Research and Information Mentors

The Research and Information Mentor Strategy is part of the overall approach by the National Research Office for the Agency to build its research and information capacity and create the conditions where good research evidence informs all the practice and business decisions and activities of the agency.

See below on how to contact and find out more about one of our Research and Information Mentors. Click on a profile below to find out more or scroll the page to read the profiles and find out how to contact our mentors.
 

Karen Condron

Position: SEN Team Manager

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin Mid-Leinster – CRS National

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

Through the Research and Information Mentor role I hope to assist and empower staff to move towards a research minded approach to their work. To help facilitate staff to enhance their own work practice through best practice, research and evidence-based practice. I hope that my role will help to further build the research culture within the organisation and help improve service delivery and outcomes for the families and children that we work with.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Lived experience of people in alternative care – Addiction - Attachment and Trauma - Paternal Mental Health and impact on Children - Outcomes of Young People leaving care - Resilience in Young People - Youth Mental Health

How to Contact Me:

Maggie Connolly

Position: Social Care Worker

Tusla Local Area Covered: Kerry

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I would like to offer support to fellow practitioners to develop confidence in using the various research tools and resources available – Open Athens, Barnardos and the EPPI toolkit and empower colleagues to access good quality research and information required for their specific role, promoting practitioner confidence in evidence-informed decision-making.

Key Research and Information Interests:

The theory and practice of Trauma Informed Care - Parenting capacity and parental capacity to change – Developmental Trauma - Reunification process

How to Contact Me:

Ste Corrigan

Position: Children and Young Peoples Services Committee Coordinator – CYPSC 

Tusla Local Area Covered: Cavan, Dublin Northeast 

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I would like to promote the value and benefit of having a research culture in all our roles. Empowering colleagues and partners with evidence informed material in decision making which will support better outcomes for children, young people, families, and communities. Research provides the foundations for working smarter and not harder. 

Key Research and Information Interests:

Early intervention and prevention - Participation – including whole community approaches -  Early school leaving and NEET - Resilience 

How to Contact Me:

Jan Davis

Position: Training and Development Officer, Dublin North-East

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin North-East

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

To support managers and staff to gain access to relevant information /research that will assist them in their everyday practice as well as staff who may be undertaking research as part of their professional development. (The mentoring relationship is key to my role in providing the best support.)

Key Research and Information Interests:

Child Protection – Child Care Law – Adult Learning – Research Process

How to Contact Me:

Colette Deeney

Position: Children and Young People’s Services Committee Coordinator Monaghan

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin North-East, Cavan & Monaghan

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

To encourage more usage of the Barnardo’s library, resources available through Open Athens and research tools available to staff with in Tusla. Support and encourage colleagues to find information and relevant demographics as well as encourage the use of the most up to date research and evidence-based practice to inform our work with children, young people, and families. Support people returning to education.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Early Years/ Child Development - Inclusion of children with disabilities – Equality and Diversity/ The anti - bias curriculum

How to Contact Me:

Anna Deneher

Position: Principal Social Worker, International Social Services 

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin South Central

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

To share the skills and experience which I have developed in my studies in the areas of social work research and enable colleagues to develop an interest in research and create a culture of research empowerment within the organisation. I hope to develop practitioners’ confidence in using the various research tools and resources available to them in Tusla in informing their practice and in evidencing their decision-making.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Outcomes for Children in Care - Young people’s experiences of the care system - Adoption of Children in Care  - Childhood Trauma and impact on Mental Health - Supports for young people in aftercare with complex needs - Ethnicity and Children in Care - International Social Work       

How to Contact Me:

Patricia Doherty

Position: Social Work Team Leader, Dublin South Central

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin South West, Kildare, West Wicklow

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

Promote the use of research in evidence-based practice and decision making in the best interest of the Child and reflect Tusla’s identity as a Learning Organization. Additionally, facilitate consultations for Social Workers and Social Care Workers with a Psychotherapist and create a space for Tusla staff to consistently engage in reflective practice.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Attachment, Attunement and Mentalization - Neuroscience and Infant Development - Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy and Social Work - Children in Care and Fostering

How to Contact Me:

Dr Marie Gibbons

Position: Early Years Specialist

Tusla Local Area Covered: Children’s Services Regulation / Early Years Inspectorate National

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I have a range of research and front line practitioner skills and I hope I will be an accessible and helpful resource to my Tusla colleagues in CSR and the Early Year’s Inspectorate  who are hoping to develop, plan and conduct their own research and information seeking activities.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Participatory Research Methodologies - Practitioner led Research  - Social Care and Family Support - Early Years - Young Children’s Participation in Decision Making and Policy Development; Parental Participation; Outdoor Play; Trauma-Informed Practices.

How to Contact Me:

Joan Mallon

Position: Social Care Leader

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin South-East and Wicklow

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

As a Research and Information Mentor I hope to promote awareness of the Tusla Research Centre and all the resources it has available to staff. I also hope to promote a culture of research mindedness and evidence-based practice in Children’s Residential Centres.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Childhood Trauma – Resilience – Attachment & Parenting – Mental Health & Addiction - Wellbeing

How to Contact Me:

Mairead Nalty

Position: National Delegations Manager

Tusla Local Area Covered: National and Human Resources

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I hope to support colleagues to conduct research that is relevant to their role and/or studies, particularly in the areas of Human Resources, Employment, Industrial Relations, and Employee Relations

Key Research and Information Interests:

Human Resources Management – Employment - Employee Relations - Industrial Relations - Policy Development and Implementation - Social Affairs - Law

How to Contact Me:

Mary Neligan

Position: Social Worker

Tusla Local Area Covered: Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I hope to assist Tusla staff to explore, identify and undertake evidence based practice and research. I would also like to be a support to Tusla staff who would like to develop and conduct their own research activities.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Children’s Rights including the ‘voice of the child’ in social work and social care fields - Adoption particularly adoption from foster care - Legislation and the impact of new legislative on social work practice - Evidence informed decision- making.

How to Contact Me:

Michelle Reade

Position: Learning and Development Officer, Workforce Learning and Development

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin Mid-Leinster

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I hope that I can promote a culture of research throughout the organisation. I will assist and support frontline staff in actively engaging with good quality research relevant to their roles and areas of interest. I believe this will  build staff capacity,  ultimately resulting in evidence informed decision making, service delivery and better outcomes for children and families.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Child Protection and Welfare Issues - Children’s Rights - Evidence Informed Practice - Policy Implementation – Training Development and Implementation - Impact of attachment on neglected and abused children and young people.

How to Contact Me:

Mark Smith

Position: Director Crannog Nua Special Care Service

Tusla Local Area Covered: Dublin North

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

Help to create a learning culture in Tusla Residential Services.  Develop the use of Irish based statics on residential social care Key Research and Information Interests:

Key Research and Information Interests

I am very interested in any research into Residential Social Care, Violence Harassment and Aggression, Leadership, Supervision and Support for Staff.

How to Contact Me:

Charney Weitzman

Position: Children First Information and Advice Person

Tusla Local Area Covered: Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath / National Children First Team

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I am a strong believer in the importance of evidence informed practice. In my 17 years in post working with many internal and external departments and agencies I have seen the importance of linking decision making to an understanding of the wider context and an awareness of what has come before. I enjoy teasing out and understanding problems and helping to develop solutions. I have been involved in research, education and training and find satisfaction in being able to share learning with others.

Key Research and Information Interests:

Policy and procedure development and implementation - Child Safeguarding: policy, procedure, and practice - Training/ Learning and Development - Strategic Planning.

How to Contact Me:

Claire Williams

Position: Quality Assurance Manager PASM National Review Team

Tusla Local Area Covered: National: Quality and Regulation Directorate

What I aim to achieve as a Research and Information Mentor:

I hope to build my skill set to be able to support colleagues access relevant information to inform evidence based practice, service improvement and/or research. I want to support lessening  the gap between academic studies/ research and front line practice

Key Research and Information Interests:

Quality Improvement systems and processes - Participation and participatory methodologies - Representing the voice of the child/ families in reports/ research - Audit/ review methodologies

How to Contact Me: