Higher Assistant Psychologist

We are recruiting a part time (0.8 wte) Assistant Psychologist post (AP) to help evaluate the benefit of a new talking therapy. It is part of a Wellcome funded multi-centre RCT of a new treatment for dealing with sleep problems. The post-holder will be key to the successful delivery of this trial and will lead on recruitment, assessment, and follow up of the participants.

Sleeping better is a novel therapy for sleep issues. It will be delivered over a period of 12 weeks. Approximately 8 weekly individual, face to face sessions will be offered.

This will give the post holder an unrivalled opportunity to learn about a new therapeutic approach, to work with world leaders in psychological therapies research, and to build skills in research and understanding how therapy trials are delivered in the NHS. You will join a broader group of researchers in the North East and work with colleagues conducting other research trials on the understanding and treatment of experiences like voices, visions and paranoia.

The overall project leads are Professor Daniel Freeman and Dr. Felicity Waite from Oxford together with a large team of co-applicants and collaborators from six sites around the country, and colleagues in Cumbria Northumberland, Tyne and Wear FT. Service user researchers are leading on a number of aspects of the trial and the treatment is very much developed with people with lived experience., The currently advertised post is for 24 months with the likelihood it will be extended for several months., The post will help deliver a large-scale Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new psychological treatment for people with sleep difficulties. The post will be based in Newcastle but will involve travel across the Trust. The main role of the trial assistant will be as outlined below:

• Screening, recruitment, and assessment of patients for the sleeping better randomised controlled trial of psychological treatment. This will involve speaking to referrers regularly, attending clinical team meetings, visiting First episode psychosis teams, and At risk mental state (ARMS) teams. There are monthly recruitment targets.


• Participants will be seen in clinic settings or at home across a large geographical area. This means there will be extensive travel which would be facilitated by having valid driving licence, and access to own or other independent means of transport.


• Good record-keeping will be needed, including updating medical records with trial progress and completing the recruitment database.


• You will need to produce regular reports on the recruitment process (including managing the recruitment database) and assessments.


• You will need to regularly enter and check data in the study databases.


• Attendance at supervision will be expected, and at appropriate research team meetings, including training at the lead site, Oxford.
  
  The ideal candidate will have experience in research and or clinical settings. It may help if you have experience of working with people who have experienced difficulties with paranoia, hallucinations, or in undertaking cognitive assessment tasks. They should have the ability to organize and manage multiple interlinked components of the project and their work. They will need to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills and be able to conduct interviews and assessment with potentially vulnerable individuals. Most importantly, they will need to be enthusiastic about the research area and have a high level of motivation and commitment.
  
  We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.


The post will provide experience in engaging individuals with psychosis and other presenting issues; assessment; NHS services; and clinical trials methodology. The post would suit individuals interested in going on to pursue a career in clinical psychology or clinical research. You will be given full training in assessment, good clinical practice, and trust procedures.