Social Work

Social Work aims to:

• provide a stimulating academic environment for staff and students, based on learner autonomy and equal opportunities principles;
• offer a range of high quality courses of professional social work and inter-professional education, relevant to contemporary service-delivery and social issues;
• maintain and develop a range of applied and theoretical research relevant to policy and practice in social services and related domains.

Research is funded from a range of sources including the ESRC, central and local government, voluntary sector agencies and the European Union. External funding continues at levels well above average for UK academic social work departments.

2001 RAE Grading: Grade 4

Main Research Interests

The School of Education and Social Work is committed to an integrated approach to research, drawing on the work of Education, Community Education and Social Work.

Child Care and Protection

The integration of services for children, based on analysis of social, organisational and interpersonal factors in their lives, is a major focus of research. Recent research has been conducted on decision-making in child care, residential child care and child protection, children's resilience and the development of neighbourhood strategies.

Contact: Professor Brigid Daniel

Care of Adults in the Community

Recent research has focused on ways of improving the quality of life for vulnerable groups in the community. This has included research on local collaboration in implementing community care and user participation in decision-making, reviews of services for older people and those with learning disabilities, evaluation of augmented home-care, direct payments, experience of dementia, of living with other forms of disability, the carer experience.

Contact: Professor Jennifer Harris

Profound and Multiple Disabilities

Research into profound and multiple disabilities is focused in the White Top Research Unit. An extensive programme of interdisciplinary research has been established with two principal themes:

• people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in respect of individual characteristics and service needs; and
• the impact of ageing on people with learning disabilities and on family carers.

Contact: Professor James Hogg

Key Staff

Head of Social Work

Dr B A Gillies MA, DSW, PhD, CQSW

Professors

Professor B Daniel MA, PhD, CQSW (Child Care and Protection)
Professor J H Hogg BA, PhD (Profound Disability)
Professor J Harris BA, PhD, CQSW (Social Work)

Child Care and Protection Contact

Name: Jacquie Hay
Tel: 01382 381 465 / +44 1382 381 465
Fax: 01382 381 511 / +44 1382 381 511
Email: j.hay@dundee.ac.uk