Research Assistant

NHS; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A major healthcare provider is looking for Research Assistants to contribute to important self-harm research based in Derby. Candidates will be responsible for data collection and management, while working closely with healthcare professionals. Applicants should be pursuing or have achieved an undergraduate degree in psychology or a related field, possess strong communication skills, and be familiar with SPSS. This role offers a collaborative environment focused on impactful research and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Yearly appraisal and ongoing training

Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits

Health service discounts

Incremental pay progression

Free confidential employee assistance programme

Health and wellbeing opportunities

Qualifications

• Candidate should be proficient in using SPSS for data management.
• Experience of data collection for research, evaluation or QI.
• Interest in self-harm research and psychology is essential.

Responsibilities

• Play a key role in data collection and management.
• Collect, validate and manage self-harm presentation data.
• Work flexibly between two teams based at different hospitals.

Skills

Experience of using SPSS

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Good understanding of ethics in healthcare and research

Uses own initiative and self-motivating

Education

Working towards or achieved undergraduate degree in relevant subject

Working towards a post-graduate degree or equivalent

Job description

These two Research Assistant posts offer an excellent opportunity to contribute to the Derby site of the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England--one of the longest-running and most influential self-harm research programmes in the country.

The Derby site is one of three centres delivering this Department of Health and Social Care-funded study, working in close collaboration with the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester. Together, the centres collect, validate, collate and analyse data on self-harm presentations across six hospitals in the three cities.

The study focuses on four key research domains: epidemiology and trends, clinical management, patient outcomes (including repetition and mortality), and pharmaco-epidemiology. Findings from this work are widely disseminated, published in leading scientific journals and used to inform service development and national policy through organisations such as the NIHR, NICE and the Government's Suicide Prevention Strategies.

Main duties of the job

The Research Assistants will play a key role in data collection and management for the Derby site of the study. Working under the guidance of the Liaison team/Multicentre Study of Self-harm Research Project Manager, the post holder will be responsible for collecting, validating and managing self-harm presentation data from the patient record systems of Derbyshire Healthcare (CAMHS and adult Liaison services) and the Emergency Department of the Royal Derby Hospital.

The successful candidate will have attained or be working towards an undergraduate degree in Psychology or related subject, be proficient in using Excel and SPSS for data cleaning and management, have excellent attention to detail, a strong understanding of the legal and ethical requirements of working with confidential data and be able to demonstrate outstanding communication and time management skills.

This role involves working across two teams: the Research and Development Team, based at Kingsway Hospital, and the South Liaison Team based at the Royal Derby Hospital. The post holder will be expected to work flexibly between these locations in line with project priorities and service needs.

About us

The Research and Development team are based at Kingsway Hospital and run a wide range of NIHR research, embedded research and evaluation studies, knowledge and information services and clinical audit.

The South Liaison Team are based within the Royal Derby Hospital providing support to patients, carers and general hospital colleagues in regards to dementia, delirium and confusion, alcohol and substance misuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, as well as other mental health concerns presenting to the hospital.

Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of 'making a positive difference in people's lives'.

CQC rated us as 'GOOD' overall, commenting on how our colleagues "treated patients with compassion and kindness" and "felt positive and proud about working for the trust."

Benefits include:

Commitment to flexible working where this is possible

27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years & 33 days after 10 years' service

Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training

Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits

Health service discounts and online benefits

Incremental pay progression

Free confidential employee assistance programme 24/7

Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network

Health and wellbeing opportunities

Structured learning and development opportunities

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for a comprehensive summary of the role's main responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Working towards or achieved undergraduate degree in relevant subject e.g. psychology, public health
• Working towards a post-graduate degree or equivalent level in psychology or another relevant area

Skills

• Experience of using SPSS
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good understanding of ethics in healthcare and research e.g. confidentiality
• Uses own initiative and self-motivating

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of undertaking research from design to completion
• Experience of data collection for research, evaluation or QI
• Writing up project findings for dissemination
• Ability to adhere to strict system specific security protocols, ethics and/or legislation
• Interest in research AND Psychology, public health or mental health
• Ability to travel to and between bases
• Interest in self-harm, suicide research
• Full driving licence

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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