News Archive: January - June 2019
Congratulations to Catherine Elliot O’Dare who was conferred with a PhD degree on Friday last, June 21st.
Congratulations to Catherine Elliot O’Dare who was conferred with a PhD degree on Friday last, June 21st. Catherine was jointly supervised by Prof Virpi Timonen and Dr Catherine Conlon. We wish Catherine every success with her future career!
24th June, 2019
All Ireland Social Work Research Conference, June 2019
Congratulations to School staff and current and former students who took part in, and were involved in the organisation and running of, the hugely successful All Ireland Social Work Research (AISWR) Conference on 14th June 2019. The AISWR conference was a cross-border event showcasing practitioner and student social work research in the North and South of Ireland.
Assistant professor Eavan Brady was involved in organising and running the event and School staff Dr. Julie Byrne, Dr. Erna O’Connor, and Dr. Ruth Elliffe Chaired parallel sessions on the day.
Many former and current students presented their research at the conference including Laura Cullen, Mark McDonnell, and Sarah Murran of the MSW Class of 2019 and PhD students Orla Crowe, Sinead Whiting, and Calvin Swords.
Current Master’s in Social Work students also volunteered their time to help with the running of the conference on the day. Diane Ihirwe, Amber Labelle, Therese McGowan, and Anita Nolan, from TCD are pictured below with fellow student volunteers and Dr. Niamh Flanagan from @MUAppSocSc
Further details on the event can be found at www.iasw.ie
18th June, 2019
UPCOMING CPD EVENT
The final session in our In House Spring/Summer CPD programme 'Domestic Homicide Review & Risk Assessment ' with Davina James Hanman, Dr Stephanie Holt & Dr Lynne Cahill, is taking place this coming Tuesday at 10 am. Please see https://www.tcd.ie/swsp/short-courses/In-house.php to reserve a place.
23rd May, 2019
Congratulations to Paula Mayock and Sarah Parker on their recent publication in the international journal Housing Studies
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Paula Mayock and PhD Candidate Sarah Parker and on the publication of their article in Housing Studies.
The article – Young people ‘strategizing’ a route to stable housing: Service fatigue, exiting attempts and living ‘off grid’ – examines young people’s responses to housing market forces that blocked an exit route from homelessness, focussing on the strategies used by them as they attempted to reclaim autonomy and control over their housing futures. It draws on data from Paula and Sarah’s qualitative longitudinal research on homeless young people in Ireland.
For media coverage of this article in the Irish Examiner on May 22nd 2019, click here.
21st May, 2019
Congratulations to Master in Social Work graduate Luke Somerville and Assistant Professor Eavan Brady on the publication of their article in the Journal of Social Work Practice.
The article is entitled ‘Young People and Social Networking Sites: Exploring the views and training opportunities of CAMHS social workers in Ireland’ and is based on research carried out by Luke for his Master’s dissertation which was supervised by Eavan. The article can be accessed here.
21st May, 2019
Congratulations to Dr Julie Byrne and Dr Gloria Kirwan on their recent article published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services.
Congratulations to Dr Julie Byrne and Dr Gloria Kirwan on the publication of their article - Social Media Surveillance in Social Work: Practice Realities and Ethical Implications.
The article was co-authored with Dr. Conor McGuckin, School of Education and published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services. The article reports on a study with newly qualified social workers on the use of social media in their practice. The qualitative methodology reveals multi-directional surveillance, by both social workers and clients, facilitated by social media and highlights the complexity of technology use in practice.
Full access to the article is available here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15228835.2019.1584598
9th May, 2019
Congratulations to Masters in Applied Social Research Class of 2018
Warm congratulations to the Masters in Applied Social Research Class of 2018 who graduated earlier this month. Photographed here (left to right) are: Boby Kurian, Amos Mkwenje, Elaine Donnelly, Brian Doyle, Tina McHugh, James Kenny, Megan Howell and Colm Herlihy. Lamorna Brown, Henderson Mitomoni and Meaghan Roberts were awarded the degree in absentia.
Wishing all of the class the very best in their future careers.
30th April, 2019
19 Stories of Social Inclusion: Belonging, contributing and connecting
“Having my work and paid employment made it very possible for me to achieve what I have today, which is my own place...” What Rory (fictional name) said would be either an ordinary experience or part of our future plans for many of this newsletter’s readers. Except that Rory is labelled as having an intellectual disability and approximately 70% of people with intellectual disability in Ireland live with their parents or relatives and only about 21% of them work (NIDD, 2017). Despite the multiple barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities to access employment or independent living, Rory’s story shows that it is possible. Therefore, this research project sought to capture the stories of 19 people with intellectual disabilities who live in Irish communities, to identify what factors made inclusion possible for them.
Christine Magee (MSc in Disability Studies, 2017; BSS 1984) conducted this research and worked alongside Margaret Turley and Tomas Murphy, also TCD graduates from the Certificate in Arts, Science, and Inclusive Applied Practice (2013 and 2011 respectively). Michael Feely and Edurne Garcia, Assistant Professors at the School of Social Work and Social Policy, collaborated with Inclusion Ireland on the development of this project, funded by the National Disability Authority.
Ireland ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2018 and this project provides examples of how article 19 of the CRPD “The right to live independently and to be included in the community” can be implemented. Through the project, we found that belonging, contributing, and connecting with their communities are the factors making inclusion for these 19 people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland possible. We hope this project inspires others to follow Rory’s example, as he said “I think that it is very important that people with intellectual disability or disability in general encourage each other to make the move” (Rory).
Picture caption: Some of the 19 people’s stories at Inclusion Ireland’s website.
29th April, 2019
5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference
5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference
Exploring Creativity in Narrative Inquiry
Trinity College Dublin
May 2nd & 3rd 2019
This conference invites us to reflect on the relationship between creativity and narrative research and brings together a wide range of Irish and international scholars to discuss and showcase recent developments in narrative inquiry attending to creativity in particular.
Keynote Speaker: Professor Patti Lather
Patti Lather is a critical feminist scholar whose work examines various (post)critical, feminist, and post structural theories. As well as award winning books addressing ontology, methodology and pedagogy, her narrative study with women living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa (Troubling the Angels: Women Living with HIV/AIDS ) co-authored with Chris Smithies was ground breaking for its creative curation of the textual.
Key conference themes
· Storying lives
· Arts-based health research
· Story and Creativity
· Research Creation in narrative inquiry
· Writing creatively in narrative inquiry
· Creative Practice beyond the textual
· Narrative inquiry in the afterward
Tickets and further details available at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/5th-international-irish-narrative-inquiry-conference-tickets-58066285824
Conference Organisers
Dr Catherine Conlon, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Jacqueline O’ Toole, Institute of Technology, Sligo; Dr Briege Casey, Dublin City University & Dr Grace O’ Grady, Maynooth University
23rd April, 2019
Congratulations to PhD Student Courney Marsh who had an article published in the Women & Criminal Justice Journal.
Congratulations to PhD Student Courney Marsh whose article entitled 'It’s a Man’s World, Try to Convince the Men Otherwise: The Role of Women in Irish Policing' was recently published in the Women & Criminal Justice Journal. The full link to the article is available here
2nd April, 2019
Congratulations to Professor Robbie Gilligan on publication of ‘The family foster care system in Ireland – Advances and challenges
Congratulations to Professor Robbie Gilligan on publication of ‘The family foster care system in Ireland – Advances and challenges’ has recently been published in the journal Children and Youth Services Review. Free access available to the article via publisher link until May 1st: https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/arti…/pii/S0190740918309010
27th March 2019
Article in Irish Examiner by School PhD Student Tim Ryan on House Prices in Ireland
Congratulations to PhD Student Tim Ryan on his recently published article on Housing in the Irish Examiner. Link to the article here
25th March 2019
5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference TICKETS NOW ON SALE
The 5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference entitled Exploring Creativity in Narrative Inquiry will be hosted by the School of Social Work & Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin this year on May 2nd & 3rd . The overall theme of the conference this year is “EXPLORING CREATIVITY IN NARRATIVE INQUIRY” recognising how the centring of story means that creativity is inherent in the narrative method. But are we always making those connections in our narrative practices? Prof Patti Lather will be the keynote speaker. Abstracts for papers / posters / panels/performances are welcome from across the social sciences and creative disciplines that have a theoretical, methodological and/or creative interest in narrative.
For those wishing to attend tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite at the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/5th-international-irish-narrative-inquiry-conference-tickets-5806628582413th March 2019
Professor Robbie Gilligan delivers Annual CELCIS Lecture 2019 at University of Strathclyde
Professor Robbie Gilligan recently delivered the Annual CELCIS Lecture 2019 entitled 'Powering up the potential of care experienced young people: the role of education, work and adult expectations'. The Centre of Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland - CELCIS at the University of Strathclyde plays a research and development role in relation to looked after children and young people (children and young people in care) in Scotland.
13th March 2019
Launch of ‘Care and Justice’ Report by the Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Nial Muldoon
'Care and Justice’, the first study of its kind to examine the over-representation of children with care experience in the criminal justice system in Ireland was launched by Dr. Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children on February 26th, 2019.
The research was commissioned by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) and is authored by Dr. Nicola Carr, Associate Professor in Criminology, University of Nottingham and Dr. Paula Mayock, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
While the vast majority of children with care experienced do not come into contact with the criminal justice system, the report highlights that contact with the youth justice system is an issue for a small cohort of young people, particularly for children with multiple and complex needs who are far more likely to be accommodated within residential care. The research identifies a lack of data on the extent to which children in care come into contact with the criminal justice system as posing significant problems. A paucity of information on outcomes for children in and leaving care is also highlighted.
Speaking at the launch, Fíona Ní Chinnéide, Acting Executive Director of IPRT said: “Despite the anecdotal evidence that indicates an over-representation of children and young people in care in the youth justice system, there is a lack of systematic data collected by State agencies to identify the extent of this issue. As a result, there is no clear overall picture of the situation and we cannot reliably compare with non-care groups on a statistical basis”.
The report outlines the need for reform and makes a series of recommendations.
See Irish Times Opinion piece here.
For media coverage see:
Irish Examiner#1
Irish Examiner#2
Irish Legal News
Irish Times
6th March 2019
We are Hiring! The School is recruiting 2 X Assistant Professor in Social Work (Tenure Track).
The School is currently recruiting 2 X Assistant Professors in Social Work. Both posts are tenure track positions. The job specification and application details can be found at here
5th March 2019
5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference
The 5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference entitled Exploring Creativity in Narrative Inquiry will be hosted by the School of Social Work & Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin this year on May 2nd & 3rd . The overall theme of the conference this year is “EXPLORING CREATIVITY IN NARRATIVE INQUIRY” recognising how the centring of story means that creativity is inherent in the narrative method. But are we always making those connections in our narrative practices? Prof Patti Lather will be the keynote speaker. Abstracts for papers / posters / panels/performances are welcome from across the social sciences and creative disciplines that have a theoretical, methodological and/or creative interest in narrative. Please send to Catherine Conlon at conlonce@tcd.ie by March 8th.
4th March 2019
Social Policy has made the top 100 in the newly-published QS World University Subject Rankings 2019
In TCD’s School of Social Work and Social Policy, the discipline of Social Policy comprises a community of scholars from related social science fields sharing a common interest in studying social relations to optimise human well-being and critically analysing processes of social policy formation and delivery. The School is committed to delivering a high quality and relevant curriculum that responds to new social and economic developments, reflects robust evidence, and is infused with scholarly vigour, in order to equip graduates for challenges they will face both as professionals and as citizens.
The School are delighted to have been recognised in this work by the inclusion of our discipline ‘Social Policy & Administration’ in Top 100 worldwide ranking of QS World University Subject Rankings for 2019.
1st March 2019
Congratulations to Eavan Brady and Robbie Gilligan on the publication of an article in the Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, co-authored with Dr. Siobhan Nic Fhlannchadha of the Technological Higher Education Association.
Congratulations to Eavan Brady and Robbie Gilligan on their recently published article, co-authored with Dr. Siobhan Nic Fhlannchadha of the Technological Higher Education Association, in the Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies. The article is entitled: Care-experienced Young People Accessing Higher Education in Ireland. The article can be read in full here.
21 February, 2019
Prof. Robbie Gilligan and Assistant Prof. Eavan Brady will host the 5th Children in Care Research Forum
Prof. Robbie Gilligan and Assistant Prof. Eavan Brady will host the 5th Children in Care Research Forum on Friday 15th March from 10am to 1pm here in Trinity College.
This half-day event is an opportunity to learn about Irish research related to children in care, care leavers, and carers.
Please also note that admission is free and registration is not required for this event.
21 February, 2019
Congratulations to BSS graduate of 1985, Suzanne Connolly, who has been appointed CEO of Barnardos
Congratulations to our BSS graduate of 1985, Suzanne Connolly, who has been appointed CEO of Barnardos. In this excellent Irish Times interview, she outlines her approach to the role and to the needs of children and families
13 February, 2019
Invitation to Online Event Introduction to the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Policy and Practice
On 13th March at 18:30GMT, the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, invites you to a fully online event to learn more about the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Policy and Practice.
At the webinar you can talk to the Course Director and learn about the structure and delivery of the course, all from the comfort of your own home.
The aim of the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Policy and Practice is to provide graduates from all disciplines with the opportunity to develop their understanding of the role that social policies play in developing functioning and jut societies.
The programme attracts individuals from the public, private and community and voluntary sectors. Whether you are interested in social work, social policy or social change this course will provide you with new knowledge and perspectives.
Registration for this event is at bit.ly/socialpolicyonlinefeb
For more information please email Jack at fergusja@tcd.ie
06 February, 2019
Congratulations to Catherine O'Dare, Professor Virpi Timonen and Dr Catherine Conlon on the publication of their co-authored article Escaping "the old fogey" Doing old age through intergenerational friendship
Congratulations to Catherine Elliott O’Dare, Professor Virpi Timonen and Dr Catherine Conlon on the publication of their co-authored article ‘‘Escaping "the old fogey": Doing old age through intergenerational friendship’’ in the Journal of Aging Studies.
31 January, 2019
Luciana Lolich published an article on the well-known news blog The Conversation UK
Luciana Lolich published an article on the well-known news blog The Conversation UK. Luciana is a post-doc fellow working with Professor Timonen (Principal Investigator, Trinity College Dublin), Austin Warters and Anne McDonald from the Health Service Executive, in the Horizon 2020 Project ‘A multi-stakeholder co-creation platform for better access to long-term care services’ (SoCaTel) under GA No 769975.
The article examines the concept of choice in elder care in Ireland and questions to what extent choice should be the most important factor in elder care. Guaranteeing good quality care that includes companionship, independence and safety for all older people should be what matters the most. Determining how people can be properly cared in a way that exploits no older person or carer is a profound challenge of our society. For more information on this publication, please follow the link provided at https://theconversation.com/we-all-want-increased-choice-in-elder-care-but-neoliberal-health-policies-make-this-difficult-109589
30 January, 2019
BSS Senior Fresh Brighton Field Trip
Congratulations to the 19 of our BSS Senior Fresh (year 2) students who completed a two day field trip visiting social service organisations in the city of Brighton, England last week. Commenting on the visit, Professor Gilligan said: ‘This was a rich and enjoyable learning opportunity for our students. It was a privilege to be part of the experience. We are very grateful to our hosts who gave such thought-provoking presentations: Peter Trenholme from the Young People’s Centre, Brighton, Dr Rachel Larkin who spoke about issues facing unaccompanied young migrants, Laura Ward from Brighton Oasis Project which serves women with substance misuse issues, and Jim Brannen, Head Teacher, Boundstone Nursery School, Lancing West Sussex.’
23 January, 2019
Congratulations to Katharine Schulmann and colleagues on the publication of their book chapter on social innovation in long-term care in The Future of Ageing in Europe: Making an Asset of Longevity
Katharine Schulmann, PhD candidate, Monika Reichert (Technical University of Dortmund) and Kai Leichsenring (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy & Research) have co-authored a chapter on social innovation in long-term care in the recently published volume, The Future of Ageing in Europe: Making an Asset of Longevity, edited by Alan Walker (University of Sheffield) and published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Based on research carried out within the framework of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 project, “Mobilising the Potential of Active Ageing in Europe (MoPAct)”, the authors analyse the key determinants of social innovation in the area of long-term care across 8 European countries, representing diverse welfare regimes. For more information on this publication, please follow the link provided: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811314162
22 January, 2019
Katharine Schulmann and colleagues publish policy brief on a rights-based approach to care and support for older persons
Katharine Schulmann, PhD candidate, and colleagues Stefania Ilinca (Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin) and Ricardo Rodrigues (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy & Research) have published a policy brief as part of the European Centre’s Policy Briefs series. The brief details their conceptual framework for a human rights approach to care for older persons, which lays out ten main human rights domains relevant to persons with care and supports needs, and identifies the substantive rights within each domain that should underpin care policies targeting older individuals. A human rights approach empowers older people and their families to claim their right to quality care, and holds States accountable in their role as duty bearers. To download a PDF of the policy brief, please follow the link provided: https://www.euro.centre.org/publications/detail/3363
The framework was developed as part of a 2-year study (2017-2019) funded by the Swedish Ministry of Health & Social Affairs. For more information on the project, visit the project website: https://www.euro.centre.org/projects/detail/85
22 January, 2019
Sarah Parker Successfully Completes a COST Short Term Scientific Mission at VIVE - The National Research and Analysis Centre for Welfare in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sarah Parker, PhD Candidate, was recently awarded a COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) grant to complete a Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) as part of the COST action on Measuring Homelessness in Europe, on which Prof. Eoin O’Sullivan, School of Social Work and Social Policy, is a Management Committee Member. During her 5-day visit to her host institution at VIVE - The National Research and Analysis Centre for Welfare, Sarah worked alongside Senior Researcher Dr Lars Benjaminsen (pictured) and his colleagues to refine an approach to cluster analysis using administrative data on family homelessness in Dublin, Ireland. The STSM also facilitated useful discussion about how homelessness data are collected within different European countries, the types of analyses/statistical techniques that can be performed on these data and how longitudinal administrative data, in particular, can be utilised to advance understanding of the dynamics of homelessness.
Sarah is a Government of Ireland Scholar whose doctoral research is supervised by Dr Paula Mayock, School of Social Work and Social Policy, and seeks to examine patterns of family homelessness in the Dublin region using a sequential mixed methods design. You can follow her work on ResearchGate and Twitter.
18 January, 2019
Congratulations to Adjunct Assistant Professor Maeve Foreman on the publication of an article in the European Journal of Social Work with UCD colleagues Dr. Sarah Donnelly and Dr. Muireann Ní Raghallaigh
Congratulations to Adjunct Assistant Professor Maeve Foreman on the publication of an article in the European Journal of Social Work with UCD colleagues Dr. Sarah Donnelly and Dr. Muireann Ní Raghallaigh. Their article 'Reflections on the use of community based participatory research to affect social and political change: examples from research with refugees and older people in Ireland' is now available online.
Academic research can be criticised for its lack of social impact in the ‘real world’. Study findings are often not well understood nor used effectively to shape policy making and practice. These issues are pertinent for practising social workers who often find it difficult to utilise research knowledge to influence the public realm and engage service users in social change. This paper presents two community based participatory research (CBPR) case studies reflecting on learning achieved from carrying out the research: Study 1 relates to refugees and Study 2 relates to older people. It reflects on how CBPR partnership approaches were used to influence social policy and affect social change in organisational and practice environments in the Irish context and also reflects on the challenges and benefits of working with peer researchers and civil society organisations. The case studies suggest there are considerable advantages to adopting a collective advocacy approach using CBPR, including: creating meaningful impact that has relevance for policy and practice; facilitating the engagement of universities with civic society; and providing a mechanism whereby social workers can engage in the pursuit of social justice for vulnerable communities with whom they work.
11 January, 2019