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Nina Maxwell   CPsychol AFBPsS

Dr Nina Maxwell

CPsychol AFBPsS

Principal Research Fellow, CASCADE

School of Social Sciences

Email
MaxwellN2@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29225 10944
Campuses
sbarc|spark, Room 03.14, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a chartered psychologist and mixed methods researcher with interests in three areas: adolescence, workforce development and private family law. I am speciality co-lead for social care research in Wales and Acting Deputy Director for CASCADE.

My research on Youth, Society and Risk focuses on improving the outcomes for young people. I have undertaken numerous research and evaluation studies across a range of areas including adoption, child criminal exploitation, father engagement, home education,  and youth violence. I am currently leading a study on the referral pathways and service outcomes for criminally exploited young people in Wales.

My research on workforce development has included evaluative research fast track training programmes for social workers and studies on specific interventions, such as Video Interaction Guidance.

Finally, I have conducted several evidence reviews in private family law, e.g. shared parenting, and parental alienation. More recently, I conducted a research study on the development of Supporting Separating Families Alliances in Wales.

 

 

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

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2016

2014

2012

2011

2009

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2007

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Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Research interests:
  • Youth, Society and Risk
  • Workforce development
  • Private family law
Current research projects:
 

The aim of this 2-year project is to create detailed case studies of criminally exploited young people’s lived experiences of service pathways, provision and outcomes five years prior to referral acceptance and up to 2 years after. 
 
 

The aim of this evaluation is to examine the implementation, delivery and impact of the service across four sites in the UK on diverting children and young people from criminality based on (1) analysis of service data, (2) an online survey (3) semi-structured interviews, (4) case file analysis, and (5) analysis of police administrative data. In addition, the evaluation examines the thematic areas of identification, capacity building, multi-agency working, and targeted interventions.

Past research projects:

 
In partnership with Barnardo’s, this 18-month exploratory research project is aimed at creating a toolkit for an effective service response to improve the outcomes for children at risk or involved in county lines. This project will contribute to the knowledge base regarding the nature and scale of the problem, what approaches and interventions are most effective and how contextual safeguarding approaches can be used in practice within the Welsh context.
 
I convene the Youth, Society and Risk Research Development Group in CASCADE

Teaching

  • Social Work Research in Action (Doctor of Social Work and MSc Social Science Research Methods)
  • Lectures and workshops on various topics, including child criminal exploitation, systematic reviewing

Biography

Education and qualifications

  • 2002: PhD (Psychology and Education), University of Glamorgan
  • 2004: MSc Occupational Psychology, Cardiff University
  • 1998: BSc (Hons) Psychology with Criminal Justice, University of Glamorgan

Honours and awards

  • Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS)

Professional memberships

  • Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society

Academic positions

  • Principal Research Fellow, CASCADE, Cardiff University (2022 - current)
  • Senior Research Fellow, CASCADE, Cardiff University (2020 - 2022)
  • Research Fellow, CASCADE, Cardiff University (2019 - 2020)
  • Research Associate, CASCADE, Cardiff University (2014 - 2018)
  • Research Consultant, Huxley-Maxwell Consultants (2012 - 2013)
  • Research Associate, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University (2010 - 2011)
  • Research Officer, Centre for Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University (2007 - 2009)
  • Research Associate, School of Social Science, Cardiff University (2001-2006)
  • Simulation Fellow, Centre for Lifelong Learning University of Glamorgan (1998-2001)

Committees and reviewing

  • NIHR, HTA Programme, Prioritisation Committee: Social Care 
  • Evaluation Technical Advisory Group: Youth Endowment Fund 
  • External committee member for the Cafcass Research Advisory Committee.
  • Associate member of the Wales Violence Prevention Unit.
  • Member of the School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (SREC).
  • Editorial Board member for the British Journal of Social Work
  • Reviewer for social work and education journals.

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising PhD students with interests connected to:

  • Youth, Society and Risk including child criminal exploitation.
  • Workforce development.
  • Private law.

Current supervision

Simon Johns

Simon Johns

Research student

Annemarie Newbury

Annemarie Newbury

Research student

Research themes

Specialisms

  • social care
  • Crime and social justice
  • Workforce
  • private family law
  • Social psychology