Job summary
- Main area
- Research Support Worker
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Funded outside of block contract)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 351-CS2860-CL
- Employer
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Academic Research
- Town
- Preston
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Research Support Worker
Band 4
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:
- Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
- Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
- Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a Research Support Worker/Assistant Psychologist in Mental Health Research, to work in close partnership with the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University, in the delivery of an NIHR funded trial Mouth Matters in Mental Health Study
The post starts in April 2026. The support worker would receive training and supervision to deliver a ‘link work intervention’ offering practice and motivational support to people with severe mental health difficulties around attending a dentist. This is an excellent opportunity to develop research and clinical skills, and work with a multidisciplinary research team that includes clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and dentists. The post-holder will receive clinical supervision and training from experienced clinical academics (e.g. Clinical Psychologists) working in the field of mental health research. The position is 1 FTE for 33 months (renewed every 12 months subject to funding) and could be a secondment or fixed-term contract.
All research through Spectrum is conducted with people with lived experience to ensure that it is focused on priorities relevant to them. The Spectrum team takes an active approach to implementation to influence practices through working at national policy levels as well as training clinicians. See https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-and-medicine/research/spectrum/
Main duties of the job
We are looking to appoint a motivated Research Support Worker to work on the exciting NIHR funded Mouth Matters in Mental Health Study. People with severe mental health difficulties (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder) often experience poor oral health and find it difficult to attend the dentist. This project aims to improve access to dental services in people with severe mental health difficulties. Our ultimate aim is to reduce health inequalities in people with mental health difficulties.
The support worker would receive training and supervision to deliver a ‘link work intervention’ offering practice and motivational support to people with severe mental health difficulties around attending a dentist. This is an excellent opportunity to develop research and clinical skills, and work with a multidisciplinary research team that includes clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and dentists. The post-holder will receive clinical supervision and training from experienced clinical academics (e.g. Clinical Psychologists) working in the field of mental health research. The position is 1 FTE for 33 months and could be a secondment or fixed-term contract. We are keen to support the ongoing career development of the post holder. The post starts in April 2026.
Working for our organisation
LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.
We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.
LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.
The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.
Explore our full wellbeing offer here: Keeping our workforce well
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- • BSc(hons) Psychology (2:1 or above) or equivalent (e.g. post graduate conversion course accredited by the British Psychological Society
- • or equivalent in a relevant subject (e.g., Public Health)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with psychological/mental health difficulties or other disabilities.
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Contact with people with mental health difficulties and/or other disabilities.
- • Experience of working in a community setting. Experience of working in a way where people feel listened to and heard.
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential criteria
- • Ability to undertake psychologically informed research projects under supervision.
- • Good communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work across a number of different settings.
- • Use of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel etc.
- • One to one and group communication
- • Ability to work with people from different backgrounds and of different ages.
- • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
Other
Essential criteria
- • Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Tasneem Patel
- Job title
- Research Trials Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01772 773498
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