Research Assistant Psychologist | University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Are you a psychology graduate with a strong interest in staff wellbeing, research, and conflict resolution? Are you motivated to develop your skills within a supportive, multidisciplinary NHS service?

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is seeking an enthusiastic and organised Research Assistant Psychologist (Band 5) to join the Staff Psychology and Wellbeing Service (SPWS). This is an exciting opportunity to support high quality staff wellbeing, mediation and conflict resolution work at a leading NHS Trust, while gaining valuable experience in research, service evaluation and psychological service delivery.

You will work closely with the Research Associate on grant application and funding, as well as the Mediation Coordinator on a day to day basis supporting the conflict resolution pathway. Beyond this, the postholder will have regular contact with Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, mediators and wider colleagues across the Trust, supporting staff through psychologically informed pathways and contributing to the ongoing development and evaluation of services. The service has a large cohort of clinical and counselling trainees as well as other assistant psychologists. This role would suit a psychology graduate aiming to pursue further training in clinical, counselling or health psychology, or a related career in NHS service development and research.

The postholder will support the delivery and development of service research and evaluation capabilities, staff psychology, wellbeing and mediation services across UCLH. Key aspects of the role include:

• Supporting research, audit and service evaluation activity;
• Collecting, managing and analysing clinical and service data;
• Coordinating administrative processes that underpin effective service delivery.

You will assist qualified psychologists and mediators in delivering individual and group based wellbeing and conflict resolution interventions, including workshops and seminars for staff. The role involves coordinating referrals, appointments and group activity, maintaining accurate electronic records, and supporting the dissemination of resources, reports and service updates.

You will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and liaise with colleagues across the Trust, communicating sensitively and professionally, particularly when working with staff experiencing distress or workplace conflict. Regular supervision and professional development are integral parts of all aspects of the role.

The role is varied and we have had great success in our AP’s getting onto doctoral clinical psychology courses and PhD / Clinical Associate roles.

UCLH is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

The Staff Psychology and Wellbeing Service (SPWS) is a well established, respected and growing service at UCLH, providing specialist psychological, wellbeing and system level support to our diverse workforce. We work closely with colleagues across the Trust, including Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Occupational Health, Staff Experience and Human Resources.

UCLH is a signatory to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, and takes a strong approach to supporting staff impacted by incidents of violence and aggression, committing to a zero tolerance approach to unwanted, inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours at work. SPWS plays a key role in supporting this commitment through trauma informed, psychologically safe and inclusive approaches to staff support.

We are a friendly, values led multidisciplinary team that prioritises kindness, collaboration and continuous improvement. We offer excellent supervision, active support for professional development, and flexible hybrid working in line with Trust policy. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

SPWS provides psychologically informed support to staff across UCLH, including individual and group interventions, mediation and organisational wellbeing initiatives. The postholder will support the delivery of these services by contributing to data collection, service evaluation, research and administrative coordination.

The role involves assisting qualified psychologists and mediators with assessments, outcome monitoring, group facilitation and wellbeing activity, under appropriate supervision. The postholder will support the coordination of referrals, appointments, workshops and mediation activity, ensuring accurate record keeping and effective communication with staff and stakeholders.

You will contribute to audits, evaluations and service improvement projects, helping to produce reports and learning that inform service development. Current projects included the impact of VR use on staff stress levels, reasonable adjustments support for staff with neurodiversity, and eco-therapy projects. The role provides a valuable opportunity to develop research, evaluation and applied psychology skills within a large, supportive NHS service.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of our workforce and the communities we serve.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff. UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff.