Vacancy: Project Lead - Survivors

Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) is saving lives by developing guidelines, influencing policy, delivering courses and supporting cutting-edge research. Through education, training, and research, we’re working towards the day when everyone in the country has the skills they need to save a life. We are the UK experts in clinical guidelines, standards, and education for resuscitation practice for those working in healthcare and in the public space. 

Our strategy is to ensure added value by combining clinical expertise and lived experiences across each link within the Chain of Survival to improve resuscitation outcomes within the UK. This postholder will need to focus particular attention on improving the care offered to survivors and their families following hospital discharge. There is a duty to ensure those who have survived a cardiac arrest return to a quality of life that enables individuals to maintain choice and independence where possible. 

What we know 

• Those who have had a cardiac arrest do not receive equitable levels of assessment and rehabilitation. The support they receive often depends upon the services provided in their region. We need to work towards ensuring equitable opportunity and access to rehabilitation services across all regions and nations. Many fall outside of the remit of their local services. 
• RCUK recognises that there is a pressing need in this area and is therefore keen to put more focus on the services and support survivors and their families receive. We also understand the importance of engaging with key stakeholders across the UK nations and with Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK in this work. 
• Key drivers to take forward the rehabilitation provision project include the NHS Long term plan, along with cardiac arrest strategies for England, Scotland, and Wales, as each includes the need to plan the rehabilitation provision for cardiac arrest survivors. 
• RCUK Resuscitation Guidelines 2021 include the requirement for assessment prior to discharge and review within three months following discharge. 

This role reflects RCUK’s continuing commitment to cardiac arrest survivors and their families. It forms an integral part of our Survivors work programme, which aims to improve survivor and family experiences of care and support, and address health inequalities across the UK. 

This work will improve care for this group and their families and in turn strengthen the Chain of Survival. RCUK has the opportunity to consolidate its position as the accepted expert and leader within the development of clinical excellence for the improvement of outcomes from cardiac arrest and to work across the four devolved nations to embed practice, continuing to plan and implement a sustainable programme of change. 

Diversity, inclusion and working with people with lived experience are important elements of our work. We recognise the need for us as an organisation to keep improving in these areas and this role is integral to that goal. Our membership of the Inequalities in Health Alliance and National Voices are important to us. We are committed to continual improvement and encourage colleagues to keep learning and developing, to identify gaps in our knowledge, and to access events and webinars that help us to increase our knowledge and experience, particularly in the areas of equality, diversity and inclusion. 

This role will be ideally suited to either a registered healthcare professional with a background in rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation or another related specialty, or to an experienced healthcare manager with experience of developing healthcare services.  

• You will have an expert knowledge of the services offered to those receiving cardiac and/or critical care, or the skills to develop that understanding quickly. 

• You will already possess a strong network of contacts and be seen as a leading expert in your field. 

• You can provide demonstrable expertise in the field of rehabilitation, particularly in the settings of post-hospital care and rehabilitation, in the establishment of rehabilitation programmes, formation of networks, and developing systems of evaluation for this group. 

• You have, or will quickly develop, expert knowledge of the care and treatment required by those that have had a cardiac arrest, and their families, in order to influence future care pathways and systems of support for this group. 

• You have excellent project planning, analytical, communication and influencing skills and are self-motivated to achieve your goals. 

This post is initially a fixed-term position for 2 years. It is envisaged that the work carried out will lead to the establishment of a permanent role within RCUK (but with an updated job description). 

Reporting to the Clinical Lead - Survivors, the post will provide a key role within RCUK to take forward the commitment to improved outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and care for survivors and their families. The role will also consider support for first responders and bystanders involved in, or witnessing, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. There will be a UK-wide focus to the work, and this may require some travel. 

The postholder will provide periodic updates on specific workstreams, to go forward to the Community and Ambulance Resuscitation Subcommittee (CARe) of RCUK, whose key outcomes are to improve survival and quality of life from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 

The post will provide the opportunity to work with internal and external stakeholders, especially survivors and their families, ensuring delivery of key objectives and working with partners to ensure that the right expertise is sought and included when developing schemes of work. The postholder will continually review progress and assess the most effective future path for this element of the programme, in consultation with the Clinical Lead - Survivors and wider programme team. 

They will have the opportunity to review the role and to participate in the development of the next phase of the work programme, including the potential to create a permanent role within RCUK to sustain the delivery of the Survivors programme through to ‘business as usual’. 

Key responsibilities 

Responsibilities will be refined as the work programme develops, but initially the postholder will: 

• Take the lead in developing a Quality Standard for cardiac arrest survivors and their families, aimed at ensuring consistent, effective and sustainable care for this group across the UK. 
• Work with the Clinical Lead – Survivors (CLS) to present and implement the Quality Standard project plan, supported by the CLS and Director of Clinical and Service Development (DCSD). 
• Report progress to CLS. 
• Take leadership for the scoping, planning and implementation of a range of other survivor and family related projects in consultation with the CLS, DCSD, the Survivors programme team, and a range of internal and external stakeholders. 
• Contribute to/lead other work related to the Survivors work programme, including maintaining a contemporaneous evidence review, engagement and health inequalities projects, training and education, and support for health and care professionals and ‘bystanders’ involved in delivering CPR. 
• As a member of the Survivors programme team, establish a diverse network of stakeholders to share goals, themes and ideas for service change/improvement. 
• Coordinate the delivery and analysis of the ongoing review of current availability and content of support offered to survivors of cardiac arrest within the UK.  
• Work with survivors and families, the Clinical Lead – Survivors, Survivors and Families Engagement Manager, internal and external stakeholders and the wider health and care system to ensure that the needs of cardiac arrest survivors and their families are reflected in health and care planning and are met through the commissioning and delivery of health and care services. 
• Liaise closely with RCUK colleagues within the Survivors programme team and the wider organisation to achieve cross-directorate co-creation and ensure messaging to all stakeholders is well-planned and delivered. 
• Look for and develop opportunities to ensure those who survive cardiac arrest, and their families, are given expert care and treatment throughout their care pathway. 
• Input to the evaluation of the Survivors work programme, development of the Survivors Quality Standard and the role, assisting with role development and identifying key objectives and deliverables. 
• There may be an occasional need for weekend/evening working and time off in lieu is granted in line with our time off in lieu policy. 

This role would suit either a current professionally registered healthcare professional with experience of developing rehabilitation services or an experienced healthcare manager with experience of service planning and development. 

• You may have a Masters Level Qualification or equivalent clinical and management experience. (D) 

• Formal project management training and/or qualifications. (D) 

• Ideally you will have experience within rehabilitation services either as a practitioner or in service delivery at a local level, including both physical and psychosocial rehabilitation. (D) 

• Knowledge and experience of project work and project management, including effective risk management. (E) 

• Experience of working in or setting up networks and working with multiple partners (single sector or across sectors) on service development and service improvement initiatives. (E) 

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, including demonstrable ability to engage with patients and families, health and care professionals, commissioners, policy makers and other stakeholders at local, regional or national level. (E) 

• Presentation skills to both internal and external partners using a variety of media. (D) 

• Knowledge of the latest health and care policy agenda across all 4 devolved nations and the opportunities for improving cardiac arrest survivor and family care presented by it. (D) 

• Implementation of policy change at local or regional level. (E) 

• Active roles in clinical pathway development and implementation. (D) 

• Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams. (E) 

• Recognition of the value of research and the integration of current or new evidence into practice. (E) 

• Ability to work independently, but also as a good team member. (E) 

• Excellent IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office 365. Use of data collation/analysis and project management software an advantage. (E) 

• Familiarity with Microsoft Teams and Zoom. (E) 

To apply for this exciting opportunity, please email us with:   

• A comprehensive CV, specifying significant achievements in your career to date.    
• A supporting statement, of no more than two sides, explaining how your skills and experience can support and add value to our organisation.   
• A completed diversity monitoring form.    

Download the job pack   

Please email your application to recruitment@resus.org.uk with ‘Project Lead - Survivors' in the subject line.  

The deadline for applications is 9am Monday 30 May. We will not accept applications after this time.    

For an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact Alastair Houghton, Clinical Lead ‑ Survivors, on 020 7391 0728 or alastair.houghton@resus.org.uk. 

How we will shortlist and interview  

During the shortlisting process, those shortlisting applications will not have access to your name, date of birth, address or highest level of educational attainment.  

Interviews for this role will take place week commencing 6 June, but please note these dates may be subject to change.  

We welcome and will accept applications using an alternative process (such as video or audio applications).  Please email suzanne.horner@resus.org.uk or phone 0207 391 0718 to discuss your requirements.