UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre: Lunchtime Webinar Series

UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre

Complexity Theory for better Child Protection & Welfare and Public Services

Complexity is a feature of modern public service provision. Rather than fear and seek to simplify it, we need to harness complexity. This webinar series explores complexity theory and related aspects for public service and child protection and welfare work. We aim to increase insights into how complexity theory frameworks and approaches can help practitioners, managers, leaders and academics to better understand and engage with complexity at practice, service and system levels. Webinar 1: Complexity Theory and Child Protection and Welfare. In this Webinar, we focus on understanding the systemic and dynamic characteristics of complexity and how adopting a complexity focus can contribute to risk management, judgements and decision-making in complex practice, services and systems. Date and Time: Wednesday 19th April, 2023, 1:00-2:00pm (GMT) Speaker: Professor Rick Hood, Kingston University, London. Professor Hood has explored the nature of change in complex cases, the challenges associated with making judgements and decisions, and, managing risks and relationships in social work practice, through a complexity lens. Respondents: Professor Caroline McGregor, Professor in Social Work, University of Galway Mr Cormac Quinlan, Assistant National Director for Practice Reform, Tusla, Child and Family Agency. Webinar 2: Complexity Theory and Public Services In this Webinar, we focus on the main differences required in perspectives, practices and institutions to adopt a complexity informed approach to public sector systems.Date and Time: Wednesday 26th April, 2023, 1:00-200pm (GMT) Speaker: Dr Mary Lee Rhodes, Associate Professor of Public Management and Co-Director of the Centre for Social Innovation at Trinity College, Dublin. Dr. Rhodes’ research is focused on complex public service systems and the dynamics of performance, value and impact. Respondent: Dr Fergal Lynch, Senior Lead, Government and Public Policy Engagement, Institute for Lifecourse and Society, University of Galway. Biographies: Webinar 1: Complexity Theory and Child Protection and Welfare. Speaker:Professor Rick Hood, Kingston University, London is a registered social worker with over 10 years&#x27; experience of statutory child and family social work, and teaches across a range of modules in pre- and post-qualifying social work courses. His research involves applying systems ideas to social care, particularly services for children and families. Recently completed research funded by the Nuffield Foundation has explored the link between system conditions and welfare inequalities in children&#x27;s social care, as well as analysing the social gradient of intervention using the national datasets for England. He aims to promote systems thinking in social care policy, management and practice, so that our services can shed their bureaucratic constraints and harness the potential offered by human relationships and capabilities.Respondents: Caroline McGregor is a professor at the School of Political Science and Sociology with lead responsibility for the discipline of social work. She is the director of the Masters in Social Work Programme and teaches a range of subjects including social work with vulnerable children and families, childhood and Children&#x27;s rights, Law and Human rights and cultural competence in social work. She is also a senior research fellow at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre. Formerly, Dr Caroline Skehill from Queen&#x27;s University, her current project work is focused on: outcomes for young people leaving care, public awareness of child protection and welfare, family support services and policy and the interface between child protection and family support practices in child welfare.Cormac Quinlan is the Assistant National Director for Practice Reform in Tusla Child &amp; Family Agency. Cormac is a registered social worker and has worked in the area of child protection and welfare since 1997. In addition to being a tutor with the Master Social Work Programme in TCD for many years he has also held the position of both Chair and a member of the Social Work Registration Board. A main area of interest for Cormac throughout his career has been practice development in the area of child protection, welfare and family support. In his previous role in Tusla, Cormac held lead responsibility for national adoption services, policy &amp; research, the project management office, strategy and business planning and the Child Protection and Welfare Strategy. In his current role holds he is the national lead for developing and supporting implementation of consistent practice approaches across the organisation.Webinar 2: Complexity Theory and Public Services Speaker:Mary Lee Rhodes is Associate Professor of Public Management and co-Director of the Centre for Social Innovation at Trinity College, Dublin. Her research is focused on complex public service systems and she teaches management, social innovation and systems transformation in Trinity Business School. In addition, she regularly consults with public and non-profit organisations in relation to housing, human rights, sustainability and social innovation. She has served on a number of government and non-profit boards and committees, most recently as Chair of the interim Regulatory Committee for Approved Housing Bodies, member of the Business &amp; Human Rights Implementation Group in Ireland and member of the Advisory Group for the National Bioeconomy Forum in Ireland. Respondent: Dr Fergal Lynch, is Senior Lead in Government and Public Policy Engagement, University of Galway. Dr Fergal Lynch works with the University of Galway to help foster closer links between policy practitioners and academics in the development, implementation and evaluation of public policy. His work areas within the University include supporting research, teaching and civic engagement on policy development, analysis of policy issues with a focus on lessons for the future, and lecturing on selected postgraduate courses. He is also an external adviser to the OECD project on Strengthening Public Policy and Strategic Foresight in the Irish Public Service, in conjunction with the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure. Dr Lynch was previously Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (2015-2022) and Deputy Secretary General of the Department of Health (2012-2015).

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UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre: Lunchtime Webinar Series

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