Research Fellow - Anawim Project

Job Purpose

Anawim is a charity which exists to support women with multiple & complex needs enabling them to lead stable and fulfilling lives with their children & families. They help women who are involved in & around prostitution, offending behaviour, drug abuse and sexual exploitation to transform their lives. They provide programmes which increase self-worth, recognise potential and offer hope. They aim to keep families together where appropriate; to empower each woman and child towards independence, regular employment and dignity. Their goal is to raise each woman's self-awareness, trust and responsibility towards herself, her children and the wider community. They work towards restorative and reparative principles, delivered in a safe woman only space, meaning there is always a way back no matter how long it takes. Anawim believes that women should be encouraged to exercise genuine choice, enabling them to access services appropriate to their unique requirements and needs.

Anawim has established a new accommodation unit to offer in-house support to women recently released from prison. The project is designed to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the residential intervention option, the non-residential intervention option and an option where Anawim is not offering any support to women.

The Research Fellow will contribute to the creation of knowledge by taking the lead role on data collection in the project.

The project includes a randomised controlled trial research design and is likely to use a mix of methodologies, including statistical analysis, semi-structured in-depth interviews, photo elicitation, digital storytelling, video interviews and psychometric storytelling.

The research fellow should have experience in semi-structured in-depth interviewing and experience of one or more of the other techniques listed above will be an advantage. Experience of randomised controlled trials would be an advantage.

As the postholder will be working with groups of women who are deemed to be vulnerable, the University has established an occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010 that the postholder is a female.

Person Specification

• • First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area (social sciences) or equivalent qualifications, preferably in Criminology and/or Social Policy.
• • High level analytical capability.
• • Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• • Non-judgemental attitudes
• • Ability to engage difficult hard to reach groups
• • Emotional resilience to cope with disturbing and emotive subjects
• • Experience of sharing concerns and issues in supervision
• • Good understanding of safeguarding
• • Excellent boundaries and self-awareness to protect self from over identification or desire to rescue
• • Some understanding around personality disorders or desire to learn
• • Fluency in relevant research design (RCTs), models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones.
• • Approachable personality
• • Excellent understanding and practice of confidentiality
• • Good awareness of vicarious trauma
• • Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively.
• • Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.