Research Assistant (Fixed term)

This is an exciting opportunity to work as a Research Assistant with the University of Nottingham on a Nuffield funded study to pilot a Child-First approach in police custody. You will be based in Wales or the South-West and will work closely with the police and other agencies when carrying out research into children who come to the attention of the police. You will be one of three fieldworkers working on this project and, apart from when conducting fieldwork, your work will be home based. 

The study has three main phases: 

• The first phase is to conduct a scoping study of police decision-making when officers come into contact with children in the community. This will include shadowing and interviewing front-line officers and engaging with agencies in the community who can provide help and support to the police in diverting children away from formal criminal processes. 
• Phase two will include working with the police and other agencies in piloting new arrangements to adopt a Child First approach in police custody. This will include adopting an ‘action research’ approach, observing and engaging with children and practitioners in police custody. 
• The third phase will include an evaluation and refining of the Child First arrangements, including a survey of practitioners in South Wales, analysis of police custody record data and conducting research interviews with children and practitioners engaged in the custody process and reviewing recorded police interviews. It will also include individual and focus group interviews with practitioners and managers providing services to children at both a local and national level. 
• You will be involved in the production of research outputs – including contributing to joint-authored academic articles and to attend academic conferences as part of the team. 

We are committed to providing an inclusive research environment and to supporting your career development. As part of the project team, you will work closely with Dr Vicky Kemp, University of Nottingham, and Dr Miranda Bevan, Goldsmiths, University of London. Informal enquiries may be addressed to them at vicky.kemp@nottingham.ac.uk or M.Bevan@gold.ac.uk. 

The researcher will need to be vetted to a high level by the police – to NPPV2/CTC to enable non-police personnel to have unsupervised access to police systems and premises (we will arrange this level of vetting).  

This post is available on a fixed term basis until 31/03/2025. Hours of work are full-time (36.25 hours) ; however applications are also welcome from candidates wishing to work part-time (minimum 29 hours per week). Please specify in your application if you wish to work part time and the number of preferred hours. Job share arrangements may be considered.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Vicky Kemp, University of Nottingham,vicky.kemp@nottingham.ac.uk, and Dr Miranda Bevan, Goldsmiths, University of London, M.Bevan@gold.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to these email addresses will not be accepted.

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