to identify targets for local change mapped on to the NAT Guide, co-create solutions, and jointly evaluate their impact. You will contribute to data analysis and development of the findings into academic and practice publications, and stakeholder engagement. Autistic expertise will be central throughout the study, through the leadership of NAT, within the research team, steering group, advisory panel and in the action groups. About you We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher with familiarity and/or experience of UK social care, health or education services working with autistic adults. You will be committed to the social model of disability in your work for the project and interactions with stakeholders and be able to engage and communicate effectively with: autistic residents; their family, carers and friends; residential care staff and management; academic colleagues and project partners; and external audiences. You will have experience of participatory methodologies. While the final choice of research sites for the residential settings will be determined with the successful applicant’s input, monthly travel within England including overnight stays away from home should be expected. About our Division/School The School of Education and Social Work is proud to hold a Bronze Athena Swan Award. Why work here Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme. Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that. Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion Further Key Information Please contact David Orr (d.orrsussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries. The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from autistic individuals who meet the role criteria. The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK. Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code, and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship. January 30, 2025 5:59 PM Expected Interview Date To be confirmed Expected Start Date April 2025 Fixed Term Contract Duration Fixed term for 24 months