Research Assistant (Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding)

Institute for Medical Humanities, Durham University; North East; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university is seeking a full-time Research Assistant for the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding. This role supports the Centre Director and involves literature reviews, research assistance, and collaboration across disciplines to enhance safeguarding practices for young people. The position offers a hybrid working model and a competitive salary.

Benefits

27 Days annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Health and wellbeing support

Access to development courses

Qualifications

• Experience in conducting basic academic research.
• Ability to produce concise and well-written reports.
• Experience in completing literature reviews.

Responsibilities

• Complete literature reviews and policy scoping exercises.
• Assist in developing international academic stakeholder networks.
• Write up results of research work and present findings.

Skills

Research

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Masters in Sociology

Good first degree in Sociology

Tools

Canva

PowerPoint

Job description

Research Assistant (Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding) (

Job Number

25000525)

Department of Sociology

Grade 6: - £30,805 - £37,174 per annum

Fixed Term - Full Time

Contract Duration: 4 years

Contracted Hours per Week: 35

Working Arrangements: Hybrid working

Closing Date

: 09-Jun-2025, 10:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

The Role and Department

Are you early on in your research career and committed to social justice? Are you interested in exploring this commitment through research that makes an impact? Do you have a commitment to understanding, and improving the design of systems nationally and internationally? Are you interested in developing knowledge, and practical resources, to help services to better meet the needs of young people who are harmed in extra-familial contexts and relationships? If so, this could be a research role of interest to you.

For over a decade, the Contextual Safeguarding Programme at Durham University (previously at the University of Bedfordshire) has been at the forefront of reforming safeguarding systems, to promote the welfare of young people in places where they spend their time. In September 2025 the programme will be formally established as an interdisciplinary research centre - the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding (GCCS). The GCCS, led by Durham’s Sociology Department, Business School and School of Education, will bring together departments across the four faculties of the University to: transform how societies understand and deliver services that safeguard young people beyond their homes; create systems that look beyond the capacity of parents to protect children; and build sustainable partnerships in which safeguarding is truly everybody's business. This is not a Centre simply focused on researching and improving existing safeguarding practices; it is instead committed to a radical transformation in how safeguarding is conceptualised, studied, and practiced, and by whom. The Centre will achieve this by building a critical interdisciplinary effort to cement an emergent field of research. It will implement that research in collaboration with others to reform policy and legal frameworks, and the organisational practices, that govern the provision and evaluation of services around the world. It will scale that implementation through commercial partnerships with industries beyond traditional safeguarding partnerships; providing various routes to learn about Contextual Safeguarding that transcends sector boundaries.

To establish the GCCS a number of new academic and professional support service roles are being recruited, to join the existing programme team. One of these roles is a full-time Research Assistant, who will work in the Centre supporting the Centre Director, Professor Carlene Firmin, and the wider Centre leadership team to generate new knowledge, research income, and dissemination pathways over its first four years.

The research assistant will not be required to spend extensive amounts of time in Durham, given that their research activities are taking place in multiple locations. Due to the reach and scope of the Contextual Safeguarding programme most team members work to a hybrid working model, with research underway in various part of the UK as well as via online data collection methods. Travel to sites implementing Contextual Safeguarding, and for impact activities, are relatively frequent, and are reimbursed.

The Contextual Safeguarding Programme is world leading. It is part of Durham’s Sociology Department whose members, postgraduate researchers, and students collectively develop ‘sociological imagination’ and apply it to contemporary processes and issues. These include social inequality and its implications for social mobility, education and health; violence, abuse, and the role of help-seeking and state responses. The Department was ranked 1st for Criminology in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024, and ranked 4th for impact in REF 2021.

The Role

Applications are invited for a full-time Research Assistant with an in interest in social justice; we anticipate such applicants having varied academic and professional journeys, potentially holding Masters Degrees in disciplines that include Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, or Social Work amongst others. The postholder will be required to undertake various scoping exercises, both in terms of literature and policy reviews, to build a multi-disciplinary and multi-country understanding of safeguarding responses to risks beyond the home. They will convert knowledge generated by staff across the GCCS, into accessible and practical resources, and will use these, alongside their scoping activities to support bid development activities across the Centre.

The successful applicant will be expected to be experienced in literature review methodologies, and have a sufficient grasp of theory and research knowledge relevant to Contextual Safeguarding. Research experience, including from a Masters’ dissertation and/or professional experience, is essential, however we are open to the nature of the methodological expertise they hold be that quantitative or qualitative.

Responsibilities

• To complete literature reviews and policy scoping exercises under the supervision of senior researchers.
• To assist the Centre Director in the development of international academic stakeholder networks, including via knowledge capture activities under the leadership of senior researchers in the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding.
• To understand and convey information which needs careful explanation to the team or group of people through presentations, discussions and meetings which contribute to the production of research reports and publications.
• To write up results of research work, present information on research progress and outcomes to bodies supervising research in a clear and accurate manner.
• To analyse or undertake basic research by deciding how best to apply existing methodology according to overall context and objectives.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To assist in contributing to support student projects on the use of research methods and equipment.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by attending relevant training and development courses.
  
  

This post is fixed term for four years from the date of appointment. Funding is available for this fixed period only as part of the resource to establish the Global Centre.

The post-holder is employed to work on on the establishment of the GCCS which will be led by another Professor Carlene Firmin. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by July 2025.

Full time (35 hours per week), hybrid working pattern

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

• 27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
  
  

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Professor Carlene Firmin, Sociology Department, [e-mail]

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with abrief description of the problem you’re experiencing [e-mail]

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or [phone] from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

University Contact For General Queries About The Recruitment Process

[e-mail]

How To Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What To Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• a CV and covering letter which details your experience, skills and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.
  
  

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Next Steps

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include an interview, including a prepared presentation, and we anticipate that the presentation and interviews will take place on the same day.

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• A good first degree in Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, Social Work or other related subject.
• A Masters in Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, Social Work or other related subject.
• Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance, including the use of standard research methods.
• Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in completing literature reviews.
• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders.
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• A PhD (or be close to submission) in Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, Social Work or a related subject.
• Experience of policy scoping or review activities.
• Experience of conducting high quality academic research.
• Experience of preparing academic papers.
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues impacting adolescents and/or of safeguarding systems that support adolescents.
• Ability to assist in the provision of support to student projects.
• Experience in designing resources for a policy or practice audience.
• Ability to contribute to the planning and management of independent research.
• Experience of ICT software relevant to research dissemination including Canva, Vimeo and PowerPoint