Seminar Theme: ‘Contact with Children Following Separation: Practice to Policy NGO–TCD Research Collaborations’
Researchers:
Dr Simone McCaughren, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin
Dr Aisling Parkes, Senior Lecturer in Law, School of law, University College Cork
Stephanie Holt, PhD, Professor in Social Work, FTCD in the School of Social Work & Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin
Soma Gregory, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, the joint research by Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and One Family
The research, which provides an in-depth international literature review on the issue of contact for children aged 0-6 year olds in separated families in Ireland and reflects on a cross-disciplinary perspective spanning social work and policy, law and psychology of the considerations for very young children in family law proceedings in Ireland, can be accessed here.
Panel
Dr Catherine Conlon – Assistant Professor, Social Policy School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
Andrew Munro – Head of Policy and Legislation for Civil Justice, Assistant Secretary General in the Department of Justice overseeing the development of the Family Justice Reform.
His Honour Judge Geoffrey Shannon – Former Law Society director and current Circuit Court judge, Dr Shannon was Special Rapporteur on Child Protection for the Irish Government 2006-19 and is the author independent report into historical child sex-abuse allegations in St John Ambulance 2023.
Geraldine Kelly – One Family’s Director of Parenting and Professional Development Services. Geraldine has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Care & Education and a Master’s degree in Child, Family and Community Studies. She is a qualified Parent Mentor, a practicing mediator specialising in parenting and family transitions.
Dr Simone McCaughren – Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin. Simone has a well-established record in academia and her research encompasses adoption practice and law, contact with children post-adoption, foster care to adoption and contact with children post-separation.
Programme
Researchers’ Perspectives – Dr Simone McCaughren, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin
A practice-to-policy approach – Geraldine Kelly, One Family’s Director of Parenting. Read Ms Kelly’s presentation here.
Family Justice Reform – Andrew Munro, Department of Justice. Read Mr Munro’s remarks here.
Q&A – led by Stephanie Holt, PhD, Professor in Social Work, School of Social Work & Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin
Closing – Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO
