Research

My research is in the field of social work and the law, adult social care provision and adult safeguarding, with particular interests in:

• The relationship between law and social work practice;

• Policy implementation and professional practice;

• Adult safeguarding self-neglect.

1. The relationship between law and social work practice
Over many years I have contributed to the development of social work law, identifying key features of the relationship between legal rules and professional practice and exploring the learning, teaching and assessment of law in social work education. Publications arising from this work have received international attention leading to collaborative, interdisciplinary development of international understandings of the diversity of the relationship created by different national jurisdictions. I have presented papers at a wide range of international conferences and provided advice to government in the UK and Australia.

E-learning objects exploring law and social work were developed (with Professor Michael Preston-Shoot, University of Bedfordshire) for use the Social Care Institute for Excellence. One of the resources in 2007 won first prize from the Association for Learning Technology for innovation in e-learning.

Social work law projects have included the following:

• Collaborative Capacity Building: Using E-learning resources in social work law teaching (2008-2010)
• Law in Social Work Decision-Making: A Pilot Study (2007-2010)
• Resource Guide: Learning, Teaching and Assessment of Law in Social Work Education (2005-2006)
• Social Work Law in Practice (2005-2006)
• Knowledge Review: Learning, Teaching and Assessment of Law in Social Work Education (2004-2005)

2. Research into policy implementation and professional practice
I have engaged in a number of funded research partnerships with local and national agencies, including both statutory and voluntary organisations and have a long-standing commitment to the building of knowledge based in practice and the evaluation of practice. Recent projects include:

• Carers Support: Evaluation of a Pilot Project in Brighton & Hove (2010)
• Talking Dads: The Experiences of Young Fathers in Brighton & Hove (2007-2009)
• Evaluation of Reablement Policy and Practice in St Helens (2003-2004)
• Evaluation of Reablement Policy and Practice in Staffordshire (2000-2002)
• Volatile Substance Abuse and Young People (2000-2001)
• Identification of the Training Needs of Social Services Staff Working with Young People at Risk of Volatile Substance Abuse (2000-2001)
• Evaluation of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for Looked After Children (1999-2001)
• Evaluation of Family Support for Disabled Children and Their Families (1999-2000)

3. Adult safeguarding and self-neglect

A sequence of studies commissioned by the Department of Health from 2010 and carried out with Dr David Orr (University of Sussex) and Professor Michael Preston-Shoot (University of Bedfordshire) have informed the development of national law and policy in this field.

• The Governance of Adult Safeguarding in England (2010-11)
• The Concept of Self-Neglect in Adult Safeguarding (2010-11)
• Achieving positive outcomes in self-neglect (2013-14)

Further studies have expanded the scope of the research:

• Workforce development needs for self-neglect practice (2012-13) (Commissioned by Skills for Care)
• Learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (2013-ongoing)(not funded)