Research Assistant in Addictions

Organisation/Company: KINGS COLLEGE LONDON

Research Field: Psychological sciences

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2), First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country: United Kingdom

Application Deadline: 3 Mar 2025 - 00:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Permanent

Job Status: Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About us:

The Addictions Department, also known as the National Addiction Centre (NAC), is one of the most productive addictions research groups in Europe. We represent an important area of health-related study as the Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) within King’s Health Partners, and form one of the core areas of the Academic Health Science Centre that brings together university partners King’s College London with the NHS from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital, and Guy’s and St Thomas’.

About the role:

The Research Assistant position will play a crucial role in supporting and contributing to an exciting and challenging new research trial - PRET (the Prison Release Engagement Trial) which will test an app-driven support system for individuals with previous heroin addiction problems over the period of their release from prison in order to improve post-release continuity of care. The Research Assistant will work closely with colleagues on the PRET team to ensure effective collaboration and coordination of research activities.

The appointee will be responsible for maintaining good contact with healthcare staff in participating sites (six prisons across England) as well as local treatment agencies, using a good knowledge of how opioid use disorder is treated in prisons and the provision of treatment in the community. Close working with PPI partners and networks will also be a particular responsibility. The Research Assistant will be based within the wider project team at the Addiction Sciences Building at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; however, travel to participating sites across England is likely.

The post holder will work with PRET research colleagues in order to:

1. Maintain good communication with research sites and partner organisations
2. Maintain good collaborative relationships with key individuals and groups responsible for provision or monitoring of healthcare provision, both within prison and also post-release
3. Ensure good awareness of opportunity, and smooth recruitment of participants into the study, completion of study assessments and tracking of capture of relevant information
4. Support research sites in facilitating recruitment and initial entry of participants into the study
5. Coordinate between the app-development company (CMI) and the PRET study team as well as the participating prisons to arrange initial familiarisation with the app technology of staff and participants, and also the pre-placement of individualised mobile phones for participants pre-release
6. Liaise with probation services about arrangements for post-release aftercare
7. Monitor and ensure good data collection at recruitment and post-release
8. Coordinate and monitor a sample of verification checks with clinics
9. Assist in study-wide communications
10. Support maintenance of study documents, recruitment and report forms
11. Contribute to recruitment, retention and follow-up contact with study participants
12. Have access to sensitive datasets with anonymised personal study data
13. Assist with administrative tasks

The post will involve contact with researchers, prison healthcare and security personnel, clinicians, support workers, and individuals who have, or have previously had, substance use problems, who may, or may not, be in treatment.

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.

This position is available full-time or potentially on a part-time basis.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

1. BSc in Psychology or in a related field
2. Previous research or clinical experience of addiction treatment services and/or the prison system, or evidence of equivalent relevant knowledge
3. Understanding of the special challenges of providing treatment for addiction problems within the prison system as well as in community settings
4. Understanding of the objectives of the PRET study, including awareness of the challenges involved and the need to work collaboratively to develop solutions
5. Previous experience working in relevant research projects (familiarity with protocol development, ethics applications, etc)
6. Good organizational and time management skills
7. Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and work well within a team
8. MSc in Addictions or in a related field (desirable)
9. Knowledge of the process of prison-release and continuity of care in the community
10. Previous experience of working with or within addiction treatment services and/or with or within the prison system
11. Awareness and experience of working with prison-leavers, and experience with engagement of individuals with problems associated with heroin/opioid use
12. Proactive attitude, showing initiative when faced with challenges and demonstrating problem-solving skills

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information on what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information:

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.

Grade and Salary: £38,232 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Job ID: 107825

Close Date: 03-Mar-2025

Contact Person: Prof Sir John Strang & Dr Elizabeth Appiah-Kusi

Contact Details: john.strang@kcl.ac.uk & elizabeth.appiah-kusi@kcl.ac.uk