🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ Welbodi Partnership – Research Assistant

Job Description

 TERMS OF REFERENCE

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT  

BACKGROUND

Welbodi Partnership (WP) 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 to  improve maternal and child health outcomes in Sierra Leone. We do this through a range of  bold innovative partnerships models across health system strengthening activities, healthcare  worker training, hospital improvement projects, research and community engagement.

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. Our mission is to build the  capacity and effectiveness of the health system in Sierra Leone using evidence-based practice  to reduce the number of women and children who are sick, suffer, or die unnecessarily.

The organisation’s guiding principles are:

1. Deliver Lasting Results
2. Working in Partnership
3. Quality improvement and patient safety
4. Valuing People
5. Evidence Based Approach

For further information, please see: www.welbodipartnership.org  

About CRADLE-B 

Pregnancy is a stress-test of cardiometabolic health. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy  (HDP) are associated with subsequent risk of chronic hypertension (CHT) and premature  cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially in women of African ancestry. HDP affect 10% of

RESEARCH ASSISTANT CRADLE-B 

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pregnancies and CVD is leading cause of death in women worldwide. However, data on  postnatal prevalence of CHT after HDP and associated hypertensive-mediated-organ-damage  in LMICs are limited. Early postnatal care provides a unique opportunity to detect and  manage CHT through evidence-based interventions. However

effective care is challenging due to limited knowledge, poor healthcare access, and low levels  of trust in healthcare systems, particularly among vulnerable groups. Our approach builds on  our successful foundational work supporting management of HDP in Sub-Saharan Africa,  including community engagement initiatives, co-development of materials for communities  and healthcare professionals and point-of-care diagnostics.

CRADLE-B is a programme of work comprising four workstreams which aims to co-develop  and evaluate a targeted community-based postnatal intervention for women with HDP to  facilitate earlier detection, improved hypertension management and prevention of hypertension-mediated organ damage in Sierra Leone, Zambia and South Africa.

Job Summary 

The post holder will join the CRADLE-B study research team in Sierra Leone. This role will  involve project administration, study setup, participant recruitment and consent, data  collection, data monitoring and longer-term participant follow up over the course of the study. Long term follow up will be in the form of regular telephone and face-to-face check ins with  participants in the community.

With technical guidance from a team of maternal health researchers at King’s College London,  Welbodi Partnership team and the principal and co-investigators at Princess Christian  Maternity Hospital (Freetown), the role of the Research Assistant will be to facilitate the  smooth and effective running of the project in Sierra Leone.

The research assistant will be responsible for ensuring that, as far as possible, study  recruitment targets are met, accurate data is collected in a timely fashion and maintained on  a secure database and that the study is conducted in accordance with International Congress  of Harmonisation of Good Clinical Practice (ICHGCP) standards.

Location 

The work be based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, including Princess Christian Maternity Hospital.  It will also involve travel to peripheral health facilities and communities outside of Freetown  (exact locations TBC). Travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed where necessary  to facilitate this.

Key Duties 

Participant recruitment

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The post holder is responsible for enrolling participants to Workstream 2 of CRADLE-B. This  will involve:

– Daily telephone contact with clinical staff at PCMH, relevant peripheral health units  and community hubs.

– Daily visits to clinical sites (e.g. obstetric high dependency unit, pre-eclampsia ward,  patient assessment areas) to identify eligible participants during the recruitment  phase.

– A minimum of weekly face-to-face meetings with key clinical staff to maintain contact  and provide study updates.

– Maintaining an up-to-date research team diary which is updated at least daily,  containing details of participants requiring follow-up and ensuring that this is acted on  in a timely manner (typically within 24-48hrs).

– Responding promptly (typically within 1hr) to approach potentially eligible  participants if alerted by the clinical team.

– Maintaining recruitment packs with the relevant recruitment materials and ensuring  that these are readily available and accessible when needed (including participant  information leaflets and consent forms in relevant languages).

– Ensuring all necessary copies of consent forms are made: original copy filed in site file,  copy provided to participant, copy placed in patient’s notes, copy scanned to study coordinator.

– Attending relevant training sessions when required.

– Ensuring wider clinical teams are able to identify potentially eligible participants by raising awareness via formal training sessions and informal daily reminders.

Site management 

– Maintaining all site files in a locked filing cabinet and ensuring confidentiality is  maintained at all times.

– Ensuring all serious adverse events (SAE) forms are completed as outlined in the study protocol.

– Ensuring all protocol deviation forms are completed in a timely manner.

– Maintaining up to date copies of approved study documents (protocol, participant  information leaflets, consent forms) ensuring correct versions at all times.

– Maintaining an up-to-date research team diary as outlined in study recruitment  section above.

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– Maintaining a separate site file for original consent forms that is in a locked cabinet  and secure.

– Maintaining a separate site file for completed paper data collection forms/participant  checklists that is in a locked cabinet and secure.

– Ensuring all site files are kept up to date and organised.

Data collection 

– Entering data into the online study database accurately and completely, or, in the case  of internet or power issues, recorded via paper case report forms then directly  transcribed onto the online database.

– Performing point-of-care creatinine testing (POCCT).

– Collecting baseline clinical data (including observations, height, and weight). – Discussing past medical and obstetric history with participants.

– Ensuring the screening log is completed for every potential participant approached.

– Ensuring that all other relevant sections of the database are completed in a timely  fashion and as outlined in the study handbook.

– Ensuring that confidentiality is maintained at all times by not sharing unique database  login details with any other individual.

– Ensuring all data entered onto the database is complete and accurate.

– Maintaining a log of all completed outcomes and sending these to the  study coordinator in a timely fashion as outlined in the study handbook.

– Responding to data queries in a timely manner as outlined in the study handbook. – Collecting data out of hours when required.

– Ensuring that the wider clinical team are aware of the outcomes required for the study and the specific definitions of each one, including facilitating further training sessions  where needed, in order to ensure that all the necessary data is captured and accurate.

Participant follow up 

– Ensuring participant follow up happens in an accurate timely fashion, at the study  intervals (6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months postpartum).

– Completing follow up database entry for each appointment.

– Collecting POCCT, blood pressure, and urine albumin creatinine ratio measurements  for each participant at each appointment.

– Making reasonable attempts to contact participants who do not attend their scheduled  follow up appointment.

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Additional responsibilities 

– To comply with departmental policy and to ICHGCP (International Congress of  Harmonisation of Good Clinical Practice) regarding study conduct.

– During working hours, it is expected that the post holder will respond to phone calls,  WhatsApp messages, and emails in a timely manner (within a few hours) unless on  leave.

– It is the responsibility of the post holder to maintain an accurate record of study  expenses (including all receipts), and for these to be scanned and emailed to the site  PI and SC on a weekly basis for inclusion in the quarterly financial statement.

– To assist the SC with activities involved in day-to-day management of the study such  as negotiating and liaising with other professionals and procuring study materials and  supplies.

– Attending study meetings when required.

– Alerting the site PI and SC immediately to any issues which may impede study progress  or affect the post holder’s duties including, but not limited to, power shortages, lack  of internet connectivity, inability to access database, staff sickness or absence. These  must be reported and acted on a timely fashion (typically within 24hrs).

Expectations 

The post holder is expected to be hard-working, enthusiastic and adaptable to different  circumstances. The post holder is expected to fulfil their key duties efficiently and diligently.  Honesty, integrity and communication with the wider study team is important at all times.  They may have to take on additional tasks if the study requires it.

As well as working with the site Principal Investigator, the post holder will be collaborating  with midwives, doctors, patients. They will be expected to engage with key stakeholders and  promote a regular exchange of knowledge and ideas with other healthcare professionals.

Essential and Desirable Criteria 

Educational background 

Essential:

– Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including public health, nursing, midwifery,  medicine.

Desirable:

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– Master’s degree in related scientific field.

Skills and experience 

Essential:

– Experience in conducting mixed-methods research.

– Knowledge of local healthcare system, particularly maternal healthcare, and  challenges facing maternal healthcare in Sierra Leone.

– Proficiency in data collection and entry into an electronic database. – Strong time management, organisational, and project management skills. – Willingness to learn and undertake basic clinical tasks, including performing point of

care creatinine tests, urinalysis, and assessing vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure,  temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen saturations).

Desirable:

– Any experience in maternal health-related research.

– Prior experience with participant recruitment and data collection in a real-world  setting.

– Clinical training and experience with direct patient care.

Personal attributes 

– Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to  communicate effectively across diverse academic and lay audiences.

– Collaborative personality, and ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team  comprised of researchers, healthcare professionals, and community members. – Willingness and ability to travel to research sites and outreach communities. – Proficiency in English and Krio as appropriate for local setting.

– Adherence to high ethical standards, particularly in research involving human subjects,  and a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable  populations.

– Problem-solving skills, to identify obstacles and be proactive with solutions. – Cultural awareness and sensitivity, regarding the diverse communities in the countries  of interest.

– Compassionate practitioner, able to undertake sensitive conversations with care and  empathy.

Working hours 

This is a fixed short term contract post for the duration of the study, with a probationary  review at 3 months. Hours per week and annual leave planning will be negotiated upon  appointment to the post. There may be out of hours work involved in this role, when required.  This role will involve travel to relevant data collection sites. The post holder is entitled to  annual leave in line with the employment code of the relevant host country.

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GENERAL POLICIES PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES

In addition to the key job responsibilities detailed in these Terms of Reference, 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 women,  children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are therefore expected  to behave in such a way that supports this commitment. All new staff undergo mandatory  safe guarding training and sign the safeguarding policy before the commencement of work.  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).