Dr Niamh Flanagan

    Applied Social Studies

    Assistant Professor

    Laraghbryan House
    4.8
    (01) 474 7326

    Biography

    Dr Niamh Flanagan is an Assistant Professor and Social Policy Programmes Lead in the Department of Applied Social Studies Maynooth University. Niamh teaches social policy, child and family policy and research for 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.  

    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.  

    Her research interests include child and family studies, information behaviour, learning on professional placement, domestic violence and child/human trafficking.

    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
    • Anti Human Trafficking
    • Social Inclusion and Racism in Second Level Education


    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    It takes a village to raise a child: Toward a multi-disciplinary future for foster care in Ireland PI Maynooth University / 01-OCT-20 31-DEC-21
    Wesley College Social Inclusion Study PI Wesley College Dublin / Wesley College Social Inclusion Study 01-SEP-20 30-JUN-21 2800
    Student Feedback and Teaching Evaluation Project: Team Member / Departmental Lead / Non Commercial 05-FEB-20 31-MAY-21
    All Ireland Social Work Student Survey University PI / 01-OCT-19 31-DEC-23
    Recruitment & Retention in Social work PI / 01-SEP-19 31-DEC-20

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2021 'The push and pull factors of a career in Social Work: what drives recruitment and sustains retention'
    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 [Details]
    2020 'The Information Behaviour of Social Workers: Needs, Seeking, Acquiring and Using Information in Practice'
    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] [Details]
    2019 'Putting Relationships First in Social Work'
    Niamh Flanagan, Hilda Loughran, Mary Henihan, Gary Broderick (2019) 'Putting Relationships First in Social Work'. Irish Social Worker, (Winter):7-18 [Details]
    2018 'Collaboration in social workers’ information behaviour: A valuable asset for the profession'
    Niamh Flanagan (2018) 'Collaboration in social workers’ information behaviour: A valuable asset for the profession'. Irish Social Worker, (Winter):61-67 [Details]
    2020 'Considering a participatory approach to social work - Service user research'
    Flanagan, N (2020) 'Considering a participatory approach to social work - Service user research'. Qualitative Social Work, 19 (5-6):1078-1094 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2021 'What tools facilitate learning on placement? Findings of a social work student-to-student research study'
    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] [Details]
    2019 'The ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ needs of Roma: a participatory mixed methods study'
    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 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'What makes a good placement? Findings of a social work student-to-student research study'
    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 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2022 'Hearing the student voice: an evaluation of students’ experiences and learning in fieldwork education in University College Dublin, Ireland'
    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: Rajendra Baikady, Sajid S.M, John Gal, Varoshini Nadesan (eds). The Routledge International Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work. New York: Routledge International. [DOI] [Details]
    2022 'Social Work Research: Digitising the Critical Incident Technique for the 21st Century using Audio Diaries'
    Niamh Flanagan (2022) 'Social Work Research: Digitising the Critical Incident Technique for the 21st Century using Audio Diaries' In: López Peláez, A. & Kirwan, G (eds). The Routledge International Handbook of Digital Social Work. London: Routledge. [Details]
    2001 'Born Outside Marriage: The Social Implications for Irish Pre-School Children'
    Niamh Flanagan (2001) 'Born Outside Marriage: The Social Implications for Irish Pre-School Children' In: Anne Cleary, Maire Nic Ghiolla Phadraig & Suzanne Quin (eds). Understanding Children Volume 2: Changing Experiences and Family Forms. Cork: Oak Tree Press. [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2021 Social Work Writing for Publication Workshop.
    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. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Social Work Writing for Publication Workshop, Maynooth University , 25-NOV-21 - 25-NOV-21 [Details]
    2021 Engagement Workshop with Research Engaged Leaders in the Health & Social Care Board of Northern Ireland.
    Niamh Flanagan (2021) Engagement Workshop with Research Engaged Leaders in the Health & Social Care Board of Northern Ireland. [Oral Presentation], Health & Social Care (Northern Ireland): Building a Research Community: Maintaining Links and Forging New Links, Belfast/Online , 01-DEC-21 - 01-DEC-21 [Details]
    2021 Social Workers' Informtion Behavour: Need, Seeking, Acquisition & Use.
    Niamh Flanagan (2021) Social Workers' Informtion Behavour: Need, Seeking, Acquisition & Use. [Oral Presentation], Health & Social Care (Northern Ireland): Building a Research Community: Maintaining Links and Forging New Links, Belfast/Online , 01-DEC-21 - 01-DEC-21 [Details]
    2019 Irish Association of Social Workers National Conference.
    Niamh Flanagan (2019) Irish Association of Social Workers National Conference. [Invited Lecture], Putting Relationships First in Social Work: Promoting Research Collaboration with Service Users', Dublin , 10-MAY-19 - 10-MAY-19 [Details]
    2019 Practitioner Research Conference hosted by a Consortium of all Schools of Social Work on the Island in Collaboration with the IASW & BASW-NI.
    Dr Niamh Flanagan (MU); Dr Eavan Brady (TCD); Dr Sarah Donnelly (UCD); Ms Kerry Cuskelly (Practitioner) (2019) Practitioner Research Conference hosted by a Consortium of all Schools of Social Work on the Island in Collaboration with the IASW & BASW-NI. [Conference Organising Committee Member], All Ireland Social Work Research Conference, Carmelite Centre, Aungier St, Dublin , 14-JUN-19 - 14-JUN-19 [Details]
    2018 Social Work in Transition: 8th European conference for Social Work Research.
    Niamh Flanagan (2018) Social Work in Transition: 8th European conference for Social Work Research. [Chaired Session], Parallel Session B: Researching child protection, Edinburgh, Scotland , 18-APR-18 - 20-APR-18 [Details]
    2018 Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development.
    Flanagan, Niamh; Coffey, Aisling; Ceatha, Nerilee; Feeney, Angela; Barrett, Bernard (2018) Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development. [Oral Presentation], Sisters (and borthers) are doing it for themselves: Strengthening education to meet the needs of communities (A Multi-agency symposium), Dublin, Ireland , 04-JUL-18 - 07-JUL-18 [Details]
    2018 Social Work in Transition: 8th European Conference for Social Work Research.
    Niamh Flanagan (2018) Social Work in Transition: 8th European Conference for Social Work Research. [Oral Presentation], Mapping the Social Work Information Base in the Information Age, Edinburgh, Scotland , 18-APR-18 - 20-APR-18 [Details]
    2018 Understanding the Complexities of Social Work.
    Niamh Flanagan (2018) Understanding the Complexities of Social Work. [Invited Lecture], Mapping the Information Which Informs Social work: A Pragmatic Model to Capture a Complex Practice, FORSA Trade Union: Eamon Ceannt House, Nerney's Court, Dublin 1 , 09-AUG-18 - 09-AUG-18 [Details]
    2018 Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference.
    Niamh Flanagan (2018) Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference. [Chaired Session], Irish Social Policy Association Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 27-JUL-18 - 27-JUL-18 [Details]
    2018 Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development.
    Flanagan, Niamh (2018) Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development. [Chaired Session], Health, mental health and disability, Dublin, Ireland , 04-JUL-18 - 07-JUL-18 [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2021 A Culture of Feedback: Staff – Students – Peers.
    Niamh Flanagan, Ciara Bradley & Gloria Kirwan (2021) A Culture of Feedback: Staff – Students – Peers. Centre for Teaching & Learning, Maynooth University, Maynooth. [Details]
    2021 Social Work Dialogue: Exploring Practitioner Issues through Experiential Dialogue Research.
    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, Maynooth. [Details]
    2017 Towards Evidence Informed Services: Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services Working Report on 2015 Services, Activities and Use.
    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, Dublin. [full-text] [Details]

    Books

      Year Publication
    1995 Planning for Change: A handbook on strategic planning for local development partnerships.
    Niamh Flanagan, Trutz Haase & Jim Walsh (1995) Planning for Change: A handbook on strategic planning for local development partnerships. Dublin: Combat Poverty Agency. [Details]
    1992 Unmarried Mothers: A Social Profile.
    Niamh Flanagan & Valerie Richardson (1992) Unmarried Mothers: A Social Profile. Dublin: Social Science Research Centre UCD & Social Work Research Unit, National Maternity Hospital. [Details]

    Honours and Awards

      Year Title Awarding Body
    2020 Teaching & Learning Fellowship Maynooth University

    Professional Associations

      Association Function From / To
    Children's Research Network Member 24-MAY-19 /
    Maynooth University Anti trafficking in Humans Network Convener 01-JAN-21 /
    All Ireland Social Work Student Research Forum Member 01-OCT-19 /

    Committees

      Committee Function From / To
    All Ireland Social Work Research Conference Organising Committee Co-founding member 2018 /
    Maynooth University Faculty of Social Science Research Committee Secretary 2018 / 2021

    Consultancy

      Client Description
    Department of Justice & Equality
    Project Review (2019); & Report Writing (2021)
    Department of Agriculture
    Recruitment advisory (2018 & 2021)
    Forsa Public Service Union
    Research advisory & presentation
    Irish Association of Social Workers
    Research advisory
    Tusla Child & Family Agency
    Research advisory & presentation

    Reviews

      Journal Role
    Journal Of Social Work Practice Reviewer
    Groupwork Reviewer
    Qualitative Social Work Reviewer
    Social Work Education Reviewer

    Other Activities

      Description

    Dept Applied Social Studies, represented by Dr Niamh Flanagan & Dr Ciara Bradley, are pleased to join with Dept Chemistry and Dept of Music under the coordinator of MU Centre for Teaching & Learning to participate in an initiative to Enhance Teaching and Learning through Programme and Module Evaluation 2020.

    The project proposal, “It takes a village to raise a child: Toward a multi-disciplinary future for foster care in Ireland” has been successful in its application for a funded student researcher under the SPUR - Summer Programme for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) 2021. This funding will facilitate bringing to publication the project undertaken with the year 1 social work masters students in 2020.

    Teaching Interests

    • Child & Family Policy - Bsoc; MSoc programmes
    • Policy Analysis - BSoc. programme
    • Research Methods for Policy & Practice - Bsoc; MSoc (Rights & Policy); BSoc (Youth & Community Work); MSoc (Social Work) programmes
    • Evidence-based policy making for Practitioners -  BSoc (Youth & Community Work); MSoc (Social Work); MSoc (Social Work) programmes.









    External Collaborators

      Name Role / Description Country
    Dr Elaine Wilson, UCD Co-author/researcher IRELAND
    Dr Eavan Brady, TCD Network Co-Convener IRELAND
    Kerry Cuskelly, HSE Network Co-Convener IRELAND
    Dr Sarah Donnelly, UCD Network Co-Convener IRELAND
    Dr Lisa Morriss Network Co-Convener ENGLAND
    Dr Ariana Critchley Network Co-Convener SCOTLAND
    Dr Wahida Kent Network Co-Convener WALES
    Dr Amanda Taylor-Beswick, QUB Network Co-Convener NORTHERN IRELAND
    Angela Feeney, Tusla co-presenter IRELAND
    Dr Sioban O'Brien-Green, TCD co-author IRELAND
    Dr Hilda Loughran, UCD Co-author IRELAND
    Dr Gary Broderick, SAOL co-author IRELAND
    Mary Henihan, Le Cheile Mentoring co-author IRELAND
    Nerilee Ceatha, Tusla co-presenter IRELAND
    Aisling Coffey, HSE co-presenter IRELAND
    Bernard Barrett, Tusla co-presenter IRELAND