Dr Helen Hingley-Jones

Myresearch interests grew originally from my social work practice, as during mydoctoral studies I was able to carry out qualitative observational research withyoung people with severe learning disabilities and their families, to learnabout their experiences.  I drew onpsychoanalytically-informed observation techniques to develop a methodology forpractice-near research in social work and allied professions. I have publishedarticles, book chapters and an edited book on these themes: ‘Observation inHealth and Social Care’ (2017).

Otherpractice-related research interests concern the arena of kinship care inchildren’s social work, and the impact of poverty and austerity on serviceusers and social workers. I have carried out projects with colleagues fromMiddlesex University to research the experiences of grandparent special guardiansand professionals who work in this important and developing area of kinshipcare in children’s social work. This has led to publications (2020), conferencesymposia and knowledge exchange with local authority partners, plus invitationsto act as external examiner for PhD students researching in this area. On thetheme of poverty, I have written a ‘think piece’ article on the impact of austerityon relationship-based social work practice (2016) and run a seminar withcolleagues from the British Association of Social Workers on this theme (2020)’plus edited a special issue of the Journal of Social Work Practice on poverty(2023).

Thirdly,my research includes social work pedagogy across several areas of interest.  Having developed new curricula for qualifyingsocial work programmes, I have looked at how different dimensions of socialwork teaching have been experienced by students, including teaching young childobservation skills for learning about the life course and to develop key skillsfor practice (2016); delivery of interview skills teaching and assessment whilereadying students for direct practice (2015). Another pedagogic area hasconcerned collaborative teaching on social work programmes with people withlived experience of social work (2016).  Thisresearch has been published in journal articles and disseminated at conferences.

RecentlyI have led research funded by North London Social Work Teaching Partnership to explorethe experiences of social work practice educators in local authority settings,of working with qualifying students (2023).  Also, in collaboration with NLSWTP, I leddevelopment, with colleagues, of a mentor scheme for Black, Asian and global majority studentswhich we then evaluated (2022). Reports on both projects have impactedon priorities set within NLSWTP and have been shared with other teachingpartnerships. 

As Associate Professor inSocial Work (research and teaching) my roles include Director of Programmes forMA and PGDip Social Work and BA Social Work (years one and two) qualifyingprogrammes. I am professional lead for Social Work, corresponding with regulatorSocial Work England in relation to the six qualifying programmes based atMiddlesex University, and chair the Faculty Social Work Fitness for PracticeCommittee, plus am a member of key Faculty committees (APQC, FLTC).

I teach across a range ofknowledge, skills and research modules for Social Work, at undergraduate andpostgraduate levels. This includes social work research (SWK4604); social worktheories and interventions (SWK4801; SWL3408); life course (SWK1004; SWK4605);readiness for practice skills teaching (SWK4800); children and families(SWK3334). I also supervise MA dissertations. As part of the North LondonSocial Work Teaching Partnership, I have co-led cross-disciplinary modules onMBA/MA Leadership and Management programme, delivering teaching to localauthority senior managers, and have run research and reflective teachingsessions in the partnership.

As Research Degrees Coordinatorfor the Mental Health and Social Work Department, I support admissions andprogression of PGR students within the department, chairing panels and workingas a reviewer and examiner internally and externally.  I also supervise PhD students and runmethodology seminars at doctoral level. 

Current doctoral supervision includes:

Rahaman Mohammed:‘Becoming a Social Worker: Learning Social Work Practice in the PlacementLearning Environment’.

Emilie Edwards: ‘How can we better support and retainautistic healthcare students: an analysis of current experience’

Mary Shannon: ‘Family Support, Prevention and EarlyHelp: endurance and erosion. A decade of writing through policy and practice’.