Research Assistant Bedford, England
Job description
The main duties of the post-holder will include supporting patients under the care of secondary mental health services through the research process, with particular focus on follow up assessments where you will be completing both quantitative and qualitative interviews with participants.
The post-holder will be responsible for collecting, analysing and reporting on research data pertaining to specific projects as part of the ERA trial. The post-holder will support qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis where needed using different methods and established software packages and be involved in the publication and dissemination/utilisation of findings. They will actively promote research amongst clinicians, service users and the wider NHS.
The overall aim of the ERA trial is to test the effectiveness of group arts therapies compared to group counselling for diagnostically heterogeneous community mental health patients (patients with different and varied mental health conditions) in a multicentre randomised controlled trial. The post will be based within our services in Bedford and will require the post-holder to be able to travel between sites in Bedford and London.
The post-holder will have excellent communication skills, with experience of working with and supporting people with severe mental illness, alongside exceptional self-organisational skills. They will be able to work methodically and accurately with good attention to detail and experience with data entry and analysis will be beneficial.
The successful candidate will be familiar with mental health services and the collection, management and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Knowledge and understanding of psychosocial interventions, particularly the arts therapies and research experience in the mental health field is desirable.
The Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, with which the post is affiliated, is designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre and is the only one in the world specifically for mental health services development.
The Research Assistant will support the ERA multicentre randomised controlled trial, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The ERA trial is one of the largest ever trials of arts therapies and is hosted by the Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, a vibrant World Health Organisation collaborating research centre. The post will suit applicants with experience of working with and supporting service users in NHS mental health services.
- Supporting patients under the care of secondary mental health services through the research process with particular focus on follow up assessments where you will be completing both quantitative and qualitative interviews with participants who have heterogeneous mental health conditions.
- Collect, collate and enter data as required; and dispatch to relevant departments or research centres.
- Work actively to monitor patient retention with regards to data collection and problem solve barriers to patient access and retention.
- Attend and contribute to project management group meetings
- Work as an active part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and support staff at the Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, develop good working relationships with the team and participant in the unit's remote and in person academic activities.
- Travel between sites in central Bedford and London as required.
