Research Assistant/ Associate in Children and Families Social Care

Salary:

Reserach Assistant:  £32,296 - £33,232 per annum

Research Associate: £34,866 - £36,924 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 06 November 2024

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary research team to oversee the day to day running of the NIHR funded INCLUDE study (Understanding and developing father Inclusive Practice in Children’s Social Care). The project takes a mixed methods approach (systematic review, qualitative work and co-production workshops) and utilised participatory methods throughout, working alongside experts by experience. You will work with the project lead, Dr Hayley Alderson. The project is funded by the National institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Currently, within the children’s social care practice landscape fathers are not systematically included in child welfare interventions, often being described as an ‘unheard gender’. If fathers are to be better engaged and supported by social care, the style, content and approach of practitioners need to be adapted inclusive of considering how cultural conceptions of fathering should be integrated into the intervention design. INCLUDE aims to understand the support needs of fathers whose children are involved with children’s social care and develop novel community-informed ‘good practice guidance' that can be delivered by social care teams to promote father inclusive practice. The study will take a case study approach across multiple sites in England.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

This is a full time, fixed term post until 31st October 2026. We would welcome application from individual who would like to work less than full time.

For informal enquiries contact: Dr Hayley Alderson (hayley.alderson@newcastle.ac.uk)

Key Accountabilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value’. 
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements. 
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required.
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding. 
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids.
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations.
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants 
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities.
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment.
• Work with experts by experience including lay applicants and expert stakeholder groups.

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Essential

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills.
• Detailed subject knowledge (PI to describe subject knowledge required) in the area of research children’s social care and how to include marginalised populations.
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects. 
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability 
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others. 
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment 
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Experience of conducting systematic reviews and using relevant software packages (e.g., Rayyan)
• Ability to work in a range of settings and situations across disciplines. 

Desirable

• Experience of intervention development
• Experience of conducting social care research in sensitive areas (e.g., children’s social care settings, including marginalised populations)
• Experience of preparing research proposals and securing grant income

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to work independently and as part of the research project team.
• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work flexibly and cooperatively with others.
• A willingness to seek help when unsure of next steps.
• A willingness to travel within the UK if required.

Qualifications

• For appointment at Research Associate level, a PhD in a subject relevant to social care or public health
• For appointment at Research Assistant level, first and master’s degrees in a subject relevant to social care or public health
• Demonstrable training in qualitative and/or evidence synthesis methods relevant to social care research

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27682