Job Profile
Core job informationJob Title / Researcher/Research Assistant
Dept./School/Inst. / Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine / Section/Centre/Unit / Centre for Psychiatry
Career Family / Academic & Education / Grade / 4 through 5
Working hours per week / 35 / Appointment period / 21 months
Reports to (job title) / Professor Stefan Priebe / Current location / Newham Centre for Mental Health
Job purpose
The researcher will work on a research programme funded by the NIHR on supported accommodation for people with mental health problems, in collaboration with other researchers based at UCL. The project will investigate current provision and quality of mental health supported accommodation services in England, and includes a feasibility trial to test the efficacy of two existing models of supported accommodation.
The project is a collaboration between: UCL Division of Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, the Institute of Psychiatry, the Pragmatic Clinical Trials Unit at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Durham University, the Centre for Mental Health, London, the National Housing Federation and the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health.
The researcher will liaise with the researchers in UCL and will be experienced and familiar with participant recruitment and the collection, management and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The post holder’s duties will include recruitment of staff and service users into the feasibility trial and interviews with staff and service users about their experiences of the trial.). Outcome data will be collected 12 months after recruitment. The researchers will work with the study statistician and members of the project management group on the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and interpretation of the results. They will also be involved in writing up the results for reports and publications. The researchers will also contact and visit supported accommodation services across 14 local authorities in England to collect 30 month follow-up data from service managers, support staff and service users as part of the QuEST nationally representative cohort study. The post will involve some travel and overnight stays in order to gather the required data,
The post holder will need to liaise with healthcare professionals, obtain informed consent from staff and service user participants, conduct research interviews, access information about service users from routine records, enter participant data onto databases and undertake quantitative and qualitative data analyses under supervision. They may also be called upon to undertake other activities aimed at making sure the study runs smoothly.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience (work experience, qualifications, specialist training, key skills, disposition)
Requirements / Essential/Desirable
Qualifications /
1. PhD and/or equivalent professional experience
2. A good degree in psychology or related social sciences /1. Desirable
2. EssentialExperience / 3. Knowledge of/familiarity with services for patients with severe mental illnesses OR experience of health service research
4. Management of quantitative data
5. Previous experience in the management and co-ordination of clinical trials
6. Quantitative analysis using established software packages
7. Qualitative data collection and analysis
8. Research in mental health
9. Publication of research findings in peer reviewed journals
10. Recruitment of participants to research
11. Previous experience of managing a project budget
12. Publication record / 3. Essential
4. Essential
5. Desirable
6. Desirable
7. Desirable
8. Desirable
9. Desirable
10. Desirable
11. Essential
12. Desirable
13. Desirable
Knowledge, skills & abilities / 14. Knowledge of standard statistical packages (e.g. SPSS)
15. Quantitative data analysis
16. Good writing and communication skills
17. Ability to communicate with people with severe mental illness and engage them in research
18. Good presentation skills
19. Evidence of good team working
20. Understanding of the research process
21. Ability to maintain accurate and up to date records
22. Understanding of the research process
23. Ability to organise and prioritise own work and organise research within the project timetable
24. Computer literacy
25. Effective team working. / 12. Essential
13. Desirable
14. Essential
15. Essential
16. Essential
17. Essential
18. Essential
19. Essential
20. Essential
21. Essential
22. Essential
23. Essential
Attitude & disposition / 24. Flexible and co-operative
25. Self-motivated and hardworking
26. Willingness to learn new skills
27. Reliable / 26. Essential
27. Essential
28. Essential
29. Essential
Other circumstances / 30. General health appropriate to the duties of the post
31. Willingness to work flexibly in order to achieve project demands.
32. Willingness to travel
33. Able to start as soon as possible / 28. Essential
29. Essential
30. Essential
31. Essential
Key responsibilities of the post will be shared between the researchers employed on the project (both at UCL and QMUL):
1. To prepare all assessment materials and ensure their availability throughout the study.
2. To recruit key staff and service user participants for the different Workpackages as described above
3. To carry out research interviews with staff and service users recruited into the study as described above
4. To collect data from staff and service user participants and from the case records as per study protocols.
5. To manage data for statistical analysis including data entry and data cleaning.
6. To ensure the secure and proper maintenance of relevant case files, research materials and data.
7. To assist in the preparation of interim and final reports for the research team and grant awarding body and research papers for publication.
8. To assist the research team to ensure that all deadlines are met and that the study progresses according to the agreed timetable.
9. To be involved in the discussion of any queries associated with the project with the participants and professionals involved, in consultation with the project team.
10. To carry out administrative duties required for co-ordination of the study
11. To attend such meetings as necessary for satisfactory completion of the duties of the post.
12. To conduct all other duties as agreed by the lead investigator and research team.
Other Responsibilities:
1) The post holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the College's Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety Policies.
2) To comply with relevant College policies and regulations regarding financial matters, harassment, public interest disclosure, health and safety at work, intellectual property, confidentiality, data protection, or any other rules, regulations or codes binding on the member of staff.
3) To undertake such administrative and other duties as are reasonably to be expected of a member of research staff, as agreed with the Unit Lead.
4) To undertake such other duties as may from time to time be reasonably expected by the Unit Lead and Institute Director
To attend staff meetings as required, as well as others relevant to the Centre and Institute, as agreed with the Institute Director.
Working Environment
1. Contribute towards the QuEST project
2. Responsible, under the general guidance of Professor Stefan Priebe, for undertaking the programme of work.
3. Prepare reports of appropriate research results for public presentation through seminars and conferences. Contribute to writing papers summarising research findings for publication in peer-reviewed journals (of high international standing where possible). Contribute to other reports where possible.
4. Any other relevant activities related to the project as appropriate
5. Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected by the line manager or Head of Institute
6. Conduct empirical research as required by the research programme.
7. Collect data and undertake any appropriate analysis of data as requested.
8. Maintain appropriate databases, keeping accurate written and computerised records and to ensure that these records are stored in a secure place, and to maintain confidentiality of all electronically stored personal data in line with the provisions of the Data Protection Act.
9. Undertake literature and database searches for the research project, and to be able to interpret and present the findings of the literature searches and advise the research teams appropriately regarding potential projects as required by the line manager/supervisor/PI.
10. Keep up to date with subject related and professional issues, in particular, developments in the specific subject area.
11. Comply with relevant College policies and regulations with due regard to financial matters, harassment, equal opportunities, public interest disclosure, health and safety, intellectual property and patenting, data protection or any other rules, regulations or codes binding on the member of staff.
12. Participate in the College Appraisal Scheme (QMPAS) and demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development.
13. To ensure that all research is undertaken according to good research practice and guidance, such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP), / Good Laboratory Practice (GLP),/ College and Trust protocols.
14. The duties of the post outlined above are not exhaustive, and the postholder will be expected to be co-operative and flexible, undertaking such administrative and other duties as may from time to time be reasonably expected of a member of research grade staff in a university.
15. These duties will be subject to review in line with the changing requirements of the School or College, and with the development needs of the postholder as identified through regular review/appraisal processes.
Freedom to Act & Decision Making
16. Responsible, under the general guidance of Professor Stefan Priebe, for undertaking the programme of work.
17. Develop, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator, such new techniques as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the research.
18. Make research initiatives and original contributions to the research programme wherever possible, and to contribute freely to the team research environment in a manner conducive to the success of the research project as a whole.
19. Make research contributions to the research programme wherever possible, and to contribute freely to the team research environment in a manner conducive to the success of the research project as a whole.
20. Monitor research findings with a view to commercial exploitation, and to inform the Head of Department(or line manager, as appropriate) and Head of Innovation & Enterprise of any appropriate novel research outcomes.
21. Judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require analysis, interpretation and comparison of data or any other information.
22. To adopt flexible working practices where required.
23. Encourage interaction between team members.
Communication & Networking
24. Exchange relevant information, relevant to the project both internally and externally: with staff, students, senior management and peers.
Internal
25. Establish and maintain relationships in order to collaborate with researchers and academics in own team, within the department and outside the department within the College when necessary.26. To work with students.
External
27. Work with clinicians, managers and patients in various services and with external collaborators as agreed with the Supervisors.28. Providing, receiving and presenting complex information to a large group of people.
Finance/Resource Management
1. Management of the trial budget and maintenance of the accounts
People Management
1. To assist the supervision, training, expert advice and / or assistance to the Research Assistants on the study and other members of the team, including research students.
This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.
Organisation Chart