Research Assistant [CTM Public Service Board Well-Being Assessment 2026-27]

Rhondda Cynon Taf Health Determinants Research Collaboration is seeking three students to support the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board Well-being Assessment and the Regional Partnership Board Population Needs Assessment. The role will involve analysing a range of evidence, including population data, organisational data, lived experience, professional knowledge, impact measurement and academic research, and developing a final report, to inform assessments in three key areas:

• Climate adaptation
• Community cohesion
• Health inequalities

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate an interest in, or relevant expertise related to, one of these areas. They should also have experience of using mixed methods and be able to write clearly for a range of non-academic audiences. Students would be expected to work 15 hours per week from September 2026 to March 2027. Please confirm your availability in your application. 

Further information about the PSB and RPB assessments is provided below.

Public Services Boards have a duty to complete an assessment of well-being every 5 years under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, 2015. This requires an assessment of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being for the region. The PSB must consider national well-being indicators, statutory Future Trends Reports, and the Five Ways of Working, or Sustainable Development Principles. This will be the third iteration of the Well-being Assessment (WBA), and will inform the well-being objectives set out in the next Well-Being Plan for 2028-2033. Similarly, Regional Partnership Boards (RPB) have a duty to complete a Population Needs Assessment (PNA) every 5 years under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act, 2014, which requires an assessment of care and support needs, carers’ needs, the range and level of services required and how services will be delivered through the medium of Welsh. The PNA must inform an Area Plan and a Market Stability Report.

Although the legislative duties are distinct, both assessments require balanced use of qualitative and quantitative evidence, meaningful involvement of people and communities, and consideration of how needs may change in the future. These similarities create opportunities for coordinated work across PSBs and RPBs and for the development of shared analytical products. This year Welsh Government have issued non statutory guidance to encourage joint PSB and RPB endeavours in the collation of evidence to underpin the two assessments.

In Cwm Taf Morgannwg the PSB has agreed to a joint PSB/RPB approach the creation of a shared evidence base from which the assessments will be written and the employment of the HDRC Evidence Pie and a Life Cycle approach to gathering, managing interpreting and reporting the findings. Work is already underway (led by the RPB) to gather and analyse Population data and Organisational data and plans are in progress to gather Lived Experience and Professional Knowledge and Wales Centre for Public Policy at Cardiff University will be undertaking knowledge mobilisation activity around the 3 PSB priority areas of Climate Adaptation, Community Cohesion and Health Inequalities.