Community Researcher

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic social researcher to join our fantastic Surrey Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) team.

Based with Good Company, a local anti-poverty charity, the Community Researcher role would design and conduct research on wider determinants of health (e.g., poverty, food insecurity) and their impacts on health inequalities, with a particular focus on co-production and other forms of participatory research. The wider determinants of health are a diverse range of social, economic and environmental factors which influence people’s mental and physical health. Systematic variation in these factors constitutes social inequality, an important driver of the health inequalities.

In addition, this role would seek to increase the capacity of local voluntary sector organisations to carry out their own participatory research, as well as supporting the HDRC programme team in promoting participatory research methods across Surrey and building the local evidence base on the wider determinants of health.

There will be a second Community Researcher post based with Reigate & Banstead Council which will focus on building the participatory research capacity within the local authority.

About Surrey Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC):

This role would form part of the new and innovative Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) programme funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Surrey HDRC programme is delivered by Surrey County Council,  University of Surrey (UoS), alongside local partners Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Good Company and Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum (SMEF).

Surrey HDRC is designed to boost the capacity of Surrey County Council to do research, together with our communities, with the aim of improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities in Surrey communities. Surrey HDRC will develop a sustainable research culture, build research capacity and capability, and increase our local evidence-base on wider determinants of health.

About this role:

The post holder will be based at Good Company and will work as part of the Surrey HDRC programme team, leading on participatory research and co-production. The role includes:

·       Developing a programme of research on wider determinants of health inequalities, with a particular focus on co-production and other forms of participatory research.

·       Strengthening the participatory and co-production research capacity across Surrey, with a particular focus on the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

·       Actively supporting the wider Surrey HDRC team in promoting the value of participatory research and co-production across Surrey County Council and its partners and building the local evidence-base on the social and wider determinants of health.

The post holder should have demonstrable skills in qualitative research methods, including experience of conducting participatory research. Ideally, they will have an understanding of health inequalities and the social and wider determinants of health. Experience of working or volunteering within a community setting would also be desirable.