Dr Niamh Flanagan
Associate Professor
Head of Department
Auxilia, North Campus, Maynooth University
Level 1 - Upper Ground Floor
1.5
(01) 474 7326
Biography
Dr Niamh Flanagan is an Associate Professor and Director of Social Policy Programmes in the Department of Applied Social Studies Maynooth University. Niamh teaches social policy, child and family policy, responses to child trafficking and research for policy and practice. She joined the Department in 2017 having previously worked in the social, health and education sectors including positions in the Combat Poverty Agency, North Western Health Board, the Hospitaller Order of St John of God and the National Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Services team in Tusla Child and Family Agency.
Her research interests include child and family studies, information behaviour, learning on professional placement, domestic violence and child/human trafficking.
Niamh has lectured in research methods and social policy in a number of third level institutions including the Institute of Public Administration and UCD and has specialised in teaching research for practice to social workers, youth workers and community workers. As a part-time lecturer in social work research for many years, Niamh has retained strong links with the social work discipline playing an active role in the promotion and development of research among practitioners. This dual interest in research and social work was the driving force behind Niamh’s doctoral research on the information behaviour of social workers which was funded by the Irish Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Niamh’s work as an independent research and policy consultant, partnering with a broad range of organisations from local community groups to government departments, has inspired a keen interest in creative research methodologies which respond to the unique characteristics of research participants.
Research Interests
- Practitioners information behaviour
- Social Work education
- Pedagogy of policy for practitioners
- Pedagogy of research for practitioners
- Research methods in practice
- Child and family policy
- Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence
- Countering Child Trafficking and Human Trafficking
- Social Inclusion and Racism in Second Level Education
Research Projects
Peer Reviewed Journal
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2023 | Wilson, E.; Flanagan, N.; Benson-Olatunde, T.; Spillane, H; Buckley, P.; Squires, A.; Wilson, A; Woods, C; Delaney, C; Jones, D; Johnston, H; Stapleton, I; Chapman, J; Wang Zheng, J; O'Brien, K; Henaney, L; Wu Allen, L; Byrne, N; Tweed, O; Cockerill, R; Burnham,S; Pagano Mariano, S; Sharkey, T; Reinecke, T; Browner, T; Bond, T; Bulynionak, X (2023) 'Starting a conversation about racism with teenagers: using the social work research Dialogue Approach'. European Social Work Research, 1 (2):199-215. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1332/JNHI8991 [Full-Text] | |
2023 | Mcfadden, Paula; Bloomberg, Helena; Kallio, Johanna; Kroll, Christian; Claire McCartan; Niamh Flanagan; Gloria Kirwan; Maria Pentaraki; Elaine Wilson (2023) 'A common purpose? Social work students’ social justice-related views in Finland and Ireland'. British Journal of Social Work, . | |
2023 | Paula McFadden; Niamh Flanagan; Jana Ross; Julie Byrne; Rose Dolan; Gloria Kirwan; Eleanor Kelly; Caroline Shore; Orla McDonald; Elaine Wilson; Paula Slavin; Markus Ketola; Audrey Roulston; Claire McCartan; (2023) 'The role of social work education in relation to empathy and self-reported resilience: Results from entry to exit of social work education on the island of Ireland durin the Covid-19 pandemic'. British Journal of Social Work, . [Link] [DOI] | |
2021 | Flanagan, N., Ayres, M., Bermingham, V., Burke, C., Carroll, M., Conway, M., Corrigan, M., Croke, E., Edet, T., Fleming, A., Harding, N., Harrington, S., Iyamu, P., Judge, N., Mangoti, M., McCarthy, E., Nolan, D., O'Brien, C., O'Hara, A., Osibuamhe, A., Reilly, N., Ryan, D., Tully, L., Tynan, D., Wells., H., Zibaite, B., Hyland, J. & Kirwan, G. (2021) 'The push and pull factors of a career in Social Work: what drives recruitment and sustains retention'. Irish Social Worker, (Winter):170-177. | |
2020 | Flanagan, N (2020) 'The Information Behaviour of Social Workers: Needs, Seeking, Acquiring and Using Information in Practice'. British Journal of Social Work, 50 (5):1588-1610. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2019 | Niamh Flanagan, Hilda Loughran, Mary Henihan, Gary Broderick (2019) 'Putting Relationships First in Social Work'. Irish Social Worker, (Winter):7-18. | |
2018 | Niamh Flanagan (2018) 'Collaboration in social workers’ information behaviour: A valuable asset for the profession'. Irish Social Worker, (Winter):61-67. | |
2020 | Flanagan, N (2020) 'Considering a participatory approach to social work - Service user research'. Qualitative Social Work, 19 (5-6):1078-1094. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2021 | Wilson E.; Flanagan N. (2021) 'What tools facilitate learning on placement? Findings of a social work student-to-student research study'. Social Work Education, 40 (4):535-551. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2019 | Patricia Kennedy, Siobhán Curran, Gabi Muntaen, Tica Munteanu, Emilia Caldaras, Emmanuel Caldaras, Emil Alex Petrovics, Isaac Ianko, Angela Cirpaci, Mariana Pruteanu, Delia Danila, Jennifer Ciuciu, Ricardo Munteanu, Joseph Duna, Roman Bartos, Julius Fako, Miriam Ciuciu, Carmen Lupsa, Tiberius Fusteac, Helena Dunova, Niamh Flanagan & Shannon O’Donovan (2019) 'The ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ needs of Roma: a participatory mixed methods study'. European Societies, 21 (1):52-75. [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2018 | Flanagan, Niamh & Wilson, Elaine (2018) 'What makes a good placement? Findings of a social work student-to-student research study'. Social Work Education, 37 (5):565-580. [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text] |
Book Chapter
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2023 | Flanagan, N. & Wilson, E. (2023) 'A Dialogue Approach to teaching social work research: Experience, Dialogue, Meaningful Research and publication’' In: The Routledge International Handbook of Social Work Teaching. New York : Routledge. | |
2022 | Elaine Wilson & Niamh Flanagan (2022) 'Hearing the student voice: an evaluation of students’ experiences and learning in fieldwork education in University College Dublin, Ireland' In: The Routledge International Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work. New York : Routledge International. [DOI] | |
2022 | Niamh Flanagan (2022) 'Social Work Research: Digitising the Critical Incident Technique for the 21st Century using Audio Diaries' In: The Routledge International Handbook of Digital Social Work. London : Routledge. | |
2001 | Niamh Flanagan (2001) 'Born Outside Marriage: The Social Implications for Irish Pre-School Children' In: Understanding Children Volume 2: Changing Experiences and Family Forms. Cork : Oak Tree Press. |
Conference Contribution
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2023 | Flanagan, N.; Wilson, E. (2023) National Practice Teachers in Social Work of Ireland “Everything students wanted to know about practice placements but were afraid to ask!” UCC, Cork, . | |
2022 | Wilson, E; Flanagan, N; Benson-Olatunde, T; Spillane, H; Buckley, P; Squires, A; Wilson, A; Woods, C; Delaney, C; Jones, D; Johnson, H; Stapleton, I; Chapman, J; Wang Zheng, W; O'Brien, K; Heany, L; Wu Allen, L; Byrne, N; Tweed, O; Cockerill, R; Burnham, S; Pagano Mariano, S.; Reinecke, T; Sharkey, T; Browner, T; Bond, T; Bulynionak, X (2022) European Social Work Research Conference Starting a conversation about racism with teenagers: using the social work research Dialogue Approach Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 06/04/2022-08/04/2022. [Full-Text] | |
2021 | Prof Mark Doel; Prof Jim Campbell; Dr Lisa Morris; Dr Colletta Dalikeni; Dr Gloria Kirwan; Dr Seamus Taylor; Mr Ger Brophy; Social Work Practitioners & Social Work Students (2021) Social Work Writing for Publication Workshop Social Work Writing for Publication Workshop Maynooth University, 25/11/2021-25/11/2021. | |
2021 | Niamh Flanagan (2021) Health & Social Care (Northern Ireland): Building a Research Community: Maintaining Links and Forging New Links Engagement Workshop with Research Engaged Leaders in the Health & Social Care Board of Northern Ireland Belfast/Online, 01/12/2021-01/12/2021. | |
2021 | Niamh Flanagan (2021) Health & Social Care (Northern Ireland): Building a Research Community: Maintaining Links and Forging New Links Social Workers' Informtion Behavour: Need, Seeking, Acquisition & Use Belfast/Online, 01/12/2021-01/12/2021. | |
2019 | Niamh Flanagan (2019) Putting Relationships First in Social Work: Promoting Research Collaboration with Service Users' Irish Association of Social Workers National Conference Dublin, 10/05/2019-10/05/2019. | |
2019 | Dr Niamh Flanagan (MU); Dr Eavan Brady (TCD); Dr Sarah Donnelly (UCD); Ms Kerry Cuskelly (Practitioner) (2019) All Ireland Social Work Research Conference Practitioner Research Conference hosted by a Consortium of all Schools of Social Work on the Island in Collaboration with the IASW & BASW-NI Carmelite Centre, Aungier St, Dublin, 14/06/2019-14/06/2019. | |
2018 | Niamh Flanagan (2018) Parallel Session B: Researching child protection Social Work in Transition: 8th European conference for Social Work Research Edinburgh, Scotland, 18/04/2018-20/04/2018. | |
2018 | Flanagan, Niamh; Coffey, Aisling; Ceatha, Nerilee; Feeney, Angela; Barrett, Bernard (2018) Sisters (and borthers) are doing it for themselves: Strengthening education to meet the needs of communities (A Multi-agency symposium) Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development Dublin, Ireland, 04/07/2018-07/07/2018. | |
2018 | Niamh Flanagan (2018) Mapping the Social Work Information Base in the Information Age Social Work in Transition: 8th European Conference for Social Work Research Edinburgh, Scotland, 18/04/2018-20/04/2018. | |
2018 | Niamh Flanagan (2018) Mapping the Information Which Informs Social work: A Pragmatic Model to Capture a Complex Practice Understanding the Complexities of Social Work FORSA Trade Union: Eamon Ceannt House, Nerney's Court, Dublin 1, 09/08/2018-09/08/2018. | |
2018 | Niamh Flanagan (2018) Irish Social Policy Association Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference Dublin, Ireland, 27/07/2018-27/07/2018. | |
2018 | Flanagan, Niamh (2018) Health, mental health and disability Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development Dublin, Ireland, 04/07/2018-07/07/2018. |
Book
Published Report
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2021 | Niamh Flanagan, Ciara Bradley & Gloria Kirwan (2021) A Culture of Feedback: Staff – Students – Peers. Centre for Teaching & Learning, Maynooth University, . [Link] | |
2021 | Flanagan, N., Ayres, M., Bermingham, V., Burke, C., Carroll, M., Conway, M., Corrigan, M., Croke, E., Edet, T., Fleming, A., Harding, N., Harrington, S., Iyamu, P., Judge, N., Mangoti, M., McCarthy, E., Nolan, D., O'Brien, C., O'Hara, A., Osibuamhe, A., Reilly, N., Ryan, D., Tully, L., Tynan, D., Wells., H., Zibaite, B., Hyland, J. & Kirwan, G. (2021) Social Work Dialogue: Exploring Practitioner Issues through Experiential Dialogue Research. Centre for Teaching & Learning, Maynooth University, . [Link] | |
2017 | Niamh Flanagan (2017) Towards Evidence Informed Services: Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services Working Report on 2015 Services, Activities and Use. Tusla Child & Family Agency, . [Link] [Full-Text] |
Other Journal
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2023 | Flanagan, Niamh; Cuskelly, Kerry; Melaugh, Brian; Wilson, Elaine (2023) 'Teaching Radical Social Work Skills: A Partnership Between Social Policy, Social Work and Community Work' acta Universitatis, Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History, 22 (2) :069-078. [Link] [DOI] |
Audiovisual material
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2023 | Flanagan, N.; Wilson, E. (2023) One Piece of Advice. [Audiovisual material] [Link] |
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2024) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.
Committees
Other Activities
Consultancy
Editorial / Academic Reviews
Teaching Interests
- Child & Family Policy - BSoc; MSoc (Rights & Policy); DSoc programmes
- Countering Child Trafficking & Human Trafficking - BSoc; MSoc (Rights & Policy); MSoc (Social Work) programmes
- Research Methods for Policy & Practice - Bsoc; MSoc (Rights & Policy); BSoc (Youth & Community Work); MSoc (Social Work) programmes
- Critical & Radical Policy Work for Practice - MSoc (Social Work)