Oxford Health NHS Trust

Research Assistant - Thames Valley Women's OPD

The closing date is 03 July 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for a role in clinical research within Forensic Services?

The Thames Valley Women's Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (WOPD) is a small, multi-disciplinary team which sits within the wider OPD Pathway. We are passionate about supporting women with complex mental health needs to successfully transition out of prison and to thrive in the community.

We are currently seeking a dynamic and self-motivated Research Assistant to support the formal evaluation of an innovative three-year pilot of a new 'Transitional Liaison Mental Health Service.' This initiative focuses on supporting women who present with both significant offending histories and complex mental health needs to successfully navigate the transition from custody to community. This period of physical and psychological transition presents many challenges and is therefore, sadly, all too often associated with poor outcomes, including recall to prison.

The TLMH service provides direct support to the women and also works with other agencies such as the NHS, Adult Social Care and the Third Sector to ensure adequate health and social care provision. You'll also provide key support to the evaluation of the project.

If you have knowledge of mental health/forensic services and a good understanding of research methodology then we'd love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

Phase One of this role will be a scoping exercise, involving gathering and organising large amounts of data from various sources across HM Prison and Probation Services, to establish the throughflow of women leaving prison, along with their presentations, risk profiles and needs. This will help establish demand and identify the needs of this population in more detail.

Phase Two will involve gathering qualitative feedback from a range of professionals, as well as our female service users, in order to gain more in-depth feedback about their experiences of using this pilot service.

We hope to publish the outcomes of this project.

Other duties will include some administration, including the management of our in-house dataset, which supports the day-to-day running of the service and is used for the production of Quarterly Reports, projects and quality monitoring.

This role will involve a combination of remote working and travel to various probation sites across the Thames Valley area, plus some travel beyond Thames Valley to visit the four women's prisons in the South of England.

About us

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

o Excellent opportunities for career progressiono Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and developmento 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous serviceo NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailerso Competitive pension schemeo Lease car schemeo Cycle to work schemeo Employee Assistance Programmeo Mental Health First Aiderso Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)o Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Date posted

26 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year plus an RSU allowance of £1,446 per annum | pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

24 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

267-CS7245295

Job locations

Manzil Way Health Centre

Entrance 3, Manzil Way

Oxford

OX4 1XE

Job description

Job responsibilities

Support the TLMH Lead in identifying, collecting and managing key data for the project.
Manage a large dataset in Excel and/or SPSS competently and efficiently.
Provide written reports regarding the progress of the research to the Clinical Lead(s).
Occasional site visits with the TLMH Lead and/or the Women's Lead to meet key stakeholders and to conduct interviews for the qualitative portion of the project.
Supporting qualitative data analysis e.g. Thematic Analysis, IPA etc.
Assisting with the write-up of the project report.
Managing the in-house Excel spreadsheet to keep track of day-to-day clinical activities and performance.

Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties. Applicants must have a full valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. Adjustments can be considered in line with the Equality Act 2010 where required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Support the TLMH Lead in identifying, collecting and managing key data for the project.
Manage a large dataset in Excel and/or SPSS competently and efficiently.
Provide written reports regarding the progress of the research to the Clinical Lead(s).
Occasional site visits with the TLMH Lead and/or the Women's Lead to meet key stakeholders and to conduct interviews for the qualitative portion of the project.
Supporting qualitative data analysis e.g. Thematic Analysis, IPA etc.
Assisting with the write-up of the project report.
Managing the in-house Excel spreadsheet to keep track of day-to-day clinical activities and performance.

Person Specification

Academic & Experience

Essential

Bachelor's Degree in a Social Science 2:1 or above
Postgraduate qualification in research methods OR a postgraduate qualification involving a significant piece of research

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Knowledge of mental health/forensic settings
Understanding of research ethics & governance
Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing
Experience of managing large datasets
Experience in a post-graduate research role

Desirable

Knowledge/experience of qualitative research analysis
Understanding of the population in question

Other

Essential

Full driving licence and access to a car or motorbike

Person Specification

Academic & Experience

Essential

Bachelor's Degree in a Social Science 2:1 or above
Postgraduate qualification in research methods OR a postgraduate qualification involving a significant piece of research

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Knowledge of mental health/forensic settings
Understanding of research ethics & governance
Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing
Experience of managing large datasets
Experience in a post-graduate research role

Desirable

Knowledge/experience of qualitative research analysis
Understanding of the population in question

Other

Essential

Full driving licence and access to a car or motorbike

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford Health NHS Trust

Address

Manzil Way Health Centre

Entrance 3, Manzil Way

Oxford

OX4 1XE

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford Health NHS Trust

Address

Manzil Way Health Centre

Entrance 3, Manzil Way

Oxford

OX4 1XE

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)