
Professor Donald Forrester
Director of CASCADE
- forresterd@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2068 8724
- 1-3 Museum Place
Overview
My main interest is in what makes for effective child and family social work. In particular I am interested in the relationship between good practice and outcomes, and in understanding the features of organisations that produce good practice. I also have a strong track record of evaluating social work services, having led more than 30 studies or practice development projects with a combined worth of over £7 million.
Biography
- 2007 D. Phil “Child protection and significant harm. A study of referrals closed by local authorities.” Brunel University, London, UK
- 1992 M.Sc., Social Policy and Social Work, LSE, London, UK
- 1992 Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW), LSE, London, UK
- 1989 MA (Hons) in Psychology, Edinburgh University, UK
Professional memberships
Registered social worker (Health Care Professionals Council)
Academic positions
1999 – 2002 Research Fellow, University of Sussex
2002 - 2005 Lecturer in Social Work, Goldsmiths College
2005 - 2007 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Brunel University
2007- 2009 Reader in Child Welfare, University of Bedfordshire
2009- 2015 Professor of Social Work Research, University of Bedfordshire
Publications
2021
- El-Banna, A.et al. 2021. Systematic review of economic evaluations of children's social care interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 121, article number: 105864. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105864)
2020
- Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2020. What do parents think about statutory child and family social work services in the UK?. British Journal of Social Work (10.1093/bjsw/bcaa185)
- Bezeczky, Z.et al. 2020. Intensive family preservaton services to prevent out-of-home placement of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Abuse and Neglect 102, article number: 104394. (10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104394)
- Forrester, D.et al. 2020. Patterns of practice: an exploratory factor analysis of child and family social worker skills. Child and Family Social Work 25(1), pp. 108-117. (10.1111/cfs.12664)
- Maxwell, N.et al. 2020. Home education for children with additional learning needs – a better choice or the only option?. Educational Review 72(4), pp. 427-442. (10.1080/00131911.2018.1532955)
- Nurmatov, U.et al. 2020. Impact of shared decision-making family meetings on children's out-of-home care, family empowerment and satisfaction: a systematic review. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Group_Conferencing_Report.pdf
2019
- Forrester, D.et al. 2019. What is the relationship between worker skills and outcomes for families in child and family social work?. British Journal of Social Work 49(8), pp. 2148-2167. (10.1093/bjsw/bcy126)
- Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. Predicting the future in child and family social work: theoretical, ethical and methodological issues for a proposed research programme. Child Care in Practice 26(2), pp. 196-209. (10.1080/13575279.2019.1685463)
- Brand, S.et al. 2019. How family budget change interventions affect children being in care: a rapid evidence assessment. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff, Wales: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: http://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Full_Report_Aug2019.pdf
- Bostock, L.et al. 2019. What is the impact of supervision on direct practice with families?. Children and Youth Services Review 105, article number: 104428. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104428)
- Bostock, L.et al. 2019. How do we assess the quality of group supervision? Developing a coding framework. Children and Youth Services Review 100, pp. 515-524. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.027)
- Stabler, L.et al. 2019. Shared decision-making: What is good practice in delivering meetings? Involving families meaningfully in decision-making to keep children safely at home: A rapid realist review. Technical Report.
- Brand, S.et al. 2019. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026967. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026967)
- Meindl, M.et al. 2019. How do family drug and alcohol courts work with parents to safely reduce the number of children in care? A rapid realist review. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_FDAC_rapid_realist_review_Oct2019.pdf
- 2019. Intensive family preservation services to prevent out-of-home placement of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC-Intensive-Family-Preservation-Services-to-prevent-out-of-home-placement-of-children-v2.pdf
2018
- Sheehan, L.et al. 2018. Signs of safety: findings from a mixed methods systematic review focused on reducing the need for children to be in care. Technical Report.
- Brand, S.et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
- Forrester, D.et al. 2018. A randomized controlled trial of training in Motivational Interviewing for child protection. Children and Youth Services Review 88, pp. 180-190. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.014)
- Bostock, L.et al. 2018. Diffusion theory and multi-disciplinary working in children's services. Journal of Integrated Care 26(2), pp. 120-129. (10.1108/JICA-10-2017-0039)
- Westlake, D.et al. 2018. Safely reducing the need for children to enter care: telephone interviews with local authorities in England. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Reducing_the_number_of_children_in_statutory_care_telephone_interviews_with_local_authorities.pdf
2017
- Forrester, D.et al. 2017. An evidence based review of the risks to children and young people who are educated at home. National Independent Safeguarding Board. Available at: http://safeguardingboard.wales/2017/11/23/home-education-children-report-2/
- Killian, M.et al. 2017. Validity of the Working Alliance Inventory within child protection services. Research on Social Work Practice 27(6), pp. 704-715. (10.1177/1049731515596816)
- Forrester, D. 2017. Outcomes in children’s social care. Journal of Children's Services 12(2-3), pp. 144-157. (10.1108/JCS-08-2017-0036)
- Roberts, L.et al. 2017. Care-leavers and their children placed for adoption. Children and Youth Services Review 79, pp. 355-361. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.030)
- Forrester, D.et al. 2017. Family safeguarding Hertfordshire: Evaluation Report. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-safeguarding-hertfordshire-an-evaluation
- Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Grant, L. 2017. What happens in child and family social work supervision?. Child and Family Social Work 22(2), pp. 942-951. (10.1111/cfs.12314)
- Antonopoulou, P., Killian, M. and Forrester, D. 2017. Levels of stress and anxiety in child and family social work: Workers' perceptions of organizational structure, professional support and workplace opportunities in Children's Services in the UK. Children and Youth Services Review 76, pp. 42-50. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.02.028)
- Teater, B.et al. 2017. Making social work count: A curriculum innovation to teach quantitative research methods and statistical analysis to undergraduate social work students in the United Kingdom. Journal of Teaching in Social Work 37(5), pp. 422-437. (10.1080/08841233.2017.1381216)
2016
- Teater, B.et al. 2016. Quantitative research methods for social work: making social work count. Palgrave.
- Forrester, D.et al. 2016. Helping families where parents misuse drugs or alcohol? A mixed methods comparative evaluation of an intensive family preservation service. Child and Family Social Work 21(1), pp. 65-75. (10.1111/cfs.12111)
2014
- Holland, S., Williams, A. and Forrester, D. 2014. Navigating ethical moments when researching substance misuse with parents and their children. Qualitative Research 14(4), pp. 411-427. (10.1177/1468794112473495)
- O'Connor, L.et al. 2014. Perspectives on children's experiences in families with parental substance misuse and child protection interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 38, pp. 66-74. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.01.008)
2013
- Holland, S.et al. 2013. Parenting and substance misuse: understanding accounts and realities in child protection contexts. British Journal of Social Work n/a (10.1093/bjsw/bcs197)
- Forrester, D. 2013. What works in helping people and why?. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 16(2), pp. 88. (10.1921/2903160205)
2012
- Forrester, D. 2012. Are the people who take part in randomised controlled trials real? A response to Stewart-Brown, et al.. Journal of Children's Services 7(2), pp. 144-147. (10.1108/17466661211238691)
2011
- Forrester, D. and Harwin, J. 2011. Parents who misuse drugs and alcohol: Effective interventions in social work and child protection. The NSPCC/Wiley Series in Protecting Children. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
- McDonald, L.et al. 2011. Mixed methods evaluation of a menu of research learning opportunities for mid-career social work academics with "protected time". Social Work and Social Sciences Review 15(3), pp. 7-25. (10.1921/095352212X658994)
- Galvani, S. and Forrester, D. 2011. How well prepared are newly qualified social workers for working with substance use issues? Findings from a national survey in England. Social Work Education 30(4), pp. 422-439. (10.1080/02615479.2010.504981)
2010
- Sullivan, M. P., Forrester, D. and Al-Makhamreh, S. 2010. Transnational collaboration: Evaluation of a social work training workshop in Jordan. International Social Work 53(2), pp. 217-232. (10.1177/0020872809355387)
2009
- Cocks, A. J.et al. 2009. Facilitating the development of social work in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: A collaboration between Jordan and the UK. International Social Work 52(6), pp. 799-810. (10.1177/0020872809342656)
- Forrester, D.et al. 2009. What is the impact of public care on children's welfare? A review of research findings from England and Wales and their policy implications. Journal of Social Policy 38(3), pp. 439-456. (10.1017/S0047279409003110)
2008
- Forrester, D.et al. 2008. Evaluation of an intensive family preservation service for families affected by parental substance misuse. Child Abuse Review 17(6), pp. 410-426. (10.1002/car.1048)
- Forrester, D. 2008. Child protection and re-referrals involving serious concerns: a follow-up study of 400 referrals closed by Social Services Departments. Child & Family Social Work 13(3), pp. 286-299. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2008.00548.x)
- Forrester, D. 2008. Is the care system failing children?. Political Quarterly 79(2), pp. 206-211. (10.1111/j.1467-923X.2008.00927.x)
- Forrester, D.et al. 2008. Child risk and parental resistance: Can motivational interviewing improve the practice of child and family social workers in working with parental alcohol misuse?. British Journal of Social Work 38(7), pp. 1302-1319. (10.1093/bjsw/bcl394)
- Forrester, D.et al. 2008. How do child and family social workers talk to parents about child welfare concerns?. Child Abuse Review 17(1), pp. 23-35. (10.1002/car.981)
2007
- Forrester, D. and Harwin, J. 2007. Parental substance misuse and child welfare: Outcomes for children two years after referral. British Journal of Social Work 38(8), pp. 1518-1535. (10.1093/bjsw/bcm051)
- McCambridge, J.et al. 2007. What is the extent and nature of quantitative research in British social work?. International Social Work 50(2), pp. 265-271. (10.1177/0020872807073992)
- Forrester, D. 2007. Patterns of re-referral to social services: a study of 400 closed cases. Child & Family Social Work 12(1), pp. 11-21. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00445.x)
- Forrester, D., Fairtlough, A. and Bennet, Y. 2007. Describing the needs of children presenting to children's services: issues of reliability and validity. Journal of Children's Services 2(2), pp. 48-59. (10.1108/17466660200700016)
2006
- Forrester, D. and Harwin, J. 2006. Parental substance misuse and child care social work: findings from the first stage of a study of 100 families. Child & Family Social Work 11(4), pp. 325-335. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00415.x)