Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 

BACKGROUND 

Welbodi Partnership is a UK-registered charity working to reduce maternal and child mortality and  morbidity in Sierra Leone. Since 2008, Welbodi Partnership has worked in partnership with hospital  management, health facility staff, and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to improve maternal and child  health outcomes in Sierra Leone. We do this through a range of health system strengthening activities,  staff training, hospital improvement projects, community engagement and Research.

Our vision is that all women and children in Sierra Leone will have access to effective essential healthcare  services characterised by respect and dignity for all, including patients, communities and staff. Our mission  is to build the capacity of the health system in Sierra Leone to reduce the number of women and children  who are sick, suffer, or die unnecessarily.

For further information about our work, please see: www.welbodipartnership.org 

ROLE PURPOSE

The post holder will join Professor Shennan and Professor Gevao’s NIHR Maternal Health Research  Group, to support coordination and delivery of the CRADLE 5 trial: a type 2 hybrid implementation  effectiveness cluster randomised controlled trial of the CRADLE intervention across eight rural  districts in Sierra Leone (www.cradletrial.org).

The NIHR Maternal Health Research Group (CRIBS) is funded by the Global Health Research strand  of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and aims to improve maternal and neonatal  outcomes in Sierra Leone by developing and implementing life-saving maternal health interventions  and building research capacity.

This is a full-time post; the post-holder will be based in Freetown, with frequent (monthly) up-country  travel required. 

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

RESEARCH BACKGROUND

The CRADLE Vital Signs Alert device (VSA) measures blood pressure and heart rate and was  developed for use in low-income countries by the team at King’s College London. It has now been  used in over 50 countries. It is portable, cheap, charged with a micro-USB and easy-to-use, even  by healthcare providers (HCPs) who are not medically trained. A novel, in-built traffic light system  alerts the healthcare provider to abnormal readings and the need to act. We have shown previously  within an urban setting that use of the device (with training) in Freetown, Sierra Leone (as well as  urban settings in seven other LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti & India) can lead to more women  receiving the most appropriate care. Significantly fewer women died (60%) and 40% less became  seriously unwell when the CRADLE VSA device was introduced in Sierra Leone. The CRADLE-3 trial  provided sufficient evidence for the potential impact on maternal morbidity and mortality,  warranting scale up of the intervention in Sierra Leone. Following successful completion of the first  Phase of the national CRADLE VSA rollout to over 717 PHUs (across the 8 districts of Western Area  Urban and Rural, Bo, Bombali, Kenema, Kambia, Port Loko and Pujehun) in July 2021; the MoHS,  Welbodi Partnership and King’s College London undertook a second Phase of the national rollout  to the rest of the country in 2022 and 2023. As part of the second Phase, the programme targeted the districts of Tonkolili, Koinadugu, Kono, Kailahun, Bonthe, Moyamba, Karene and Falaba  and be collected detailed data on clinical health outcomes at both PHU and hospital facility – levels alongside the project’s device distribution and emergency obstetric training. We have now moved  on to data analysis and sustainability work.

This project provided a timely opportunity to deliver embedded implementation research and  evaluate the clinical impact of the CRADLE device in a real-world setting. The project used a mixed  methods approach to evaluate the intervention, whilst exploring the mechanisms and contextual  factors influencing implementation and outcomes. The evidence accrued we hope will provide a  blueprint for adoption and impact in other geographies.

APRICOT/SIPHRE/PINEAPPLE 

These projects aim to validate the feasibility of novel point-of-care technologies to enable earlier  detection of haemorrhage, sepsis (CRADLE VSA measuring shock index), and pre-eclampsia (RONIA  and LEPZI, both POC Placental growth factor devices for diagnosis of pre-eclampsia). Point of care  testing has numerous benefits in an LMIC setting; it provides immediate results without the need for  expensive laboratory infrastructure or venepuncture skills and can be undertaken in remote and  resource-limited settings.

The successful candidate will have a background in maternal health, a passion for mixed-methods  research, a willingness to engage in all aspects of this project including regular in-country travel  and have experience of implementing and evaluating health programmes in Sierra Leone.

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Welbodi programs manager and technical guidance from a  team of maternal health researchers at King’s College London the role of the Research Assistant will  be to oversee the smooth running of the CRADLE project and to work with the study team to assess  the CRADLE Intervention through mixed methods research design, execution, analysis and write up

while building and maintaining relationships with key partners.

Specific responsibilities are listed below but the role may include other duties necessary for the  success of the overall CRADLE trial:

• Involvement in focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews to explore  women’s and community members’ views on the barriers and facilitators to quality  healthcare
• Working with the study team to contribute to reporting of the CRADLE project • Inputting data into a secure database, supporting data collection, data validation and  monitoring and maintaining security of data.
• Establishes and maintains close working relationships with the DHMT Management  Team, the

Medical Superintendents and other health facility managers, the Ministry of Health  and Sanitation, key health sector stakeholders, partners at health care facilities, other  NGO representatives and donors and Kings College London Co-Investigators.

• Supports management of district data with collaboration from district M&E team  members
• Supports the delivery of timely and high-quality progress reports for donors, in  collaboration with the Programmes Manager.
• Contribute in monitoring and evaluation of the project through timely update of primary  and secondary outcome data in conjunction with the M&E 

 Contribute to the SIPHIRE and APRICOT studies through;

• Data collection of patients’ vital signs and clinical outcomes from the PCMH medical  hospital notes.
• Inputting data to a secure database, supporting data collection and data validation  and maintaining security of data.
• Assisting with data checking and cleaning as required.
• Assisting with health economic analysis and write-up.
• Performing their duties in keeping with the organisation’s values, recognizing and  reporting in a timely fashion any problems in obtaining data.
• Establishing and maintaining close working relationships with the hospital  management team, ward staff, and colleagues from Welbodi Partnership and  King’s College London research team

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to  undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading  of the post.  

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as public health, CHO sciences, nursing, epidemiology,  social sciences, or a related discipline. A Master’s degree in is a plus.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES.

• Research Experience: Demonstrated experience in conducting mixed-methods research, including designing research studies, data collection, and data analysis. Experience in maternal health research is highly desirable.
• Sierra Leone Expertise: Knowledge of the Sierra Leone healthcare system, its challenges, and maternal health issues in the country.
• Data Management Skills: Proficiency in data collection, data entry. Experience in analysis tools and software, such as statistical analysis software (e.g., R, or Stata), and qualitative analysis software (e.g., NVivo) would be a plus but not mandatory.
• Fieldwork Experience: Prior experience with fieldwork, including conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and data collection in a real-world setting.
•  Project Management: Strong organisational, time and project management skills.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Passion for Maternal Health: A genuine interest and passion for improving  maternal health and a commitment to making a positive impact in this field. • Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to identify challenges, propose solutions, and  implement strategies to overcome obstacles in the research process.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Cultural awareness and sensitivity, especially regarding the  diverse communities in Sierra Leone.
• Excellent Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including  the ability to effectively communicate research findings and insights to diverse  audiences.
• Team Player: Collaborative and able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team,  including researchers, healthcare professionals, and community members.
• Travel Readiness: Willingness and ability to undertake frequent up-country travel  within Sierra Leone, as the role requires.
• Language Skills: Proficiency in English and Krio.
• Adaptability: The ability to work effectively in a dynamic and fast-paced research  environment, adapting to evolving research needs and priorities.
• Strong Ethical Standards: Adherence to high ethical standards, particularly in  research involving human subjects, and a commitment to safeguarding and  promoting the welfare of vulnerable populations.

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

GENERAL POLICIES PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES

All employees and volunteers at Welbodi Partnership are expected to comply with the general  duties outlined below and detailed in full in our policies.

Safeguarding

Welbodi Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young  people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are therefore expected to behave in such a  way that supports this commitment. Applicants for this position should be aware that if successful,  they will be requested to complete a police check.

Data protection

Welbodi Partnership complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Equality and Diversity

Welbodi Partnership is committed to a comprehensive policy of Equal Opportunities in volunteering  and employment in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits  and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the organisation. It is the Welbodi  Partnership’s policy as an employer to treat all people equally irrespective of race, ethnic origin,  nationality, gender, sex, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, creed, disability, age or  political belief.

Job revision

This job description is a guide to the duties required and is not definitive or restrictive in any way.  The duties of the post may be varied from time to time in response to changing circumstances.

APPLICATION PROCESS 

The closing date for applications is the 15th November 2023 – we encourage potential applicants to submit as soon  as possible.

To apply for this position please send your cover letter, CV and contact details of 3 referees in one email to  jobs@welbodipartnership.org using the following subject title: Application – Research Assistant CRADLE.  For any queries relating to the position, please email jobs@welbodipartnership.org. 

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY