Research Assistant

Job overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual to join us to support the delivery of an NIHR funded research project, RISH, which aims to understand if, and when, limiting food and fluids is a symptom of an eating disorder.  The project will work with young people, families and professionals to explore their experiences of treatment and support needs of RISH.  The project will help create guidance for clinicians and make recommendations to improve care.

The Research Assistant will facilitate the delivery of the research project, conducting qualitative interviews and being responsible for data collection and content analysis.  The post holder will be confident with working with large data sets and analysing data using Excel.  Responsibilities will include recruitment of participants, families and staff; completing research measures, data entry and engaging clinical teams. The role of Research Assistant is a progressive post based in York, working within a well-established research team supporting a diverse national portfolio of mental health research and research developed within the organisation.  There are national and local goals to increase the inclusion and therefore representation of wider communities in research.

Main duties of the job

The main tasks will be to recruit participants into the RISH study with the support of the Trial Co-Ordinator (TC). The study is a feasibility Randomised Control Trial, for a nature-based intervention to support children with ADHD. Tasks may involve screening people for eligibility, data collection such as through completing psychometric measures, or qualitative interviews and ensuring the studies meet their local recruitment to time and target goals.

The Research Assistant may also be assigned other duties in connection with research projects identified by the TC, RPM, and the Yorkshire & Humber Clinical Research Network.

We recruit people based on their values and qualifications (where required) and believe that their lived experience is an advantage, this means that together we are as diverse as the communities we care for. Simply put, when we employ caring people who act with integrity and have the right skills, we can give those with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity high-quality care and support to live fulfilling lives, and make our staff feel purposeful, happy and valued.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will have a mental health background (psychology, nursing, health services research etc) and have experience of the mental health research setting and recruitment of service users into research. The post holder will have experience in working with young people and their families, it is desirable if this is in a mental health context.

It is essential that the post holder has a high attention to detail and works accurately, confidentially and efficiently in accordance with Good Clinical Practice. The post holder will be required to work across recruiting sites where required, as well as travel locally and nationally to support the needs of the department. The post holder will also support the dissemination of research outputs, through newsletters, academic publications and publications tailored to specific stakeholder groups.

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.

So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Guide to Values Based Recruitment. This document provides you with information to help you apply.

All our information is available in accessible formats. Please contact the Recruitment team [email protected]  Attached to this advert is our candidates guide to values-based recruitment and supporting guidance on how to make a successful application.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team or see the attached candidate guide to reasonable adjustments.