We are recruiting an Assistant Psychologist post (AP) to help evaluate the benefit of a new talking therapy.
The currently advertised post is for 11 months up until the end of July 2027.
This is multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a psychological intervention to improve sleep in people at risk of transition to psychosis or those in their first episode of psychosis. Sleeping better is funded by a grant led by Professor Daniel Freeman, and Dr. Felicity Waite from the University of Oxford.
The post-holder will be based with Robert Dudley’s research team in the St Nicholas Hospital in Newcastle and will work in CNTW NHS Foundation Trust.
The post will help deliver a large-scale Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new psychological treatment for people with psychosis and sleep difficulties. The post will be based in St Nicholas Hospital but will involve travel across the Trust. The post holder will act as a research assistant and work with the trial therapist and the site lead to help evaluate the treatment trial
The ideal candidate will have experience in research and or clinical settings. It may help if you have experience of working with people who have experienced difficulties with paranoia and unusual experiences like hallucinations. They should have the ability to organize and manage multiple interlinked components of the project and their work. They will need to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills and be able to conduct interviews and assessment with potentially vulnerable individuals. Most importantly, they will need to be enthusiastic about the research area and have a high level of motivation and commitment.
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.
The main role of the trial assistant will be as outlined below:
Screening, recruitment, and assessment of patients for the sleeping better or feeling safer controlled trial of psychological treatment. This will involve speaking to referrers regularly, attending clinical team meetings, visiting teams. There are monthly recruitment targets.
Participants will be seen in clinic settings or at home across a large geographical area. This means there will be extensive travel which would be facilitated by having valid driving licence, and access to own or other independent means of transport.
Good record-keeping will be needed, including updating medical records with trial progress and completing the recruitment database.
You will need to produce regular reports on the recruitment process (including managing the recruitment database) and assessments.
You will need to regularly enter and check data in the study databases.
Attendance at supervision will be expected, and at appropriate research team meetings, including training at the lead site, Oxford.
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 23 rd June 2026
Closing date : 7 th July 2026
Likely interview dates: 20th July 2026
We welcome your application.
Please note - this vacancy may close early once a suitable number of applications are received.
