Experience
My background lies in social research, business improvement and academia; all of which has allowed me to gain experience in a variety of different sectors. Over the last decade, I have worked in research and insight units across consultancy, criminal justice and social housing; as well as teaching undergraduate sociology and political science.
Over the years, the experience I have acquired has varied from carrying out qualitative and quantitative evaluations, to conducting ethnographic observations and randomised control trials, to drafting publications for academic journals, to assessing levels of stakeholder awareness and staff satisfaction.
The joy of working in research is that it is always so varied and interesting!
What is your role in the organisation?
I produce information which helps management make decisions and check whether we are achieving our goals and targets (for example, how aware people are of our organisation). The information also helps us understand how people feel about the service we provide and the ways we can improve our service. In addition, the Research Team reviews and analyses the common themes coming from our casework, so that we can understand any areas for improvement or evidence of good practice which we can share more widely via our reports.
I also design projects involving primary and secondary research. Sometimes this requires commissioning research companies for large scale projects, like our Public Awareness of Complaining Survey. On other projects we work alongside contractors.
Additionally, I provide support to other teams who are looking to run their own research, and I undertake day-to-day tasks such as delivering presentations and research reports for the organisation.
What advice would you give to someone joining your organisation?
All of my brilliant colleagues in Manchester and London make the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman an enjoyable place to work. Everyone here, across all the different teams that make up the organisation, tries to make sure the organisation can deliver the best possible service internally and externally.
