Band 4 - R&D Lived Experience Researcher - Bristol

Job overview

AWP Trust is pleased to offer this very exciting opportunity to join a Multi-Centre research team for a trial called Lets Talk 2.

This is initially a part time 12 month fixed term contract (15-30 hours per week) starting in October 2025.

The Let’s Talk 2 trial is a 32-month randomised controlled trial, jointly led by Professor Tony Morrison and Dr Melissa Pyle at the Psychosis Research Unit GMMH. Let’s Talk 2 builds on the success of Lets Talk 1 and their track record of collaborative research on psychosocial interventions for people with experience of psychosis by evaluating the possible benefits of a peer-delivered intervention called Let’s Talk which aims to aid mental health disclosure decision making. The study will compare the Let’s Talk peer-delivered intervention to standard care in Early Intervention in Psychosis Services and Community Mental Health Teams.

The study will be conducted across four areas in the UK including here at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP).

You will have lived experience of psychosis and experience of working in a relevant peer support role. We need to prioritise voices of those have had direct personal experience of psychosis themselves. Their insight is irreplaceable and must be respected directly, not solely through the lens of family.

P.S: The proposed interview date is 18th September 2025.

Main duties of the job

The role of the Lived Experience Researcher in AWP is to engage individuals who have a diagnosis of psychosis and deliver this specialist peer-delivered intervention with close supervision from a clinical psychologist; working within NHS services; and clinical trials methodology. All training will be provided by the study team in GMMH and colleagues in AWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main roles and responsibilities for this role are:

• To take an autonomous role in delivering the intervention in line with the treatment manual and study protocol, under the supervision of a clinical psychologist/psychological therapist, as part of the Let’s Talk 2 Trial.
• To establish a trusting and supportive relationship with those taking part in the Let’s Talk intervention, recognising this may mean being prepared to face and negotiate differences in people’s personal limits and boundaries, giving and receiving constructive feedback, seeking supervisory support when out of the peer session, a knowledge of relevant study and NHS Trust protocols and enacting on confidentiality limits. High levels of engagement with participants will be expected from the post-holder.
• To have a highly developed working knowledge of the intervention manual and principles of peer support.
• To attend and contribute to study fidelity rating meetings, supervision, and regular training sessions with other study staff members.
• Good record-keeping will be needed, including updating patient records with trial progress and completing the recruitment database.
• Good time management will be needed including demonstrating planning and organisation skills for management of diary and sessions with participants
• You will need to follow standard operational procedures for the trial and AWP NHS Trust policy regarding safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children.
• Participants will be seen in clinic settings or at home across a large geographical area. This means there will be extensive travel which would be facilitated by having valid driving licence, and access to own or other independent means of transport
• Attendance at co-reflection (supervision) will be expected, requiring self-awareness and an ability to focus on balancing the needs of self and others.
• Attendance at appropriate research team meetings, including training at the lead site, Oxford.

• Administrative duties related to the project.
• Other duties appropriate to the grade as directed by the grant-holders.
• Work within the guidelines set out by the Data Protection Act, the Code of Ethics, and with full understanding of confidentiality issues.
• Contribute towards consistent and safe practices by being aware of and adhering to all the relevant Trust policies and procedures.

• To maintain blinding and ensure research assistants working on the trial are able to conduct the research assessments blinded to the patient’s allocation