Research Assistant
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a NOTA (National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse) funded Research Assistant to join the National Forensic Camhs (FCAMHS) network on a fixed term (8 months) basis for one day per week to explore Harmful Sexual Behaviour provisions across England for children and young people.
The role will involve data collection, literature review and analysis to support facilitation of service evaluation activities.
The post holder will contribute towards the team driving towards better health outcomes and wellbeing for children and young people in collaboration with NHS England Health and Justice and NHS England Specialised Commissioning.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.
Main duties of the job
The National FCAMHS Network Harmful Sexual Behaviour Working Group has identified gaps in provision for young people presenting with Harmful Sexual Behaviour and aims to explore this further via an evaluation focusing upon services available across England, configuration of services, capacity and demand with an overarching aim to aid improvement of access and outcomes for young people who are presenting with Harmful Sexual Behaviour.
The post holder will require experience of research and service evaluation within health, justice and/ or social care settings and demonstrate strong understanding of mixed methods research, data analysis and relevant statistical programmes including SPSS.
In addition, the post holder will demonstrate excellent communication skills; a good understanding of the global health needs of children and young people; the ability to work in collaboration with a wide range of partner agencies and the ability to work within a specialised and complex children and young person’s provision.
This is a remote working post. Limited travel will be required to access training and equipment provided by Nottinghamshire NHS Trust.
Working for our organisation
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire.Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.
We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network.These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.
The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To undertake the role of research assistant for FCAMHS and facilitate the National Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service Project:
- To conduct the collection, organisation and entry of service evaluation data under the supervision of the clinical lead and HSB working group.
- To support the development of the HSB service evaluation proposal.
- To assist with data management and analysis (using Excel, SPSS)
- To assist in the management of literature databases (using Endnote software)
- To assist on an ad hoc basis on other satellite research projects relevant to the National HSB project.
- To communicate effectively with multidisciplinary colleagues both in writing and verbally about research activity as required.
- To present findings to colleagues or multidisciplinary groups as required and to assist the write up for publication.
- To work closely with, and receive supervision from the senior psychologist/ Clinical Lead in the team.
- To perform analysis of quantitative and qualitative data
- To assist with producing relevant reports, for example, reporting activity and bids for additional funding (where appropriate)
- To prioritise own workload, seeking guidance from, and accepting the advice of, the clinical governance lead or other senior clinicians.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Undergraduate degree (2:1) in relevant subject e.g psychology
Training
Essential criteria- Degree level experience of research methodology/ statistics.
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience and skills in Clinical audit, research and evidence-based practice.
- Experience of working in CAMHS and/ or youth justice settings.
- A strong record of self-directed learning and working.
- Experience of conducting research/ evaluations within health/education/social settings.
- Experience of MDT work and effectively working with other disciplines.
- Knowledge of evidence-based interventions and best practice guidance of HSB in children and young people.
- Specific forensic experience.
- Previous experience of peer reviewed publications.
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Research methodology and statistics. Knowledge of current Mental Health policy and Legislation
- Knowledge and experience of Safeguarding Adults and Children practice
- Knowledge of policy drivers for CAMHS and FCAMHS service
Skills
Essential criteria- Highly developed verbal and written, influencing, negotiation and communication skills.
- Ability to liaise with a wide range of people and services.
- Ability to collate and record data with a high degree of accuracy
- Competent and confident research skills including statistical analysis and interpretation.
- Ability to create effective team working. Good time management
- Effective organisational skills Computer literacy
- We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
- The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
- In submitting an application form, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. Should you require any further information please refer our Privacy Policy shown on the Trust website, please click here for more information.
- For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a position that is deemed a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until we have received a satisfactory DBS Disclosure. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions which would otherwise be considered as 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.