Research Assistant Clinical Psychologist | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

We are seeking a motivated Research Assistant to work on the exciting National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Mouth Matters in Mental Health Study. This innovative project is an NIHR funded project involving a brief psychosocial intervention using mental health support workers as a Link Worker to improve dental visiting in people with severe mental health conditions.

The post starts in April 2026. The successful applicant will lead on participant recruitment and data collection for the research trial of a link work intervention for people with severe mental health difficulties. This will involve liaising with different clinical teams and clinical and administration staff working across the Trust, meeting and receiving consent from participants, conducting trial assessments (e.g. interviews, self-report measures) and managing data. The post-holder will receive clinical supervision and training from experienced clinical academics working in the field of mental health research. The position is 1.FTE for 36 months.

You will be working in a research team including a consultant clinical psychologist and will be part of wider research and development, and national study team.

We actively encourage applications from individuals commonly under-represented in research professions, including those from racially and ethnically minoritised groups.

Key responsibilities:

· To assist in the London implementation of the Mouth Matters research trial, including preparation of study materials, and conductingliterature searches.

· To lead on participant recruitment and data collection centring the wellbeing and safeguards of the patients and conducted according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trial) Regulations 2004 and Amended Regulations 2006.

· To attend and contribute to meetings with clinical teams, professionals and relevant networks to talk about the research and facilitate effective participant recruitment processes.

· To complete research assessments of study participants

· To produce recruitment reports and data summaries, using IT and statistical programmes

· To organise and co-facilitate focus groups with service users, relatives/carers and health professionals

· To attend meetings, supervision and relevant trial training with site lead and wider Mouth Matters Trial team

· To assist in clinically related administration (e.g., meeting minutes; arranging contacts with families and professionals)

· To maintain Trust records and any trial databases and, ensuring entries are complete, accurate and up-to-date in accordance with the Trust policies, the protocol and Good Clinical Practice guidelines

· To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time

GENERAL

· To understand the Trusts Strategic Goals and how you can support them and comply with all Trust policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines

· To understand the need to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and adhere to all principles in effective safeguarding.

· To carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Equal Opportunities, Equality and Diversity and dignity in care/work policies and principles

· To avoid unlawful discriminatory behaviour and actions when dealing with the colleagues, services users, members of the public and all stakeholders.

· To undertake administrative duties required (e.g., meeting minutes, arranging contact with professionals).

· To access only information, where paper, electronic, or, in another media, which is authorised to you as part of the duties of your role.

· Not to communicate to anyone or inside or outside the NHS, information relating to patients, services users, staff, contractors or any information of a commercially sensitive nature, unless done in the normal course of carrying out the duties of the post and with appropriate permission.

· To maintain high standards of quality in corporate and clinical record keeping ensuring information is always recordedaccurately, appropriately and kept up to date.

· To ensure their day-to-day activities embrace sustainability and reduce the impact upon the environment by minimising waste and maximising recycling; saving energy; minimising water usage and reporting electrical faults, water leakages or other environmental concerns to the facilities department or their line manager.

· Take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself and other persons

· To contribute to the control of risk and to report any incident, accident or near miss

· To protect service users, visitors and employees against the risk of acquiring health care associated infections.

· To take responsibility for your own learning and developmentby recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn in line with appraisal and supervision

· To undertake any other reasonable duty, when requested to do so by an appropriate Trust manager.

· To take responsibility for decision making and prioritise own workload within a team and individual context

CLINICAL

· Carry out planned care required by the clinical trials protocol for patients and volunteers

· Responsible for screening potential participants and receiving participant informed and written consent

· To support patients to make informed choices concerning their involvement in research.

· Ensure that written informed consent from a participant has always been obtained for any research taking place within the Trust.

· Maintain all data and case report forms relating to clinical trials in accordance with the regulatory and governance environment for NHS research.

· Report any deviation on research protocols to senior staff and implement agreed changes in care programme.

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH

● Mouth Matters Trial sites (e.g. Lancaster University)

● R&D departments, SLaM, King’s College London

● NHS Trust clinical, administrative and clerical support staffacross SLaM, Kings Health Partners

● Patient and lived experience groups

● Research Delivery Managers and other research delivery staff

● South London RDN clinical divisions

● Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

· Assist in the training and support of other professionals to enable them to care for clinical trial patients and recruit to Mouth Matters trials and other trials, where appropriate.

· Maintain an up—to-date knowledge of research related topics, particularly related to clinical trials.

· Assess the needs of participants, relatives and carers and provide them with information as requested.

· Educate participants, family and those who volunteer for clinical trials before, during and after clinical studies and investigations.

· Assist wider trial team and local Trust in stakeholder engagement and information sharing events

INFORMATION AND CLINICAL GOVERNANCE
• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded accurately and in a timely manner, to a high standard.
• To attend and contribute as appropriate to multi-disciplinary meetings, steering groups and other forums as appropriate.
• Set up systems to ensure efficient management of own workload, under the guidance of Site Lead
• Set up and manage databases where required
• Utilise IT to support report writing, data input and analysis,
• Demonstrate compliance with local policies on data usage and storage, including Health & Safety at Work
• To maintain databases through the regular inputting of data, as well as performing appropriate data analysis and producing reports as required.
• To support the team to maintain good clinical governance across their work (e.g., notifying and supporting in the completion of risk assessments)

This advert closes on Tuesday 19 May 2026