Job Introduction

Do you have a love for investigating an array of topics and delving into the detail? Are you a fan of Casualty and recognise its purpose of highlighting the daily medical obstacles NHS workers overcome to save lives, as well as tackling many taboo issues?

Casualty is a BAFTA winning soap about the staff and patients at the Holby City Emergency Department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives whilst wrestling with the controversial and sensitive issues that its audience resonate with. Through great writing and visual flair, the show balances gritty realism with high drama to keep its millions of dedicated viewers coming back for more, week in week out.

Providing critical support to the script and story teams, the Researcher will be taking on multiple research projects simultaneously. Digging into a broad range of topics from medical procedures and conditions that feature in every episode to police procedures, domestic issues and a plethora of complex, often sensitive and potentially traumatic storylines, which may be impacting the characters of Holby City Emergency Department.

You will scrutinise stories to ensure every element has been researched. You will check facts and processes are accurate by liaising with experts and agencies and disseminate your findings to the story and script teams. You will be concise with meticulous attention to detail and keep detailed logs and audit trails. You will advise teams about how topics can be applied authentically, whilst supporting them to carefully balance drama with real life issues, maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and modernity on BBC1’s popular Saturday night drama.

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about social issues and committed to ensuring they are authentically portrayed in the show. An ability to work across multiple storylines, simultaneously, and engage with agencies and experts across various forms of communication is essential.

Main Responsibilities

You’ll report to Sarah Tosh.

Your Duties Will Include

To assist the Producers, Script Editors and Writers to test potential stories and character developments for accuracy, credibility and consistency
To assess all storylines and scripts and carry out the research requirement. This will involve in-depth research of medical matters and sometimes controversial subject matters, covering topics such as the law, the operation of the emergency services and wider moral and political issues relating to the subject matter of Casualty
To be the point of contact for the medical advisors and liaise with Script Editors and Writers as necessary with regard to the medical content of the show
To read all allocated scripts in order to ensure the continuity of research in story lines and the accuracy of any factually based dialogue
To have an awareness of wider issues on certain subject matters and understanding of how certain social topics can overlap in more ways than first perceived.
To attend script meetings well-prepared to identify research problems and present solutions
To generate story ideas from all research sources e.g. internet, press, specialist press etc.  When necessary, to undertake research visits, and organise research visits for writers
To work closely with Casualty’s paramedic, emergency medicine and nursing advisors on scripts and story ideas. To assist the Script Editors in the implementation of the advisors’ notes
To ensure that a relevant and up-to-date research archive is maintained
To provide general research support to Writers
To establish and maintain an appropriate library resource of professional periodicals – e.g. Nursing Times, Nursing Standard and Hospital Doctor
To ensure close co-operation and communication with the various production teams i.e. Script and Story Producers, Script Editors, Writers and Design departments, medical, legal and other advisors
To attend commissioning, first draft and medical meetings, as well as any further meetings on the scripts as required
When appropriate, to assist the Director and production team with background research on any topic for their episode
To identify, establish and maintain relationships with experts in specific fields, and to keep abreast of NHS developments through links with department of health and trades unions
To be aware of the full extent of the financial and purchasing authority of the post, and to ensure that this authority is exercised in accordance with Network Television and BBC financial arrangements

Are you the right candidate?

To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate the following:

Experience as a Researcher for TV/Radio Drama and/or in other specialised fields, e.g. journalism
Demonstrable experience of thorough cases studies undertaken reflecting your broadly based knowledge and a familiarity with conventional and specialised sources of information and research techniques
Experience of telling or supporting others to tell complex, authentic stories, and employing methods to ensure accuracy
Demonstrable experience of prioritising simultaneous workload deadlines in a fast paced and volatile environment
Ability to horizon scan potential problems and give examples of when this practice has resulted in a more efficient and smoother process
Demonstrable understanding of and the ability to interpret editorial intentions, and contribute to the generation of ideas and the resolution of script problems
Experience of establishing and maintaining office and administration systems
The ability to handle confidential information with tact and sensitivity
Experience of working in a role which required you to build and nurture relationships with a range of stakeholders and contacts
An informed interest in television drama production and especially Casualty

Package Description

Length of contract: 12 Month FTC / Attachment

Band: B

Salary: £25 - 28,000

Location: Roath Lock Studios, Cardiff Bay

**Please note that this is a standard Studios Production contract and potentially can involve up to 55 hours per week **

We advertise all our roles on Evenbreak, the specialist job board for disabled candidates.

Life at BBC Studios

BBC Studios Drama Productions is renowned for bringing audiences together week after week. We are the creative powerhouse behind award-winning Drama such as EastEnders, Silent Witness, Father Brown and Sister Boniface to Casualty, River City, Pobol y Cwm and Anfamol. In addition to our iconic brands, we have an ambitious growth strategy with a slate of fresh and exciting new shows in development.

Here, we champion an inclusive culture aligned with our Pledge , fostering an environment where you can freely unleash your creativity, in the pursuit of bold content. Collaborating with some of the industry’s brightest talents, you’ll have the chance to leave your imprint on millions of viewers worldwide. What’s more? There’s plenty of opportunities for growing your career with us too, nurturing and developing talent is ingrained in our DNA – we’d love for you to be part of it.

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here .

The BBC is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of their background. More information on our D&I plan can be found here .

BBC Studios puts sustainability at the heart of everything we do both onscreen and offscreen, including delivering against the BBC Group’s science-based Net Zero targets. More information on sustainability at BBC Studios can be found here .

We are proud to share that we are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer and we strongly encourage applications from disabled people . If you meet the minimum criteria for this role and declare that you are disabled, we will ensure to advance you to the next stage (minimum criteria above).

If you require any reasonable adjustments in order to apply please contact us on joe.gibbons@bbc.com.

BBC Studios jobs

Researcher (Casualty)