Research Associate - CAMHS Research Unit

Job description

This exciting opportunity offers the chance for an experienced post-doctoral researcher to make a crucial impact on translational research for children’s mental health and parenting. The postholder will have day-to-day responsibility for leading the research and evalaution programme conducted by the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Research Unit, Department of Psychology. 

The Unit works at the cutting edge of integrating parenting and developmental theory, with a trackrecord of developing effective, high quality interventions that are used at scale in the UK and internationally, including Empowering Parent Empowering Communties (Day et al., 2012, 2020), Family Partnership Model (Day, Ellis  & Harris, 2014) and Helping Families Programme (Day et al., 2019).  The Unit’s research evaluates preventative, early and specialist interventions for parents with significant mental health difficuties, children with behavioural difficulties, children affected by ASD, ADHD and parents at risk of relational conflict. 

As Research Associate, the postholder will have day-to day responsibility for a portfolio of research studies and evaluation projects that make a significant contribution to advancing parenting theory, intervention outcomes and large-scale implementation.  

The postholder will work closely with academic and clinical colleagues to develop, feasiblity test and evaulate innovative parenting intervention methods for parents with mental health difficulties, parents from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and Black and Minoritised communities using digital, online and in-person delivery.  

Since the Department of Psychology was founded in 1950, it has carried on a distinguished programme of research, teaching, and clinical practice, with a long-standing link with South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). In 2004, the psychology sections of Guy’s, King’s & St Thomas’ School of Medicine merged with the Department, creating one of the world’s largest groupings of clinical and health psychologists. Today, Psychology is one of the largest departments in the IoPPN. 

The department offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These include our Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (the UK’s oldest training programme which helped to establish the scientist/practitioner model that is now almost universal in the field). In addition, we are internationally renowned for our wide range of clinical training programmes for mental health & other allied professionals including diplomas and certificates in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Psychosis, Family & Early Intervention; high intensity Adult Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) training; CYP IAPT (Children & Young People), and IAPT for Long Term Conditions/Medically Unexplained Symptoms. 

The Department’s research interests span a wide range of mental health disorders and physical health problems, including anxiety disorders, trauma, somatoform and functional disorders, pain, psychosis, depression, antisocial personality, disorders in childhood and adolescence, emotion and personality, and neurodegeneration. Link to Department of Psychology webpage: 

  http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/psychology/index.aspx

At King’s we are deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation 

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 18 months 

This is a par time post - 40% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

•        Contribute fully to developing and enhancing the research profile of the Department, School, College and King’s Health Partners (CAMHS CAG), including building a track record of high-quality research studies and publications. 

•        Oversee and have day-to day responsibility for the CAMHS Research Unit’s research team and it’s portfolio of research studies and evaluation projects.

•        Work closely with academic and clinical colleagues to produce successful funding applications based on the Unit’s existing research and evaluation programmes and to develop new research and evaluation projects relevant to it’s work.  

•        Produce papers, reports and other publications for funders and peer reviewed journals  

•        Provide supervision, guidance and professsional support to research workers, students and other CAMHS Research Unit team members. 

•        Work closely with senior clinical colleagues at the Centre for Parent and Child Support, SLAM, on the strategic development of the Centre’s work. 

•        Provide methodological, evaluation and research consultation and guidance to clinical and academic colleagues.  

•        Contribute to the Unit’s national and international training and dissemination programmes .  

•        Contribute to teaching programmes, including the supervision of MSc and DClinPsy projects; and carry out research administration and related duties as requested by Head of the CAMHS HSR Unit .  

•        Engage in continuing professional clinical and researcher development as appropriate.

•        Attend and participate in appropriate research seminars/conferences within subject-related areas, and disseminate work at other appropriate professional, scientific and service user events.

•        Maintain and promote service user involvement in the Unit’s research activity.

•        Manage the pressures of research, administrative demands, & clinical practice and competing deadlines.

•        Conduct risk assessments and take responsibility for the health and safety of research workers, students and others.

•        Undertake activities to support, manage and administer research projects, and any other reasonable duties that may be requested by the Head of the CAMHS Research Unit.

•        Be committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and actively address areas of potential bias

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1.      PhD or Clinical Doctorate with at least two years post-doctoral research experience of managing and coordinating complex research projects.

2.      Experience of managing and supervising research workers and students.

3.      Excellent methodological and research skills, capability to design and successful implement research studies and evaluation projects. 

4.      Sound knowledge of relevant research and clinical areas, for example, mixed methods research, child mental health, parenting, specialised psychological interventions for children, adolescents and parents. 

5.      Well-developed IT, digital and software skills including collection and analysis of online research data, and for teaching purposes. 

6.      Ability to apply appropriate methods of research governance, legislation and professional standards to own work and that of colleagues, supervisees and trainees, as appropriate. 

7.      Flexible, energetic self-starter able to engage actively with team members, the wider College, NHS partner trusts and other collaborators. 

8.      Experience of writing grant applications and a publication record in peer reviewed, academic journals.  

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience of leading large scale, multi-site research and evaluation programmes. 

2.      Experience of providing teaching and research supervision to undergraduate/post-graduate & doctoral students, DClinPsy trainees  

3.      Experience of service user involvement projects and working with service users as advisors and consultants 

Further information

Enhanced DBS required