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Karen Winter


BSocSc (Hons) Social Administration (1988)
MA in Social Work (1992), CQSW (1992)
Practice Teaching Award (1996)
Post Qualifying Award in Social Work (1997)
Advanced Award in Social Work (2003)
PhD (2009)
PGCHET (2009)

Lecturer in Social Work
Room 2.09, 6 College Park
Ext: 3917; Email: k.winter@qub.ac.uk 

Leadership Roles

  • Programme Director DChild (taught doctorate in Childhood Studies)

Research Interests

  • Children in Care
  • Children’s rights
  • Sociology of childhood
  • Qualitative research methods

Teaching Interests

  • Law for Social Workers: Tutoring
  • Families and Children: Tutoring
  • Court Work Skills: Tutoring
  • Research and Practice: Tutoring

Current Research Projects

2012-2015 Holland, S. (PI), Cree, V. (CI), Winter, K. (CI), Hadfield, M. (CI) and Ruch, G. (CI). ‘Communicating with Vulnerable Children: Understanding the Everyday Practices of Child and Family Social Workers’, funder ESRC, £515, 319.  Follow link for further information: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/research/researchprojects/talkingandlisteningtochildrentlcesrc.html

2012-15 Kelly, B (PI), Winter, K. (CI) and Dowling, S. (RA). Meeting the Needs of Disabled Children and Young People in Northern Ireland, funder OFMDFM, Belfast, £218, 533.

2013-2014 Winter, K. (PI), Connolly, P. (CI) and Mooney, J. (DEL PhD studentship) ‘Effects of the Letterbox Club on the Educational Outcomes for Primary School Children aged 7-11 years in Foster Care in Northern Ireland’, funder Fostering Network Northern Ireland, £26,771. 

Completed Research Projects

2010-2011 Connolly, P (PI) O'Hare, L. Sibbett, C.Kerr and Winter ‘Pupils’ Emotional Health and Wellbeing: A Review of Audit Tools and a Survey of Practice in Northern Ireland’, funder DENI - Department of Education (Northern Ireland) [R323], £51,637. Follow link for further information: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforEffectiveEducation/Publications/

2010-2011 Winter, K. (PI) Connolly, P., Ferguson, J. and Bell, I.  ‘Effects of the Letterbox Club on the educational outcomes for primary school children aged 7-11 years in foster care in Northern Ireland’, funder Fostering Network Northern Ireland, £14,798.  Follow link for further information: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforEffectiveEducation/Publications/

2010 Miller, Connolly, P. and Winter, K.  ‘“Ready to Learn” - Literature Review Regarding Interventions and Parental Engagement’, funder Barnardos, Northern Ireland, £14,593.     

Publications

Books

Winter, K. (2011) Building Relationships and Communicating with Young Children: A Practical Guide for Social Workers, London: Routledge http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415562683/

Recent peer reviewed articles

Winter, K. (2012) Understanding and supporting young children’s transitions into state care: Schlossberg’s transition framework and child-centred practice, British Journal of Social Work, (in press)

Winter, K. (2011) The UNCRC and social workers' relationships with young children, Child Abuse Review, 20(6), pp. 395-406

Winter, K (2010) 'Ascertaining the perspectives of young children in care: case studies using reality boxes' Children and Society: The International Journal of Childhood and Children's Services, first published online: 14 SEP 2010 | DOI: 10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00335.x

Winter, K (2010) The perspectives of young children in care and implications for social work practice, Child and Family Social Work, 15(2), 186 - 195

Winter, K (2009) Relationships Matter: the problems and prospects for social workers’ relationships with young children in care, Child and Family Social Work, 14, 450-460.

Winter, K (2009) Recent Policy Initiatives in Early Childhood and the Challenges for the Social Work Profession, British Journal of Social Work, 39, 1235-1255. 

Book chapters/reports

Winter, K. (forthcoming). A review of innovative qualitative research methods with young children. In O. Saracho, ed. 2013 Handbook of Research Methods in Early Childhood Education. North Carolina, USA: Information Age Publishing. 

Research Reports:

Connolly, P., Sibbett, C., Hanratty, J., Kerr, K., O'Hare, L. and Winter, K. (2011) Pupils' Emotional  Health  and  Wellbeing: A  Review  of  Audit  Tools  and  a  Survey  of   Practice  in  Northern  Ireland  Post-Primary  Schools, Belfast: Centre for Effective Education, Queen's University Belfast. To download a copy of the report please click here.

Winter K., Connolly P., Bell, I. and Ferguson, J. (2011) An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Letterbox Club in Improving Educational Outcomes among Children Aged 7-11 Years in Foster Care in Northern Ireland, Belfast: Centre for Effective Education, Queen’s University Belfast. To download a copy of the report please click here.


Full list of publications