Research Assistant

Job content

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a Research Assistant in Mental Health Research, to work in close partnership with researchers, in the delivery of an NIHR funded trial. The integrated bipolar parenting intervention (IBPI) trial is a 4-year definitive randomised controlled trial funded by NIHR Health Technology and Assessment programme.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is a large community and mental health Trust employing over 7000 staff and serving a population across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System. The Trust provides inpatient and community specialist Mental Health services to children and young people, adults and older adults and also delivers forensic mental health services. Additionally, the Trust provides a range of physical health care community services and children’s services.

The Trust delivers a wide portfolio of high quality research including this important study. This is a great opportunity to have a key role in a new NIHR funded research trial, led by Professor Steve Jones, to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of digital parenting support in improving child emotional and behavioural outcomes.

The post-holder will join a unique team of clinical and research staff who are passionate about optimising mental health services through applied research, working alongside clinical services and other relevant health and education settings. The post holder will be based in Preston at the Lantern Centre with occasional travel. IBPI is led by Lancaster University and involves national recruitment.

You must have at least a degree level qualification in a relevant discipline and knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research designs including clinical trial designs with recruitment and retention targets. You will need to be competent in data collection and both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Experience of working collaboratively in clinical trial management with large multi-disciplinary research teams, and service users/relatives, clinicians and service providers, would be a definite advantage. We are looking for an energetic dynamic, self-directed and committed individual with an interest in becoming a key part of our research team.

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Lucy Cryle Job title: Researcher Email address: l.cryle@lancaster.ac.uk