School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work (SSESW) academic Gavin Davidson has been appointed as Professor of Social Care and the first Praxis Chair in Social Care. Praxis Care is a major provider of services for people with complex needs including mental health problems and/or intellectual disabilities. The Praxis Chair, which is in the School of SSESW, is a new and innovative research collaboration between Praxis Care and Queen’s University Belfast.

Gavin's new role in SSESW will primarily focus on the effectiveness of services and developing the Praxis Model of Care with the aim of improving the outcomes and experiences of service users. Speaking of his appointment Gavin said: ‘I’m excited to be working with Praxis Care on this programme of research. There is an urgent need for more research in the area of social care to further inform policy and service development’. You can read more about Gavin's research and teaching at https://bit.ly/2JpyACF and about Praxis at https://www.praxisprovides.com/