Job summary
- Main area
- Research
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Fixed term: 18 months (18 months)
- Hours
- Part time - 35 hours per week
- Job ref
- 351-CS2682-MC-C
- Employer
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Empowered Together Project
- Town
- Preston
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Research Assistant
Band 6
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
• Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Job overview
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is seeking to appoint a Senior Research Assistant to support the delivery of an NIHR funded trial Empowered Together (coordinated social care in prison): A feasibility and definitive randomised controlled trial, with embedded realist informed process evaluation. This is an opportunity to have a key role in a new NIHR funded research trial led by Dr Louise Robinson and Dr Katrina Forsyth The post holder will contribute to project management andco-ordinating the trial, as well as conducting telephone/online interviews with prison staff, and travelling to prisons to conduct face to face interviews with both prisoners and staff. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Empowered Together in reducing the unmet social care needs of men in prison and explore what aspects of Empowered Together work, in what circumstances and why. The study is sponsored by LSCft in partnership with the University of Manchester (UoM).The Senior Research Assistant will be involved in project management, participant recruitment, data collection, analysis and write up. This post is offered at 100% FTE for 18 months initially and
up to 5 years total. The successful candidate would start as soon as feasible. . LSCFT encourages flexible working. We would consider varied working patterns
Main duties of the job
Empowered Together (co-ordinated social care in prison): A feasibility and definitive randomised controlled trial, with embedded realist informed process evaluation.is funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s ‘Programme for Applied Research. It aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Empowered Together in reducing the unmet social care needs of men in prison and explore what aspects of Empowered Together work, in what circumstances and why. The study is sponsored by Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) and delivered in partnership with the University of Manchester (UoM).
The main duties of the post-holder will be to contribute to the day-to-day operation of the Empowered Together study, under the guidance of Chief Investigators Dr Louise Robinson (LSCft) and Dr Katrina Forsyth and (UoM). The post holder will work in partnership with the research team at UoM to set up the study, conducting telephone interviews with prison staff, and travel to prisons to conduct face to face study interviews with both prisoners and staff.
The Senior Research Assistant will be involved in participant recruitment, data collection, analysis and write up. This post is offered at 100% FTE for 18 months initially and up to 5 years total. Key relationships
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Good honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent) with some knowledge of the subject area
- • Evidence of relevant post qualification study at postgraduate level or equivalent knowledge
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Demonstrable knowledge of research design and methods including an understanding of the analytical process
- • Knowledge and understanding of research governance regulations and guidance and associated good clinical practice
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Experience conducting research in mental health
- • Experience of a qualitative computer packages (eg nVIVO)
- • Capacity to manage complex, sensitive and highly confidential information
- • The ability to undertake qualitative research including recruitment, data collection and analysis
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Katrina Forsyth
- Job title
- contact
- Email address
- katrina.Forsyth@manchester.ac.uk
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