The Social Work and Social Care Research Conference took place in Belfast recently, hosted by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council at Riddel Hall, at Queen’s University Belfast. The venue which is steeped in history and academic learning was a fitting location for the conference.
Now in its 12th year, the conference brings together experts, academics, service users and practitioners in both social work and social care sectors in Northern Ireland to discuss the most recent research and innovations in the fields.
The biggest conference yet attended by over 160 participants, the theme this year was ‘Making connections in research and evidence, collective leadership, workforce, planning change and service user involvement’.
The four keynote speeches varied this year with Ulster University’s Professor Paula McFadden and Gillian Martin examining the moral and fiscal costs of social worker turnover in Northern Ireland, co-production in health and social care research from Professor Robin Miller of University of Birmingham with Stacy Grealis, research into unaccompanied refugee children and young people from Assistant Professor Muireann Ni Raghallaigh of University College, Dublin and an update from Health and Social Care Research and Development by Dr Janet Diffin.
The conference included five-minute lightning presentations, twenty-seven oral presentations and thirteen poster presentations and showcased the vast array of creative and innovative research and evidence being generated.
This year, the 16 Research Methods Programme Awards from Ulster University were presented by Aine Morrison, Chief Social Worker, Department of Health.
Declan McAllister, Interim Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council said:
“This is the second year the Social Work and Social Care Research Conference has been hosted by the Social Care Council. In the last year our research team have not only brought this conference together in a new venue, but also convened the first meeting of the Research and Evidence Partnership in September last year. The partnership is forging ahead to establish new links in the wider social work and social care infrastructure.
“Being able to gather such a wealth of knowledge in one place, to foster debate and present research is invaluable for those working in the sectors and the service users they are supporting.
“If anything, the sheer numbers of presentations at the Research Conference highlight the volume of research, graft and passion around the sector.”
Professor Davy Hayes, Chair of the Research and Evidence Partnership said of the event:
“Supporting research and evidence in professional social work and social care is ultimately to support better outcomes for practitioners, service users and carers in Northern Ireland.
“Engaging and networking like this ensures we forge new links with interested people and that we don’t continue to operate in professional silos.”
You can view the programme for the event here.