Psychology Assistant Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences School of Medicine College of Biomedical and Life Sciences We are looking for a Psychology Assistant to support a new research project in the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences entitled, “Cardiff ONline Cognitive Assessment (CONCA): An online tool for clinical monitoring of cognition in patients with psychosis”, funded by Health and Care Research Wales. This is an exciting opportunity to conduct early-stage testing of a new assessment tool that will support clinical services to monitor patient’s memory. The successful candidate will assist in a range of study-related tasks including recruitment of people diagnosed with psychosis, conducting qualitative interviews and administering web-based measures of symptoms, cognition and functioning. Candidates should have a degree in Psychology, or a related field and a good understanding of the principles involved in the psychological assessment of humans. Experience of recruiting patients to research studies and conducting qualitative interviews would be advantageous. This post is based at the Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays campus. For informal enquiries please contact Amy Lynham (lynhamajcardiff.ac.uk) This post is full-time (35 hours per week), available immediately and fixed term until 30th September 2026. Salary: £27,344 - £30,505 per annum (Grade 4). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances. 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 40 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. Date advert posted: Wednesday, 13 November 2024 Closing date: Wednesday, 27 November 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. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. 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 Purpose Providing comprehensive and professional support to the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences at Cardiff University, providing support and guidance on the project, “Cardiff ONline Cognitive Assessment (CONCA): An online tool for clinical monitoring of cognition in patients with psychosis”. To assist in a range of study-related tasks including recruitment and assessment of people diagnosed with psychosis, including qualitative interviewing, digital cognitive assessments, and general day-to-day activities associated with the study. Duties and Responsibilities Key Duties • To become familiar and proficient in qualitative and quantitative research assessment methods (training provided). • To recruit individuals with a diagnosis of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. • To undertake assessments of participants both face to face and using web-based approaches, including qualitative interviews, clinical questionnaires and digital cognitive assessments. • To understand and convey project information, which may need careful explanation or interpretation. • To establish productive relationships with key individuals (University colleagues and external contacts) to help improve the level of service the team provides to its customers. • To ensure that participant recruitment targets are met, maintain confidentiality and professional standards and work as an effective member of the overall team effort. • To participate in the regular team meetings by presenting progress updates (including, for example, numbers recruited, problems encountered) and contributing ideas to the recruitment strategy. • To carry out administrative tasks such as data collection, recording and maintaining records and data as required for the proficient running on the project, with supervision. • To support and train others in the project team as required in the project procedures. • To ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in respect of equality and diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other University policies, procedures and codes as appropriate. • To undergo personal and professional development including Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training for Research that is appropriate to the role and which will enhance performance. • To work flexibly as part of a team to achieve the study objectives, adapting to new procedures, taking on new tasks consistent with the role, and facilitating the development of the study. • To perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role. • Gather and analyse data (e.g. qualitative interviews and questionnaire responses) so that informed decisions can be made, establishing basic trends and patterns in the data and providing reports and recommendations for management. General Duties • Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties. • Abide by University policies and undergo appropriate personal and professional development. • Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role. • Uphold the Professional Services Values & Behaviours or local equivalent. 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, 19184BR 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 Essential Criteria Qualifications and Education 1. A degree (2.1 or above) in Psychology or related subject and/or experience. 2. Proficiency in IT, including experience of using Email, Internet, Microsoft Office, SPSS (data entry and analysis). Knowledge, Skills and Experience 3. Specialist knowledge within as many of the following: i. Working with clinical or vulnerable populations. ii. Recruitment and interviewing of participants. iii. Undertaking qualitative research methods. iv. Development and application of online cognitive assessments. v. Knowledge of psychosis. 4. Experience of working in an administrative role or environment and ability to set up standard office systems and procedures, making improvements to these as appropriate. Communication and Teamworking 5. Ability to communicate specialist and complex information effectively and professionally to a range of customers with varying levels of understanding. Planning, Analysis and Problem Solving 6. Proven ability to work on own initiative and unsupervised to strict deadlines, planning, organising and setting priorities for own work appropriately and demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail at all times. 7. Evidence of ability to solve problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose practical solutions and to resolve problems where there are a range of potential options available monitoring priorities. Desirable Criteria 1. Experience of recruiting patients to research studies. 2. Possession of a full valid driving licence. 3. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral. 4. A good understanding of confidentiality and data security. 5. Experience of working in a higher education environment.