New competency framework launched for research delivery staff at UCLH

It is the first time a dedicated framework for this group of staff – which includes research nurses, midwives and clinical trial practitioners – has been introduced at UCLH.

The toolkit acts as a structured guide for research delivery staff, which aims to enhance staff skills and knowledge necessary for effective research delivery, ensuring high standards and consistent practices across all roles.

It aims to support and record the professional development of research delivery staff, helping staff to understand where they can develop and how they can progress in their careers.

The development of the toolkit was led by the UCLH and UCL Joint Research Office (JRO), with the UCLH Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and the UCLH Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (CCTU).  The toolkit is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Education Committee and Nursing and Midwifery Board.

The aim is that staff work their way through the toolkit with support from their line manager. The suggested timeframe for completing the toolkit is:

• 12 months for staff new to research
• 6 months for staff with experience in research.

Each staff member completing the competency framework will be supported by an assessor who is a registered healthcare professional responsible for reviewing and monitoring their learning progress. The assessor and the staff member's line manager may be the same person.

Research Delivery Nurse Manager Jingle Sanchez said: “The toolkit is designed to be as helpful as possible for research delivery staff. It is designed to be a focal point of professional development planning and we hope our research delivery workforce will find the competency framework helpful in developing their skills and knowledge, and making progress in their careers.”

Marivic Ricamara, UCLH Head of Research Delivery Workforce, said: “By providing clear expectations, practical tools, and defined development pathways, this toolkit is crucial for fostering high-quality delivery, strengthening collaboration, and maximizing the impact of our collective research efforts.”

Dr Rajinder Sidhu, Associate Director Research Governance and Operations within the JRO, said: “Supporting the professional development of our research staff is crucial to maintaining and growing our research portfolio.  The toolkit is an important component - it enables our excellent research delivery staff to further develop their skills and training, and for those interested in joining the profession, with a tool to guide their professional development.”

Vanessa Sweeney, Chief Nurse at UCLH, said: “This toolkit is pivotal for ensuring that our research delivery nurses, midwives and clinical trial practitioners have a structured and specific development framework which in turn ensures that UCLH continues to be a world-leading research hospital. Whilst this has been a collaborative effort, special thanks go to Marivic Ricamara, Head of Research Delivery,  for leading this development for UCLH.”

There will be drop-in sessions for line managers on how the toolkit works, and drop-in sessions for delivery staff. All sessions will be held on MS Teams. Details have been sent directly to research delivery staff.

The toolkit was developed by a team of people across the JRO, CCTU and CRF working collaboratively including Marivic Ricamara Jingle Sanchez , Egla Aitkens, Amparo Domingo Lacasa and Daron Bowrin.

Find out more about careers in clinical research.

Find out more about careers in research delivery.