THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM RECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM Job Title: Research Assistant School/Department: School of Medicine - Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology Salary: £25,013 - £27,318 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance Job Family and Level: Research and Teaching Level 4a Contract Status: Fixed-term for a period of one year Hours of Work: Full-time (36.25 hours per week) Location: Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, Yang Fujia Building, Jubilee Campus Reporting to: Professor Kevin Browne and Dr Shihning Chou Purpose of the Role: The purpose of this role will be to assist and support the principal investigators on an Open Society funded project entitled ‘The extent and characteristics of institutional care for young children in Europe & Central Asia: A ten year follow up study’. The main aim of the project is to carry out a survey investigating the number and characteristics of children under three in institutional care (a) in Europe and compare the findings to a similar survey carried out by the project managers (contact persons) a decade earlier in 2003. Specifically, we are seeking to again survey official data (as reported by Government Departments) for all the countries in the Council of Europe (N=47) to establish what progress has been achieved in reducing the number of children aged less than three in residential institutional care. There will be an overlap of approximately 10 countries with the latest UNICEF survey in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This overlap will provide a good basis for reliability check of the official data. In addition, regional and national estimates from NGOs will be compared where they exist (eg; Everychild, Eurochild etc). The findings of the proposed project will tell us whether the use of institutional care for young children has reduced since the last survey, following the publication of the United Nations ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’ in its General Assembly Report of the Human Rights Council in 2010. These guidelines have been adopted by the EU and the Council of Europe for all member states but UNICEF’s ‘call to action to end the placement of children under three in institutions’ has only been applied to Eastern Europe and Central 1
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THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAMRECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM
Job Title: Research Assistant
School/Department: School of Medicine - Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology
Salary: £25,013 - £27,318 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance
Job Family and Level: Research and Teaching Level 4a
Contract Status: Fixed-term for a period of one year
Hours of Work: Full-time (36.25 hours per week)
Location: Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, Yang Fujia Building, Jubilee Campus
Reporting to: Professor Kevin Browne and Dr Shihning Chou
Purpose of the Role: The purpose of this role will be to assist and support the principal investigators on an Open Society funded project entitled ‘The extent and characteristics of institutional care for young children in Europe & Central Asia: A ten year follow up study’.
The main aim of the project is to carry out a survey investigating the number and characteristics of children under three in institutional care (a) in Europe and compare the findings to a similar survey carried out by the project managers (contact persons) a decade earlier in 2003. Specifically, we are seeking to again survey official data (as reported by Government Departments) for all the countries in the Council of Europe (N=47) to establish what progress has been achieved in reducing the number of children aged less than three in residential institutional care. There will be an overlap of approximately 10 countries with the latest UNICEF survey in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This overlap will provide a good basis for reliability check of the official data. In addition, regional and national estimates from NGOs will be compared where they exist (eg; Everychild, Eurochild etc).
The findings of the proposed project will tell us whether the use of institutional care for young children has reduced since the last survey, following the publication of the United Nations ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’ in its General Assembly Report of the Human Rights Council in 2010. These guidelines have been adopted by the EU and the Council of Europe for all member states but UNICEF’s ‘call to action to end the placement of children under three in institutions’ has only been applied to Eastern Europe and Central Asia. We have little information on the implementation of this guideline for the Baltic states, western and central Europe, which make up the European Economic Community.
Main Responsibilities % time per year
1. Administering the survey tool to all EU and accession countries 40%2. Maintaining all databases required by the project 10%3. Collection of quantitative and qualitative data 10%4. To assist in ensuring that study administrative procedures are efficient and
adhered toKeeping accurate recordsPreparation of papers for and attendance at project group meetings and any other relevant meetings
10%
5. Contribute to writing up of reports to meet requirements of funding body 5%
1
6. Contribute to dissemination of findings by assisting with the preparation of papers for publication and presentation of project findings at appropriate meetings and conferences
5%
7. Liaison with UNICEF and other organisation collecting similar kinds of data in Europe and other parts of the world
10%
8. Undertaking in-house training and supervision relevant to the study 5%9. Any other project related duties appropriate to the grade and role and as
BSc/BA Honours (or equivalent) in Psychology or related field
Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field
Skills/Training IT skills and knowledge of using MS Office packages including Word, Excel and email
Use of statistical packages and knowledge of research methods and statistics
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Excellent organisational skills with attention to detail
Ability to work to a study protocol Ability to work in close liaison with
other members of a team Ability to set own objectives,
prioritise and plan own workload within a planned timescale
Training in conducting surveys Knowledge of international
studies of services for children Fluent in a second language
Experience Experience of collecting quantitative and qualitative data
Previous research experience Previous experience of data
collection Experience of working on at least
one research project related to children
Experience of writing reports
Professional experience in social and public care of children
Previous research experience associated with data surveys
Experience of working within a project team
Statutory/ Legal
Satisfactory Enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service
Other Ability to travel as necessary
Decision Makingi) taken independently by the role holderFollow instructions and advice given by principal investigators to carry out a survey investigating the number and characteristics of children under three in institutional care (a) in Europe and compare the findings to a similar survey carried out by the project managers (contact persons) a decade earlier in 2003.
ii) taken in collaboration with othersTo assist in establishing what progress has been achieved in reducing the number of children aged less than three in residential institutional care. There will be an overlap of approximately 10 countries with the latest UNICEF survey in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This overlap will provide a good basis for reliability check of the official data. In addition, regional and national estimates from NGOs will be compared where they exist (eg; Everychild, Eurochild etc). All members of staff contribute to the management of the Centre through its various activities, as appropriate to their position, experience and competencies.
iii) referred to the appropriate line manager by the role holderNon responders to survey.
To find out more about the Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology at the University of Nottingham Medical School visit the Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology web pages at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/cffp/index.aspx
Background:Seven years ago, in the British Medical Journal, cause for concern was expressed by the authors1,2 on the ‘Overuse of institutional care for children in Europe’. In 2003, An estimated 43,842 (14.4 per 10,000) children less than 3 years resided in institutional care within 46 countries of the WHO European and Central Asian region. Within Europe, it was found that institutional care of young children was not restricted to countries in transition but was common throughout the entire region, with less than 4% registered as biological orphans1,2. The original survey showed this problem to exist in most of the 33 European countries surveyed2. To summarise, official government data showed that 23,099 young children less than 3 years old (approximately 11 per 10,000 children) were in institutional care1 for more than three months without a parent in 31 countries in European Union, Economic Community and accession countries. These facts were previously unknown to the EU, UNICEF and WHO.
Rates ranged from less than one per 10,000 young children (e.g., UK, Iceland, Slovenia), to eight countries with 31 to 60 per 10,000 babies and small children in institutions (Czech Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovak Republic and Hungary). The majority were placed there due to child maltreatment, parental abandonment or because of a disability3, despite the knowledge that institutional care is a very poor substitute for positive family care, increasing the risk of development delay, attachment difficulties, neural growth dysfunction and mental health disorders4.
These findings5 prompted the United Nations General Assembly Report of the Human Rights Council to highlight the need for member states to adopt a “deinstitutionalisation objective and strategy” particularly for children under the age of three years in their ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’ for 192 Member States6. This was followed by an UNICEF call to action to end the placement of children under three years in institutional setting.
Methods:Ministries of Health and Social Services in the 47 countries within the Council of Europe will be asked for official data on the number, characteristics and reasons for children aged less than three residing in institutions for more than three months without a primary caregiver during the year ending 31 December 2013 (or the last date that annual data on this topic were collected). A survey form will be developed, comparable with the current survey of Eastern Europe and Central Asia carried out by UNICEF Geneva. This survey form will be distributed from the University of Nottingham (in association with the Open Society) in collaboration with the UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (to be confirmed). When Ministries did not hold the relevant information, they were asked to collaborate with other Ministries to obtain details. This method is based on the successful survey carried out in 2002-3, where collaborators were identified in each country through the international contacts of the Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology and the membership of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The purpose of these collaborators is to contact the ministries completing the questionnaire to offer their help and assistance and follow up with civil servants in the relevant language to ensure that the completion of questionnaires.
After the preliminary results had been compiled, the data for each country will be returned to the named contact person in each Ministry who completed the questionnaire to confirm the collated information is a true and accurate record of the situation in their country and to add any identified missing information.
Logic Model and Timeline with the Project Goals, Activities, Outcomes:1st month Contacting experts and gathering information from UNICEF Innocenti Centre
Florence2nd month Updating literature review and search for data collection methods3rd month Synthesising results from literature review4th month Formulating questionnaire based on results from literature review
Contacting UNICEF Geneva to compare methods 5th month Distributing questionnaire to government agencies in all the countries in
Council of Europe (N=47) Literature review write-up and disseminationCollecting public information on socio-economic indicators for 2013
1a Defined as 11 or more children living together without parents for more than 3 months
6th-8th month Collecting questionnaire responses (including email/telephone follow up) from member states of the Council of EuropeCollecting information from UNICEF survey from Eastern Europe and Central AsiaComparing results from countries in both surveys for reliability of official data
Dr. Kevin Browne, Professor of Forensic Psychology & Child Health and Director, Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK, NG8 1BB.Tel: +44 (0) 1158232210, Email; [email protected]
Dr. Shihning Chou, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK, NG8 1BB.Tel: +44 (0) 1158466623, Email; [email protected]
The Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology:The Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology was established in 2010 at the University of Nottingham. The Centre promotes research and training in forensic and family psychology and specifically investigates the causes and consequences of family violence, child maltreatment and serious crime from a public health approach. Members are involved in multi-sector collaboration to prevent violence through prediction, assessment and treatment of victims and offenders. Nationally, the Centre has links with the Department of Health, Home Office, NOMS, Police Services, the Youth Justice Board, the Health Care and Professions Council, the British Psychological Society (BPS), the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the National Offender Treatment Association (NOTA). At an international level, members advise the European Commission, UNICEF, World Health Organisation and International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. In co-operation with staff from Medicine, Education, Law, Sociology and Social Policy (SSSP) and Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the Centre provides professionally accredited Doctorate Programmes in Forensic Psychology (D.Foren.Psy). The Centre also offers the opportunity to undertake research for the qualification of MPhil/PhD in forensic and family psychology and applied developmental psychology.
Research Postgraduates:Jeanne Gerard, MSc – Children who KillVicki Jackson, MSc –Child Victimisation in the CommunityGita Patel, MSc – Violent Fantasies in Violent and Sexually Violent Offenders Phil Willmot, MSc – Personality Disorder
Aims and Objectives of the Centre: To promote research and collaboration into all areas of forensic and family psychology
from both a victim and offender perspective. To investigate attachment processes in child development and help prevent child abuse
and neglect. To prevent physical, sexual and psychological violence in individuals, families and
communities, including the workplace. To evaluate and synthesise publications in forensic and family psychology to inform
professionals, policy makers and the general public. To enhance national and international links and collaborative work in the area. To promote professional training and communication by courses, workshops, seminars and
conferences at national and international levels. To encourage individuals to become qualified Registered Forensic Psychologists working in
the UK and at international level. To offer training in research methods and systematic reviews and to further knowledge
about what works for offender’s rehabilitation with and without mental disorders. To offer expert witness reports to legal proceedings in the UK and internationally and offer
advice and training on child care and protection following the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
To offer professional consultancy and advice.
Research and Consultancy Activities:The Centre consists of teaching and research staff, honorary staff and postgraduate research students from Institutes, School and Departments of the University of Nottingham who are concerned with : Assessment and treatment of sexual offenders Assessment and treatment of violent offenders Assessment and treatment of personality disordered offenders Child abuse and neglect Child care and protection (family based care) Children in institutional care Child and adolescent mental health Crime reduction strategies Criminal justice decision making Cyber bullying and crime Domestic violence between intimate partners Elder abuse and neglect Expert witness testimony in child care proceedings and parenting assessments Family attachment processes Forensic mental health and organisational issues (including occupational health) Influences of violence in media entertainment Links between family violence and crime Management and treatment of young offenders Mental disorders, addictions and crime Patterns of repeat victimisation Predicting dangerousness and risk assessment Prevention of antisocial behaviour Sibling maltreatment and parent abuse Street children and child abandonment Theories of offending and victimisation Trauma and victim to offender cycle Workplace violence
Book publications:Browne, K.D., Douglas, J., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. E. and Hegarty, J. (2006). A Community Health Approach to the Assessment of Infants and their Parents, Chichester: Wiley.
Craig, L., Browne, K.D. and Beech, A. (2008) Assessing Risk in Sex Offenders: A Practitioners Guide. Chichester: Wiley.
Craig, L., Browne, K.D. and Lindsay, B. Eds. (2010) Assessment and Treatment of Sexual Offenders with Learning Disabilities. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Ferguson, H. (2004) Protecting children in time: Child abuse, child protection and the consequences of modernity. London: Palgrave/Mcmillian.
McMurran, M., Khalifa, N. and Gibbon, S. (2009). Forensic Mental Health. Culompton, Devon: Willan.
The University of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a global-leading, research-intensive university with campuses in the UK, Malaysia and China. Our reputation for world-class research has yielded major scientific breakthroughs such as Nobel-winning MRI techniques, drug discovery, food technologies and engineering solutions for future economic, social and cultural progress.
Already ranked among the UK’s elite universities and global polls for research excellence, our reputation for world-class research has been further enhanced with the 2008 results of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
In addition to scoring highly in quality rankings covering major disciplines in science, engineering, the social sciences, medicine, business and the arts, it is Nottingham’s increase in research power rankings which demonstrate the impressive volume of excellent research which is carried out. We are now ranked in the Top 7 of all British universities and are one of only two institutions to move into the UK Top 10 since 2001 – an increase of seven places, making us the highest mover of any university.
Following the RAE results, 90% of all research at Nottingham has been classified of an ‘international standard’ and 60% as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.
The main University campus is set beside a lake, in an extensive belt of woodland, parks and playing fields. The 330 acre University Park Campus is the focus of life for more than 32,000 students and houses the majority of the University’s academic schools and many of the central Services. The Jubilee campus is situated 2 miles away from the University Park, and provides extra capacity. The University Medical School is situated next to the University Park. Together with the University Hospital, it forms the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).
University of Nottingham Medical SchoolNottingham has a strong reputation for both clinical medicine and teaching. As one of the most popular medical schools in the country, it is able to select excellent students and produce and attract good junior doctors.
The School of Medicine was formed following Faculty reconfiguration on August 1st 2013. The new School of Medicine comprises the Divisions of Cancer and Stem Cell Sciences, Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Clinical Neuroscience; Epidemiology and Public Health; Primary Care; Psychiatry and Applied Psychology; Rehabilitation and Ageing; Medical Sciences and Graduate Entry Medicine; Respiratory Medicine; Rheumatology, Orthopaedics and Dermatology and the Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre. The School also hosts the Medical Education Centre, the Centre for Interprofessional Education and Learning, the Clinical Research Facility, the Clinical Skills Centre, NIHR design Service East Midlands, Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, PRIMIS and Medical Imaging Unit.
The new School of Medicine brings together in one School staff undertaking research for the benefit of the health of patients. It includes all primary care and hospital-based medical and surgical disciplines, principally in the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital Nottingham Campuses, Royal Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and also at the University’s main campus and at the King’s Meadow and Jubilee Campuses. Most of our School’s Senior Researchers and Teachers are also clinicians who dedicate 50% of their time to patient care within the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust & Royal Derby Hospitals NHS Trust. This close juxtaposition brings cutting-edge clinical care to our patients and clinical relevance to our research and teaching. We are closely integrated with our full time NHS clinical colleagues, many of whom are themselves leaders in research and teaching and who work closely with the University and this increases the mutual benefit from integration between the University and NHS.
Mission:Our mission is to improve human health and quality of life locally, nationally and internationally through outstanding education, research and patient care.
Priorities:1. Teaching and learning, particularly training tomorrow’s doctors and teaching
specialised postgraduates 2. Research and research training: We will perform and support the highest quality
“big” research which impacts on human health and disease 3. Partnership with the NHS and other healthcare providers
4. Visibility and profile of the School of Medicine:We will do what we do better, and we will tell others about it
Ethos and principles:1. Having people and patients at the heart of all we do: our teaching and learning,
our research and our patient care 2. Contribution within the School of Medicine and to society beyond our immediate
roles; helpfulness and service 3. Openness and fairness, with particular emphasis on communication (both internal
and external) and on equality and diversity among students and staff 4. Personal and group responsibility for all aspects of our work, within a culture of
opportunity and reward
Our research spans 11 major themes, ranging from cancer to vascular medicine. We work closely with industry and the NHS. Our world-leading research ranges from basic and translational science through to clinical trials, epidemiology, and health services research. Our clear theme is improving human health, underpinning a vibrant postgraduate research training programme leading to PhD or DM. Many of our academics are clinicians, using their expertise to provide cutting edge specialised treatment to NHS patients; reflecting our ethos that patients are at the heart of all we do.
Our major research themes are in Cancer and Stem Cells; Child Health, Obstetrics & Gynaecology; Clinical Neurosciences; Digestive Diseases; Epidemiology and Public Health; Mental Health; Musculoskeletal and Dermatology; Primary Care; Rehabilitation and Ageing; Respiratory Medicine and Vascular and Renal Medicine.
The School of Medicine trains tomorrow’s doctors on a vibrant undergraduate medical course with a unique intercalated BMedSci, as well in a specialised graduate-entry programme built around clinical problem solving. We teach medicine and related disciplines at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. We have a dedicated clinical academic training programme and are committed to training PhD and doctoral research students and to supporting postdoctoral clinicians and scientists in their research. Professor John Atherton is Dean of the School of Medicine.For further information, please see our website http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine
NottinghamCentral within the East Midlands, Nottingham is a vibrant and prosperous city with something to offer everyone. It is one of the UK’s leading retail centres and has a huge variety of restaurants, bars and nightclubs which attract people from all over the UK. Culturally, it has good theatres, an arena which attracts both national and international performers and a range of historical interests relating to subjects such as the lace industry, Lord Byron and DH Lawrence. Nottingham is also known for sport, being the home of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham Forest and Notts County Football Clubs, the National Water Sports Centre and the Nottingham Tennis Centre. There is a good network of roads with easy access to the M1 and the A1, a fast frequent rail service to London and other major cities. Nottingham East Midlands Airport is only eighteen miles away.
The city is set within a county of outstanding natural beauty which includes Sherwood Forest, Wollaton Park, lively market towns and wonderful historic buildings. Housing is relatively inexpensive and, in addition to the two Universities, there are excellent schools and colleges available.
To find out more about Nottingham, use the following links:Nottingham County Council – Tourism http://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/ University of Nottingham http://www.nottingham.ac.uk Zoopla (Guide to local properties) http://www.zoopla.co.uk/
My Nottingham (information on schools, term dates, school transport etc.)http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8524
