Research Assistant

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Hartford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A health and social care organization seeks a candidate to travel to clinics and engage with service users for a research project on borderline personality disorder. The role includes data collection, management of research activities, and ensuring participant safety. Ideal candidates should be organized, capable of independent work, and possess strong interpersonal skills. Familiarity with mental health issues is essential, and support will be provided by a vibrant research team.

Qualifications

• Organised and capable of independent work.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a good awareness of mental health difficulties.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the set-up and facilitation of the research project.
• Maintain and manage an external database of quantitative data.
• Approach potential research participants using various communication formats.
• Conduct psychometric tests and structured interviews while ensuring participant safety.
• Follow-up research participants at agreed intervals.
• Be aware of the psychological/emotional needs of research participants.
• Ensure research procedures are carried out according to the approved protocol.
• Review electronic patient clinical notes and extract data for research.
• Score relevant tests, anonymize data, and enter data into the study database.
• Ensure safe storage of paper data.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Ability to work independently

Awareness of mental health difficulties

Job description

In this exciting role, the post holder will travel to mental health clinics throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) to discuss the QUEST trial with community mental health service users, and recruit patients with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

The post holder will collect data for the project in clinics or participant homes, involving the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‑V Personality Disorders (SCID‑5‑PD) and a range of other measures. Full training will be provided. Maintaining good working relationships with service users, carers, clinic staff and other stakeholders will be key to the success of the project.

The successful candidate should be organised, capable of independent work, with strong interpersonal skills and a good awareness of mental health difficulties. The post‑holder will be based in the CPFT R and D department, working alongside a vibrant research team. The post holder will work collaboratively and be supported by the study Chief Investigator, Principal Investigator and the QUEST study team, research and delivery staff and clinical services to assist with the successful delivery of the study and achievement of local and national targets in relation to research performance.

Main duties of the job

• To assist in the set‑up and facilitation of the research project.
• To maintain and manage an external database of quantitative data, anonymise data, input data into the database and keep it up to date.
• To approach potential research participants using a variety of communication formats, in order to engage them in the research study.
• To carry out any relevant psychometric test materials and structured/ semi‑structured interviews whilst ensuring the safety and comfort of participants and yourself.
• Where indicated, to follow‑up research participants at agreed intervals.
• To be aware of the psychological/ emotional needs of research participants, responding and reporting appropriately.
• To ensure that research procedures (including consent processes and follow up) are carried out according to the approved protocol and the UK policy framework for health and social care research.
• To conduct reviews of electronic patient clinical notes, extracting and coding data for research purposes.
• To score relevant tests make data anonymous and enter data into the study database.
• To ensure safe storage of paper data.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high‑calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.