We are a world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our purpose is to take everything that we have learned over the last 70 years, and to transform the mental health of current and future generations of children and young people, to close the gap between mental illness and mental wellness – and to create a more compassionate society for everyone. Our vision is a world where all children and young people are supported effectively to enable them to develop their emotional and mental health, build on their strengths and achieve their goals in life. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. Please view our website for more information: www.annafreud.org/about/.

We value diversity and aim to have diverse workforce that reflects the community and our service users, in line with our vision, values and inclusion commitments.

We are pleased to once again be running our Researcher Internship Scheme. The Scheme offers five individuals a three-month funded placement to those looking to pursue a career in applied child and adolescent mental health research and evaluation. The Scheme is aimed at making research careers more accessible and inclusive for individuals who often experience additional disadvantage or barriers in pursuing research careers, or who are underrepresented in the field of mental health research.

The Scheme is open to individuals who meet all of the following criteria:

• have an undergraduate degree or be in the 2nd or 3rd year of your degree (the degree should be in psychology, the social sciences or a related field) or equivalent experience (e.g., 12 months’ experience in a researcher role);
• are from a minoritised ethnic group, have lived experience of mental health difficulties and/or are Disabled;
• you would not otherwise be able to take part in an unpaid internship for reasons of lack of financial support;
• have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions.

Placements range from part-time (at least three days or 21 hours per week) to full-time (five days or 35 hours per week) and working patterns will be agreed flexibly to accommodate other responsibilities and accessibility needs.

The Scheme offers:

• first-hand experience of working on research and evaluation studies;
• training sessions on applied research and evaluation methods;
• opportunities to work with cross-organisational programmes such as fundraising, training and communications;
• access to workshops, seminars and other learning events;
• career development mentorship from a senior researcher at Anna Freud.

Internship salary: we are offering a full-time salary of £7,897, covering the three- month internship period (this is based on an annual equivalent of £31,591). The salary will be pro-rata if part-time working hours apply. We are offering this to make the Scheme inclusive of individuals who would not otherwise be able to take part in an unpaid internship.

The placements will benefit from flexibility and involve home working. You will have the option to work 100% remotely or can spend some of your time working onsite at our London or Manchester offices, at the addresses listed below:

• London: the Anna Freud Centre (4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH);
• Manchester: the Northern Hub (Huckletree, The Express Building, 9 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester M4 5AD).

Please note: the purpose of offering a paid internship scheme is to be inclusive of individuals who would not otherwise be able to take part in an unpaid internship for reasons of lack of financial support. We can offer support to candidates who may not already have suitable IT equipment for home working, such as a laptop.

You are Disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. You can find more information here: www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010.

The placements to begin in July (in week commencing 22 July 2024). Therefore, we kindly ask candidates to keep this in mind when applying.

How to apply and applicant guidance
We recommend that you download and read the Job Profile along with the Applicant Guidance before applying. Please note: our selection process is anonymous to reduce any biases, so please do not include your name anywhere on your application form. We are unable to accept CVs.

Please email recruitment@annafreud.org with any enquiries, or if you require assistance or experience difficulties when applying.

Application closing date 
The deadline to apply for the Scheme is midday (12pm) on Monday 13 May 2024.

What to expect after the closing date
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview via email. Candidates will be selected on the basis of the requirements stated in the applicant guidance document. Interviews are expected to take place on Tuesday 28 May or Thursday 30 May 2024.

To be noted
Our vacancies require candidates to provide evidence Right to Work in the UK post-job offer, and we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Successful candidates will also need to complete satisfactory criminal record checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and reference checks.