Senior Psychology Assistant (remote sites) MATERNITY COVER

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Senior Psychology Assistant – Remote Site Co-ordinator (Maternity cover)
Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
School of Medicine
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences

We are looking for a Senior Psychology Assistant to cover maternity leave with the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) team in the Division of Psychological and Clinical Neuroscience at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine.

In this role, you will:

• provide professional advice and guidance on NCMH participant recruitment procedures to both internal and external customers. 
• onboard NHS sites and deliver training on NCMH’s research protocol.
• facilitate and coordinate the recruitment of participants with a history of mental health problems, cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  

We’d like to hear from you if you have:

• a degree in Psychology (minimum 2:1)
• experience of working with individuals with a history of mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• experience of working with individuals with a history of mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders. excellent communication and organisational skills.

This post is based at the Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays campus. 

The majority of roles at Cardiff University are currently operating under “blended working” arrangements, with staff having the flexibility to work partly from home and partly from the University campus depending on specific business requirements. Discussions around these arrangements can take place after the successful candidate has been appointed. Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

How we will support you in performing in this role – 

There are some things that you must have before you can start this role (see ‘Essential Criteria’), but other things can be developed either through training, or just by general on-the-job experience.  We want to support and develop you once you have started in the role using a combination of the following to get the best out of you:

1.    Regular one-to-ones with your manager
2.    An experienced and supportive team around you
3.    Supporting you through job-relevant training and development that you may require
4.    A mentoring scheme

Please contact Dr Sarah Knott ([email protected]) for an informal, confidential discussion about the role.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) available immediately and is fixed term until 1st July 2024. This is a fixed term appointment, that could also be administered as a secondment arrangement.

Salary: £32,332 - £34,980 per annum (Grade 5).  Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Closing date: Wednesday, 03 April 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Job Purpose

Support the University within the national Centre for Mental Health (NCMH), facilitating and coordinating patient recruitment, carrying out supporting work, providing advice, guidance and support, and leading projects within this area.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties
•    Provide professional advice and guidance on NCMH’s participant recruitment processes and procedures to internal and external customers, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring understanding  of complex and conceptual issues.
•    Investigate and analyse specific issues within the NCMH field team, creating recommendation reports, supported by advances within the NCMH.
•    Ensure that the provision of NCMH participant recruitment is delivered to the institution, proactively changing the delivery according to customer requirements.
•    Collaborate with others in order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures.
•    Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required.
•    Create specific working groups from colleagues across the University to achieve school/divisional objectives.
•    Supervise specific project teams on an occasional basis to accomplish key objectives.
•    Develop and deliver training within NCMH remote site set up.
•    Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the department and research centre, including data collection, recording and maintaining records and data entry, as required for the efficient running of the project.
•    Liaise regularly with NHS clinical teams to facilitate patient recruitment to the study.
•    Participate in the regular team meetings by presenting progress updates (including, for example, training activities, problems encountered) and contributing ideas to the recruitment strategy.
•    Become familiar and proficient in the research assessment methods (training provided).
•    Obtain DNA samples from participants (venepuncture training provided).
•    Instruct and guide other employees across the University within NCMH as required
•    Attend national conferences with other members of the research group, to publicise the research and answer queries from potential participants and healthcare professionals.
•    Support and contribute to research publications and presentations as required.
•    Support and train others in the project team as required .

General Duties
•    Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
•    Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
•    Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role

Person Specification

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications and Education

Degree in Psychology (2:1 minimum) or equivalent Professional membership/experience.

Knowledge & Experience

Substantial Experience of working in a research setting focusing on mental health with the ability to take responsibility for academic study-related administration, which includes setting work of others and monitoring progress, demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail at all times including experience of recruiting patients to research studies. 

Ability to demonstrate professional knowledge within specialist discipline to give advice and guidance to internal and external customers.

Ability to set up standard office systems and procedures and make improvements as appropriate.

Evidence of demonstrable knowledge of key advances within specialist discipline.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

Ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people.

Evidence of ability to explore customers’ needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a delivery of a quality service.

Proven ability to work as a team member whilst possessing an ability to work independently.

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving

Evidence of ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identifying and proposing practical solutions and resolving problems with range of potential outcomes.

Evidence of ability to work unsupervised to deadlines, planning and setting priorities for own work and that of others and monitoring progress and planning and managing small projects.

Desirable Criteria 

Postgraduate/Professional qualification.

A willingness to undertake further training and development.

Experience of working with individuals with a history of mental illness, cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Experience of recruiting NHS patients into research studies.

A good understanding of confidentiality and data security.

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria
Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable criteria.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to you application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance 18355BR

Job Category

Health, Management & Executive, Medical & Dental