Job summary
Please note: If you require sponsorship to work in the UK, including those currently in the UK on any visa type and seeking sponsorship, please do not apply for this vacancy, as sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants who currently hold a Skilled Worker Visa will not be able to transfer their sponsorship to this position.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is on an exciting journey towards becoming a University Trust, strengthening our partnerships with leading academic institutions and expanding our research capability. Our Research and Development department plays a key role in achieving this ambition - driving innovation, collaboration and excellence across mental health research.

We are looking for a Research Assistant to join the Mental Health Research Group (MHRG), a five year NIHR funded initiative based at Lancaster University. The MHRG is focused on tackling complex mental health needs among under served and excluded communities, co designing creative and inclusive solutions that improve access to care and reduce inequalities.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will work within MHRG Research Theme 1, which focuses on co occurring mental health and drug or alcohol problems among people experiencing multiple disadvantages, such as substance use disorders, criminal justice involvement and other complex social challenges. These groups often face significant barriers to accessing mainstream services and are frequently excluded from traditional models of care. The research aims to understand their lived experiences, the difficulties they encounter when seeking support, and the opportunities for co designing more inclusive and effective mental health pathways.

About us
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

Details
Closing date: 09 November 2026
Date posted: 02 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year Per Annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 18 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 351-CS2968-SRP-A
Job locations: Lantern Centre / Spectrum Centre, Preston, PR2 8DW, United Kingdom

Job description
For more information about this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Psychology, Sociology, or related subject (eg. public health or social sciences).

Knowledge

• Understanding of qualitative research principles and methods.
• Understanding of research governance and ethics.

Experience

• Experience conducting mental health and/or addiction research.
• Experience conducting research with people with lived experience of severe mental illness and/or alcohol or substance use problems.
• Experience conducting qualitative research (e.g., experience conducting interviews, analysing qualitative data).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/

Contact
Senior Clinical Studies Officer, Polly Bidwell, Polly.Bidwell@lscft.nhs.uk

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)