Professor of Social Sciences and Social Care
I am a Professor in the School of Social Sciences and Law. I am also a Research Fellow in the multimorbidity, ageing and frailty theme of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for North East and North Cumbria (NENC), based at the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute.
I am the Research and Knowledge Exchange Champion for Social Sciences and the UoS REF lead for Unit 20 (Social Work and Social Policy) and UoA 21 (Sociology). I am the previous co-head of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) which supports engagement with research and practice-based collaborations and continue to be an active CASS member.
My research interests are related to engagement and participation, adult abuse and safeguarding, trauma, older people and ageing, mental health, adult social care, empowerment, and vulnerability. I have published in these areas and also regularly peer-review a number of academic journals that publish on these topics. I also teach and supervise students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Teaching and supervision
I teach students across a range of subject areas and I teach qualified social workers undertaking further education and CPD courses. I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA.
Doctoral supervision:
Current supervision:
- Hilbert Abie (PhD) (Director of Studies): Self-harm and resilience in adult mental health patients.
- Liz Cunningham (DProf) (co-supervisor): Researcher identity in relation to participatory and collaborative research practice.
- Lisa Dickinson (PhD) (co-supervisor): Studying at university with Adverse Childhood Experiences: Reflecting on undergraduate and graduate perspectives.
- Jacqui Merchant (PhD) (co-supervisor): 'The existential crunch that is middle age': Exploring the experiential impact of life-course events on the pyschosocial wellbeing of women at midlife in the UK.
- Kristy Regan (DProf) (co-supervisor): Practice Educators' perceptions of professionalism in social work students.
Recent supervision (successfully completed work):
- Cat Meredith: How is adult safeguarding performed with service users who lack mental capacity due to dementia? A micro-ethnographic inquiry.
- Jack Nicholls: How do social workers conceptualise social justice?
- Ifeoma Amuji: Exploring the sensitivities of care home services to the older Nigerian minority in the UK.
- Lauren Doyle (PhD) (co-supervisor): Applying the concept of 'Harms' to 'Diet Culture': Investigating the impact of social media on youth mental health.
- Rosaleen McDonagh: From Shame to Pride: The Politics of Disabled Traveller Identity.
Research interests for potential research students
I am interested in supporting students whose research interests are related to adult abuse and safeguarding, ageing and the life-course, empowerment and vulnerability, mental health, engagement/participation/partnership working, co-production, and advocacy. I also specialise in participatory research and other creative and critical research methodologies.
Research
I have a strong interest and expertise in participation, engagement, and co-production, and work closely with a range of individuals and organisations to develop and undertake my research. I am the Research and Knowledge Exchange Champion for Social Sciences, the UoS REF UoA 20/21 lead and the former co-head of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS).
I am the developer and co-host of The Portal Podcast, which aims to connect social work practitioners with research. The Portal Podcast explores the work of a different researcher in each episode and aims to support people to access, understand, and make use of research in their practice.
I am the co-convenor of the European Social Work Research Association's special interest group, the European Network for Gerontological Social Work. I am also on the International Advisory Board for the journal 'European Social Work Research'.
Examples of recent research projects:
A Vision of Safety: An Arts-Based Project to Explore the Concept of Safety
This Arts-Based Research (ABR) was co-produced with people who have experienced mental health problems and abuse. Two groups worked together to co-create artwork that represented what safety meant to them. The two pieces, titled 'Peace in a Bubble' and 'Creating Sanctuary', explored several themes representing what safety means to the creators. The creators showcased their work alongside a survey they developed to capture viewers' reactions to the artwork and perspectives on safety.
Trauma-Informed Teaching
This study (undertaken in collaboration with Dr John Cavener from Northumbria University) aimed to develop insight into how social work and police educators adopt trauma-informed principles into their practice to mitigate the risk of vicarious or secondary trauma in the classroom. A framework for trauma-informed teaching was developed from this research which included key strategies that can be adopted in the classroom to help educators respond ethically and expertly to students learning about sensitive and difficult topics.
Domestic Abuse in the Older Population
This project (undertaken in collaboration with Dr Carole Southall from Northumbria University) aimed to develop knowledge and understanding of how key agencies identify and respond to domestic abuse in the older population. This study identified a need to develop responses that reflect the unique needs of older people and to develop better understanding of the experiences of older people who have been subjected to domestic abuse.
Developing the Involvement of Educators by Experience in Social Work Education
This project examined the views of people with lived experience about their involvement in social work education. The project focused on understanding motivations for becoming involved in social work education, as well as examining perspectives about their involvement and how they think this area of work should develop. Motivation for involvement is grounded in a desire to improve things for others and the benefits of such involvement are wide-ranging, including validation of personal experiences and increased confidence.
Enhancing Experts by Experience-Led Education in Social Work
This Teaching Partnership (TP) funded project developed the capacity for the involvement of experts with experience in social work education within the TP region. As part of the project, a regional committee was established to foster collaborative working across the higher education institutes and Local Authorities involved in the teaching partnership. Key outputs from the project included a package of training materials designed to support and enhance the involvement of Experts by Experience in social work education.
To learn more about these projects please contact me or view my publications.
To find out about my current research projects please follow me on Linkedin.
- Participation and co-production
- Adult/elder abuse and safeguarding
- Trauma-informed research and teaching
- Advocacy
- Mental health
- Ageing and older people
- Lived experience and social work education
- Qualitative research and creative methods
- For updates on my research and publications follow me on Linkedin.
- For updates on the Centre for Applied Social Sciences activity follow on X: @CASS180661
- For updates on the work of the European Network for Gerontological Social Work follow on X: @ENGSW_ESWRA
- My Orcid ID is: 0000-0002-5122-9505
