Job summary
- Main area
- Research and Development
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Fixed term: 16 months (16 months from start date)
- Hours
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 354-CO-21732(F)
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sussex Education Centre
- Town
- Hove
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 31/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Research Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 5
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.
As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
Are you are interested in being part of cutting-edge research within Mental Health care? Are you looking to develop your research skills and experience further?
If yes, then this opportunity could be for you.
We are currently running a Wellcome Trust funded study called "Sleeping Better", and we are looking to hire a part-time Senior Research Assistant.
The study will recruit individuals with psychosis or an At Risk Mental State to evaluate a new psychological sleep intervention in a Randomised Controlled Trial. You can read more about the study here: https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-cognitive-approaches-to-psychosis/projects-1/sleeping-better
You will be responsible for the recruitment and assessment of participants. Recruitment for the project will be based in the catchment areas of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
A full driving license is preferred as you will be required to travel to locations not easily accessible by public transport.
This position does not meet the threshold for skilled worker sponsorship for a health and care worker visa. We can only accept applications for candidates who do not require sponsorship and have an unrestricted right to work in the UK for the duration of this contract, or who meet the skilled worker threshold for sponsorship and can evidence a minimum of 4 years of experience in an NHS equivalent role at the same professional level
Main duties of the job
As the Senior Research Assistant, your main duties will be:
- To identify, recruit and conduct assessments of mental health and well-being, neuropsychological/cognitive and functional outcomes for people with psychosis;
- To introduce patients to the study and the therapy;
- To record outcomes;
- Contribute to reports;
- Support the engagement of patients in the study.
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with excellent communication skills who are able to build a strong rapport and relationship with both service users and staff; who have excellent research and IT skills and the ability to work flexibly and conduct high quality assessments with service users with a psychosis diagnosis.
Working for our organisation
The R&D department in Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust is a large and vibrant department with research assistants and clinical research practitioners working across a variety of projects.
As the Sleeping Better trial Senior Research Assistant, you will work directly with other Senior Research Assistants, the trial co-ordinator/lead psychologist and with the Sussex Principal Investigator Professor Kathryn Greenwood (Professor of Clinical Psychology) locally.
You will also receive expert training and supervision with international leaders in their fields and through the multidisciplinary research group (Oxford, Bristol, Glasgow and Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear).
There will also be opportunities to meet staff on other projects and from different disciplines, and to take up CPD opportunities to strengthen your clinical and research experience. There are regular psychosis research lab meetings, and Sussex Psychosis Research interest Group (SPRiG) seminars to further strengthen your knowledge and skills.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Identify and recruit participants into all phases of the study.
- Liaise and work with clinical teams in recruiting participants into the study.
- Introduce the trial and the therapy and take informed consent
Undertake protocol based psychological assessments, including administration of clinical assessments of psychosis and the at risk mental state, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, semi-structured interviews and neuropsychological assessments (after training) with participants, including extraction of relevant data from medical records. - Build strong therapeutic relationships and work flexibly to engage and retain participants in the trial
- To support ethical amendments, as required.
- To collect and maintain high quality, valid and reliable clinical activity and outcome data and appropriate data management information including active participation in inter-rater reliability checks.
- To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings, steering groups and other forums.
- To maintain accurate and complete records of all findings including maintaining recruitment figures with relevant NHS Trusts and managing databases to record research data and monitor study activity.
- To assist with the writing of reports for submission to research sponsors and presentation material.
- Work closely with the trial PI, co-ordinator and other study site research assistants.
- Work alongside the project team across all sites in a collegiate manner.
- Support and promote patient and public involvement across the whole project.
- Work flexibly for the benefit of the project and as required.
- Travel to different sites across East and West Sussex where appropriate.
- Comply with departmental policies concerning security, safety and patient confidentiality and to ensure that procedures are carried out with the safe systems work.
Other Duties
- To undertake administration tasks, necessary training and/or development.
- Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by the line manager/supervisor.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
- Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis
Knowledge, Experience
Essential criteria
- Up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge in working with people with severe mental health problems, particularly people who experience psychosis.
- Experience of using psychological self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with people with severe mental health problems.
- Postgraduate research experience.
- Experience working with people with severe mental health problems in an NHS context.
- IT skills (e.g. experience using Microsoft Excel, SPSS, R or equivalent statistical package, Nvivo qualitative data software).
- Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable criteria
- Experience of in-patient settings
- Lived experience of mental health issues
- Experience working as an assistant psychologist or research assistant or PhD completed in a clinical psychology field.
- Experience with, and commitment to, patient and public engagement and non-academic dissemination of research study findings.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Proven ability to work effectively as a team member as well as working alone.
- To be able to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere. To be able to work with resistance to ideas.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with colleagues at all levels.
- Understanding of confidentiality and protocols for ethics and data protection.
- Flexible approach to dealing with research problems as they arise.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Must also be able to travel to different research sites
- Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
Desirable criteria
- A driving license and access to a vehicle is desirable.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Prof Kathryn Greenwood
- Job title
- Professor of Clinical Psychology
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07879 551385
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