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Salary Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant Psychologist (LIMITLESS 2) to undertake research under the supervision of Dr Simon P Hammond. ‘LIMITLESS 2’ is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery (HSDR) funded project aiming to improve the mental health of adolescents living in social care by improving the guidance available to support them.
Life story work is used to promote the mental health of younger children in social care by assisting the processing of trauma(s). NICE recommends that life story work is offered all to children and adolescents in care. However, current life story work practices are high-intensity (relying on specialist professional input over a number of months), poorly evidenced, lack standardisation and focus on younger children. As demands increase, early intervention via improving carers pre-existing practices of what we refer to as ‘Adolescent-Focused Low-Intensity Life Story Work’ offers practical ways forward yet there is little guidance in this area.
Building on learning from LIMITLESS 1 , LIMITLESS 2 aims to extend existing understanding of Adolescent-Focused Low-Intensity Life Story Work and use this to co-design and feasibility test a “LIMITLESS Toolkit” that aims to help carers optimise the delivery of Adolescent-Focused Low-Intensity Life Story Work to better support adolescents in care.
The successful applicant will work with project team members to: (i) undertake data collection and analysis using a realist approach to further refine the LIMITLESS 1 Programme Theory; (ii) use this learning to inform the co-design of a LIMITLESS Toolkit; (iii) implement, test and refine the LIMITLESS toolkit in real-world social care settings (iv) work alongside trialists to carry out a process evaluation to generate learnings to inform a definitive evaluation.
We are looking for somebody with a Psychology Degree (2.1 or above) and is eligible for Graduate Membership of the BPS. The ability to be able to communicate with people with diverse needs and from diverse backgrounds is essential. Experience of undertaking or contributing to research projects would be advantageous.
This part time post (30 hrs per week) is available on a Fixed Term Contract for 40 months.
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.
Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.
Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.
Please note that some teams will be moving to County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich from Hellesdon Hospital in the coming months. This post is included in the move. Please do not hesitate to raise any questions you have in relation to this if you’re selected for interview.
Please read the Job Description Supplementary Information Form for specific information about this role.
