Senior Clinical Research Assistant | Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 25 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £29,970 - £36,483 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 25 July 2025 |
| Location: | Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7SR |
| Company: | Pennine Care NHS FT |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 7225375/311-M210-25 |
Summary
The Senior Clinical Research Assistant will support the delivery of the research study, which is a novel Greater Manchester wide implementation pilot and evaluation of a Mental Health Joint Response Car for Young People and Families experiencing mental health crisis.
The post holder will become a member of the Young People's Mental Health Research Centre, benefitting from the vibrant and supportive research environment of the Centre and existing team.
The role will involve leading on discrete tasks within the research team, the recruitment of participants, following informed assent and consent processes, supporting people with lived experience advising on the project, presenting to a variety of stakeholders about the project at events and meetings, supporting the dissemination and communication plan, and undertaking a range of clinical research assessments as per study protocols and local guidelines for the completion of research documentation. These may include but are not exclusive to
the completion of research assessments, qualitative interviews, workshops, engaging with the immersive theatre component of the study, and the management of routinely collected quantitative data.
The role will involve the recruitment of participants, following informed assent and consent processes, supporting people with lived experience advising on the project, presenting to a variety of stakeholders about the project at events and meetings, supporting the dissemination and communication plan, and undertaking a range of clinical research assessments as per study protocols and local guidelines for the completion of research documentation. These may include but are not exclusive to the completion of research assessments, qualitative interviews, workshops, engaging with the immersive theatre component of the study, and the management of routinely collected quantitative data.
The role also involves providing information and answering any questions or queries from patients, staff, stakeholders, participants and carers about the study.
The post holder will use excellent communication skills to communicate with a variety of stakeholders and have advanced organisational skills to prioritise and effectively manage their workload.
The post holder will work independently according to an agreed plan and under supervision within the Trust’s R&D framework. The Research and Innovation Department has responsibility for all elements of research governance within the Trust and provides corporate support to internal staff and external partners undertaking research, service evaluations and innovation projects
Recruitment and Delivery
• Promoting the study to staff and service users across Greater Manchester.
• Where required, exercise professional judgement to assess patient eligibility for participation in research projects.
• To lead on discrete tasks within the research team.
• Managing enquires from potential recruits and/or their advocates.
• Communicating detailed information to young people and their families and advocates about their participation in the study. Includes providing complex research related information to research participants when taking informed consent for the research study or carrying out a research procedure.
• Offer support to participants during their involvement in the research project.
• Liaise with appropriate multi-disciplinary team members in health and social care, and Greater Manchester Police, regarding recruitment and support of research participants.
• Visit participants at a variety of locations to assess eligibility, take informed consent and collect outcome measures, in consideration of individual need, using prioritisation and delegation skills.
• Ensure all research activities are undertaken in adherence with the study protocol and the UK policy framework for health and social care research.
• Undertake qualitative interviews.
• To maintain confidentiality of information regarding patients, families, and carers at all times.
• Communicate and liaise effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary and research teams within and external to the Trust, both verbally and in writing, providing and receiving complex or sensitive information. This often involves communicating and conveying complex and sensitive information about a patient’s treatment decision making capacity status to the patient, carers, family, and other clinicians.
• Complete audio-recordings of interviews and their transcription
• Inputting of data.
• Proactively engage stakeholders in the research process, supporting recruitment to stakeholder groups that are representative of the communities we serve.
• Assist in the facilitation of focus groups.
• To be aware of the psychological/emotional needs of the patient/carer, responding and reporting appropriately (e.g., reporting as necessary adverse and serious adverse events and breaches of study protocol, as per individual requirements).
• Engaging fully in supervision, communicating openly and honestly about experiences and progress on the project.
Project Management Support
• Work closely and effectively with other team members towards the success of the project.
• Arrange briefings for teams and stakeholders as appropriate.
• Assist the project team leads and centre manager with the general delivery of the study.
• Liaise with the study sponsor, clinicians and research collaborators.
• Liaise with the Chief Investigator, Site Lead, and Project Manager regarding the
ongoing support and feasibility of the project.
• Maintain and provide up-to-date project and recruitment information for the project, which includes consent of patients, completion of case report forms and routinely collected data.
• Organise groups associated with the research study.
• Organise interviews and other data collection opportunities associated with the research study.
• Enter and check quantitative research data, under supervision.
• Order supplies for research team.
• Ensure that appropriate facilities and resources are available as required per research visit.
• Authorised signatory in relation to petty cash reimbursements to research participants for travel expenses and small payments in relation to the study.
• Undertake advance planning to meet deadlines for formal study monitoring and study milestones (e.g. participant recruitment, data collection and data analysis). Includes managing and prioritising own workload and tasks and working to appropriate deadlines and targets set.
• Contribute to the training and support of other Research Assistants on the project and across the Trust.
• Present at conferences, study days and meetings when required.
• Actively promote the research study and any other research opportunities to staff and services.
• Act as an ambassador for the Research and Innovation Department of Pennine, usually under the identity of the Young People's Mental Health Research Centre.
• Contribute positively to the research culture and activities of the Young People's Mental Health Research Centre.
This advert closes on Wednesday 9 Jul 2025