Clinical Research Assistant

Job overview

This is a full-time (37.5 hours per week) fixed term (48 months) position.

The post holder will have a vital role in the delivery of a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded project: The STEP programme.

The STEP programme, which will be conducted at sites in the UK and internationally, will investigate the effects of CBD in combination with prescribed anti-psychotics for different psychosis patient sub-groups and discover whether CBD could be used as anti-psychotic medication. STEP consists of three separate phase III, placebo controlled, double-blind, randomised trials; titled STEP-ENHANCE, STEP-PROMOTE and STEP-ASSIST.

These trials will all investigate participants with early psychosis but have different specific study criteria. STEP-ENHANCE includes patients who have just had their first episode of psychosis, STEP-PROMOTE includes patients who are at clinical high risk of developing psychosis and STEP-ASSIST includes patients who are experiencing treatment resistant psychosis.

In this exciting role, the post holder will travel to mental health clinics throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) to discuss the studies within the programme with mental health services, and recruit patients who meet the criteria for the relevant trial within the programme.

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.
• Be trained and able to take all relevant samples and physical health measures.
• Where indicated, to follow-up research participants at agreed intervals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• Arrange briefings for teams as appropriate and undertake presentations if required on the nature and requirements of the study.
• Assisting the trial managers and other members of the study team with the general delivery of the study.
• Liaise with the study sponsor, clinicians and research collaborators.
• Organise data collection opportunities associated with the research study.
• Completion of screening logs to capture data on participants approached and consented.
• To attend training and ongoing supervision for the trial as developed and delivered by the Central Management Team and supported by the site clinical Principal Investigator.
• Enter and check research data.
• Undertake advance planning to meet deadlines for formal study monitoring and study milestones (e.g. participant recruitment, data collection and data analysis)
• If requested, to support writing papers for publication during dissemination of results.
• Ensure compliance with research and clinical governance guidelines, training, data protection and ethical requirements

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website