Senior Lecturer
Social Work Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
A registered social worker with experience of child welfare and protection work in local authorities and in integrated services. An academic since 2003. my expertise is in child welfare and in assessment and working with risk and uncertainty. I directed undergraduate child protection CPD provision at the University of Dundee before moving to the University of Stirling in 2008 where I was director of the MSc Applied Professional Studies programme until 2019. I am currently the Head of Social Work at the University. My doctoral research was in judgement and decision making and my areas of interest include intuition in judgement, analysis and assessment in professional practice and practice-near research methods. I am happy to consider applications from prospective PhD students.
Ecology of Judgement in Child Welfare and Protection . Ecology of Judgement Seminar
Analysis and Professional Judgement in Child and Family Assessment. BASPCAN Scottish Branch Conference
Testing the application of GIRFEC in child protection practice. BASPCAN Scottish Branch Conference
Sense-making in child and family assessments. Reconstruct Annual Conference
Making the Meaningless Meaningful - Analysis in Assessment. Professional Judgement
Keynote speech. Child Inclusive Practice Annual Forum
Chair. GIRFEC 2013
Analysis in practice: A study of sense-making in a children and families social work team. . WithScotland Webinar December 2014
A webinar presentation of findings from an ethnographic study of judgement in a social work office.
Judgements or Assumptions? The role of analysis in assessing children and young people’s needs. ESRC Seminar ‘Interrogating Harm and Abuse Across the Lifespan’
Analysing and Reporting Children’s Needs and Experiences. Pre-conference workshop - Child Inclusive Practice (Australia)
A day-long workshop developing enhanced skills and knolwedge in analysis of children and young people's needs in assessments.
Judgements or Assumptions?. Making Research Count seminar (York)
My doctoral studies are in the field of judgement and decision-making in social work. I have a particular interest in sense-making and analysis in professional practice. I have published books, chapters and journal articles exploring the nature and use of intuition in social work. I have conducted ethnographic research into sense-making in social work offices and I have developed an ecological model of judgement to promote discussion and critical reflection on the subjective nature of professional judgement. I am a member of a number of local, national and international research networks.
Evaluation of Edinburgh Child Protection Committee training
PI: Dr Duncan Helm
Funded by: Edinburgh Child Protection Committee
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NHS Forth Valley Managers' Training
PI: Dr Duncan Helm
Funded by: NHS Forth Valley
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Safeguarder Post-assessment Training
PI: Dr Duncan Helm
Funded by: Children 1st
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Article
Theorising Social Work Sense-Making: Developing a Model of Peer-Aided Judgement and Decision Making
Helm D (2022) Theorising Social Work Sense-Making: Developing a Model of Peer-Aided Judgement and Decision Making. British Journal of Social Work, 52 (4), pp. 2329-2347. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab178
Article
Using intuition in social work decision making
Sicora A, Taylor BJ, Alfandari R, Enosh G, Helm D, Killick C, Lyons O, Mullineux J, Przeperski J, Rölver M & Whittaker A (2021) Using intuition in social work decision making. European Journal of Social Work, 24 (5), pp. 772-787. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1918066
Article
Can I Have A Word? Social Worker Interaction and Sense-Making
Helm D (2017) Can I Have A Word? Social Worker Interaction and Sense-Making. Child Abuse Review, 26 (5), pp. 388-398. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2463
Article
The ecology of judgement: a model for understanding and improving social work judgements
Helm D & Roesch-Marsh A (2017) The ecology of judgement: a model for understanding and improving social work judgements. British Journal of Social Work, 47 (5), pp. 1361-1376. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw091
Manual / Guide
C-Change Capacity to Change Assessment Manual - Scottish Version
Platt D, Riches K & Helm D (2016) C-Change Capacity to Change Assessment Manual - Scottish Version. Bristol: University of Bristol.
Article
Sense-making in a Social Work Office: An ethnographic study of safeguarding judgements
Helm D (2016) Sense-making in a Social Work Office: An ethnographic study of safeguarding judgements. Child and Family Social Work, 21 (1), pp. 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12101
Conference Paper (unpublished)
Helm D (2015) The Ecology of Judgement in Child Welfare and Protection: Findings From an Ethnographic Study of Judgement and Decision-Making in a Children and Families Social Work Office. British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN) National Congress, Edinburgh, 12.04.2015-15.04.2015. http://www.baspcan.org.uk/files/CongressAbstracts_web%20100415.pdf
Conference Paper (unpublished)
A study of Informal Peer-aided Judgement in a Children and Families Social Work Team
Helm D (2015) A study of Informal Peer-aided Judgement in a Children and Families Social Work Team. ESA Midterm-Conference: Risk, Uncertainty and Transition, Stuttgart, Germany, 08.04.2015-10.04.2015. https://www.miun.se/siteassets/forskning/center-och-institut/rcrcenter/programme_webb_v150331nypdf
Book Chapter
Helm D & Daniel B (2013) Assessing Neglect. In: Calder M & Hackett S (eds.) Assessment in child care: Using and developing frameworks for practice. 2nd ed. Dorset: Russell House Publishing, pp. 51-62. http://www.russellhouse.co.uk/bookpages/9781905541850.htm
Manual / Guide
Daniel B, Scott J, Taylor J, Barlow J, Collins V, Helm D & Whincup H (2013) in collaboration with Action for Children, 'Childhood Neglect: Improving Outcomes for Children – adaptation for Scottish Context' (Training Resources). Edinburgh: Scottish Government. http://withscotland.org/exchanging-training-resources
Manual / Guide
Daniel B, Scott J, Taylor J, Barlow J, Collins V, Helm D & Whincup H (2012) in collaboration with Action for Children, 'Childhood Neglect: Improving Outcomes for Children' (Training Resources). London: Department for Education. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/safeguardingchildren/childhoodneglect
Article
Judgements or Assumptions? The Role of Analysis in Assessing Children and Young People's Needs
Helm D (2011) Judgements or Assumptions? The Role of Analysis in Assessing Children and Young People's Needs. British Journal of Social Work, 41 (5), pp. 894-911. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr096
Authored Book
Making Sense of Child and Family Assessment: How to Interpret Children's Needs
Helm D (2010) Making Sense of Child and Family Assessment: How to Interpret Children's Needs. Best Practice in Working with Children Series. London: Jessica Kingsley. http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843109235
I have extensive experience of directing and teaching on post-qualifying programmes in human services. I have taught professionals studying part-time in venues across Scotland and have contributed to teaching, directly and though my work as an external examiner, at Universities in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.
