About the role
This is an exciting opportunity for a talented individual to make a significant contribution to the enhancement of research in children’s palliative care. The post holder will play a pivotal role in the academic work of the Louis Dundas Centre for Palliative Care for Children and Youth (LDC) and impact on the wider children’s palliative care network in the UK and provide standards of care for children, young people and families around the world. The post is based in the LDC in the Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department at Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS ICH). LDC is the largest specialised paediatric palliative unit in Europe, yearly caring for close to children from pre-term to the age of 16 years. It accommodates a world-renowned clinical team providing both home and in-patient care in collaboration with community services, hospices, and other local hospitals. LDC is currently building its research team. The main objective is to improve management of children with life limiting conditions. This will primarily be done by identifying avoidable and modifiable health care and family factors over the trajectory from diagnosis to death and beyond. One project concerns information and decision making in families of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It is a nationwide study involving both families and staff in collaboration with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and The aim is to learn from families and healthcare staff about their experiences of newly introduced pharmaceutical and genetic therapies. The investigation will employ a mixed methods approach and is expected to provide guidelines for future care based on the new treatment options. Another project focuses on safe drug delivery in paediatric palliative home care. At present there is very little data on the incidence and extent of errors, nor descriptions of factors underlying or preventing such errors. A mixed methods approach will be applied. Beyond quantitative measures this will include interviews of families and staff to assess their perspectives on delivery errors and how to avoid them. In addition to the above-mentioned projects, research questions emerge constantly from the clinical work. An almost unlimited source of data is available through electronic medical records at GOSH and LDC.
About you
The successful candidate will be highly organised and proactive, with strong analytical and research skills. They will have experience in data management (including cleaning, merging, and analysis of patient records from systems like EPIC), as well as expertise in preparing data analysis plans and conducting statistical analyses. They should be able to collaborate effectively with clinical and research teams, contribute to grant and ethics applications, and support the dissemination of findings through presentations, publications, and conferences. Strong communication skills are essential for providing regular updates, supervising students, and engaging in professional development. Additionally, they should demonstrate the ability to monitor project progress, identify and resolve issues, and comply with institutional policies and training requirements.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance