Research Support Officer
NHS AfC: Band 5
Main area Research Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract 12 months (Fixed Term or Secondment – end date 31.7.2027). Hours: Part time – 30 hours per week. Job ref 186-450-26-CS.
Employer: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – Site: Institute of Mental Health, Town Nottingham.
Salary: £32,073 – £39,043 per annum (pro‑rata for part‑time).
Closing: 21/06/2026 23:59. Interview date: 13/07/2026.
Job overview
This role supports the SATURN (Stimulant medication for ADHD and Tics – Understanding Response versus Non‑stimulants) trial, hosted by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and led by Professor Chris Hollis at the University of Nottingham. The trial seeks to determine whether stimulant or non‑stimulant medication is most effective for children and young people with both ADHD and tics. Participants are children/young people and their parents/carers.
The post-holder will be based in Nottingham and work with local clinical teams and the University of Nottingham’s Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit (NCTU) and Institute of Mental Health (IMH), recruiting participants and assessing outcomes.
Arrangements will involve working between the IMH and the NCTU (with some flexibility around working from home). Travel across Trust sites within the East Midlands is required; a full UK driving licence and own transport are necessary.
Main duties of the job
This is a fixed‑term contract or secondment until 31 July 2027.
WTE: 0.8 (30 hours per week).
Essential responsibilities include:
* Identify, recruit and consent participants.
* Conduct clinical assessments and outcome measures, including training on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS).
* Follow up participants.
* Carry out data collection and data entry.
* Ensure recruitment and follow‑up targets are met and report any issues to the NCTU Trial Manager.
* Coordinate local site activities and report site performance to the NCTU as needed.
* Assist with other research tasks as agreed with the line manager and NCTU Trial Management team.
Detailed job description
The post-holder will join the SATURN trial team, receiving supervision from the Head of Research and Operations (IMH) and working with senior trial managers and the Chief Investigator.
Key accountability areas include:
* Meeting with clinicians, community mental health teams, primary care staff and service users to promote recruitment.
* Carrying out trial assessments face‑to‑face or by telephone/video conference, ensuring treatment, assessment, follow‑ups and data collection follow protocol timelines.
* Managing local site coordination, maintaining the site file and reporting performance to the clinical trials unit.
* Supporting site study set‑up, including preparation of documentation, approvals, training and cascading of training.
* Providing ongoing information and support for patients involved in the trial.
* Entering data into the project database, complying with the Data Protection Act and preparing written reports of activity.
* Recording and reporting adverse events/serious adverse events.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Degree in a relevant subject/discipline (e.g., Psychology, Health, Social Sciences).
Values and behaviours
* Act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust values: Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Teamwork.
* Demonstrate understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to the role.
Experience
* Significant experience of recruiting and consenting participants in healthcare settings, and delivering outcome measures.
* Experience working with children with ADHD and/or tics.
* Experience working in CAMHS or community paediatrics.
Knowledge
* Moderately advanced knowledge of research‑related software packages (e.g., Excel).
* Knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and/or tics.
* Knowledge of NHS Ethics/Health Research Authority (HRA).
Skills
* Interpersonal skills to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
* Ability to interact with children and adults with mental health problems.
* Ability to plan and manage own workload with supervision.
* Ability to work reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
Contractual requirements
* Ability to travel across Trust sites within the East Midlands; full UK driving licence and access to own transport are required.
Additional information
* We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
* The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
* In submitting an application, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous or current NHS employment details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third‑party systems via an automated process and used only for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
* For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until a satisfactory DBS Disclosure has been received. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions that would otherwise be considered 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.
Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa. Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), and this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies. A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.
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