Senior Research Assistant

NHS; Hove; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization in mental health research is seeking a Senior Research Assistant to support a Wellcome Trust funded study. The role involves participant recruitment, data collection, and collaboration with clinical teams. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in psychology and excellent communication skills.

Qualifications

• Experience working with severe mental health problems.
• Knowledge of psychological self-report measures and structured interviews.

Responsibilities

• Recruit and assess participants with psychosis.
• Support patient engagement and use of digital tools.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to reports.

Skills

Communication

Research

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Honours degree in Psychology

Post-graduate degree in Psychology

Job description

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 "CONNECT", and we are looking to hire a full-time Senior Research Assistant.

The CONNECT Study recruited individuals with psychosis and uses smartphone apps to actively and passively collect data using a prospective observational cohort study. Data will be used to develop and validate a personalised risk prediction algorithm for relapse. Additionally, we want to maximise engagement and information obtained from digital remote monitoring by asking the right questions, at the right frequency and time.

You can read more about the study here:https://www.connectdigitalstudy.com/

As the Senior Research Assistant, your roll is key to the success of the study. You will be responsible for the recruitment and assessment of participants, working to protocol and adhering to local policies, procedures and codes of practice.

You will need excellent communication and liaison skills as they will be required to promote the study locally, and recruit from mental health services and organisations which are used by people with psychosis. To do this you will be required to travel to locations not always accessible by public transport.

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 for people with psychosis;
• To introduce patients to the digital tools;
• 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.

About us

The R&D department in Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust is a large and vibrant department with research assistants and clinical studies officers working across a variety of projects.

As the CONNECT Senior Research Assistant, you will work directly with two other Senior Research Assistants, the team research coordinator Dr Ellie Robson, and with Professor Kathryn Greenwood (Professor of Clinical Psychology) locally.

You will also receive training and be linked to the multidisciplinary research group with international leaders in their fields in Manchester, London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

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 work experience. There are regular psychosis research lab meetings, and Sussex Psychosis Research interest Group (SPRiG) seminars, which will further strengthen your knowledge and skills.

Job responsibilities

• To assist the Research Coordinator/Project Manager and other research group members in the planning of research.
• To identify and recruit participants into all phases of the study.
• To liaise and work with clinical teams in recruiting participants into the study.
• To undertake protocol based psychological assessments, including administration of self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with participants and others involved in their care, including extraction of relevant data from medical records.
• To set participants up on a digital remote monitoring platform (e.g. using apps) and support participants to use and work with digital devices (e.g. wearable devices).
• To support ethics applications and ethical amendments, as required.
• To collect and maintain high quality, valid and reliable clinical activity and outcome data and appropriate statistical and 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 Research Coordinator/Project Manager, and the 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

• Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent.
• Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis
• A post-graduate degree (MSc or equivalent) in the Psychology field would be desirable

Experience, Knowledge

• 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.
• Experience working with people with severe mental health problems in an NHS context.
• Experience of working with mental health service users in a research capacity
• Understanding of confidentiality and protocols for ethics and data protection.
• Experience of teaching other health professionals
• 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

• Ability to use initiative to efficiently plan, optimise and progress project and communicate findings.
• Time management skills including ability to manage own workload within defined parameters and adhere to agreed timelines.
• Ability to work effectively as a team member as well as working alone.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with colleagues at all levels.
• Flexible approach to dealing with research problems as they arise.
• Ability to use initiative to efficiently plan, optimise and progress projects.

Personal Attributes

• Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
• Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
• The candidate must also be able to travel to different research sites. A driving license and access to a vehicle is desirable

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.