Strategic Improvement Coach

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,485 to £55,295 with potential progression once in post to £62,098. Grade: 8

Hours: Part Time (18.75 working hours per week)

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to February 2026

The importance of social care professionals engaging in research is well established through its potential to generate new insights for practice and create new opportunities for professional development. This includes Occupational Therapists, who make a vital contribution to empowering people to manage their health and wellbeing and making personalised care a reality within the social care system. There are though numerous challenges which make it difficult to participate in, contribute to, or lead research, including workforce capacity, skills development, and insufficient career pathways. To understand how we can address these barriers, the West Midlands Applied Research Collaboration is working with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Principal Occupational Therapists Network to undertake a 12 month change project to facilitate engagement in research by occupational therapists.

This Strategic Improvement Coach role will lead the project and be based within the IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) centre. This is the UK centre for implementing evidence which draws on knowledge from different types of research, the lived experience of people who draw on care and support and carers, and the practice knowledge of social care staff to improve practice and policy. IMPACT Demonstrators focus on large, strategic issues in a local system, using change management, organisational development and leadership skills to bring about evidence-informed change, in partnership with people who draw on care and support, families, social care practitioners, and policy makers.

The post holder can either be employed at University of Birmingham or be seconded from their existing role with agreement of their employer.

Main Duties

• Work with regional stakeholders to design the change project and articulate a local ‘theory of change’ to help structure the activities. 
• Facilitate the project, bringing together key stakeholders to design, deliver and sustain local change
• Ensure that there is active and meaningful involvement of people whose voices are seldom heard and to co-production at all stages 
• Work with national policy and practice partners to embed lessons learned regionally and nationally 

Person Specification

• Senior experience as a manager or practitioner, or as an applied researcher, management consultant or improvement coach in Occupational Therapy related fields 
• Extensive experience of leading and designing strategic improvement projects within adult social care or in a field relevant to adult social care
• Demonstrable commitment to the values of co-production and knowledge of how to embed these values in practice 
• First degree OR equivalent professional qualification OR sufficient practical experience to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills 
• An understanding of the factors that enable or prevent change in adult social care and how evidence can be used to increase likelihood of success 

Informal enquiries to Robin Miller, email: r.s.miller@bham.ac.uk 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the above 'Apply' button.

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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