If you have any dietary or accessibility requirements please do let us know by COB Friday 14th October. If you have any queries regarding the event, please contact our Event Administrator Lynsey Willis via email at this address: eventadmin@iasw.ie.

Speaker Biographies 

Presentation by Augusta McCabe: ' The Past' 

Augusta was a late starter to Social Work, having two careers before she returned to College in 1968 to do a degree in Social Science.  Following one years a traninee with the then Eastern Health Board (EHB), she did the CQSW in the University of Edinburgh. Returning to Ireland in 1973 , she joined the EHB Chiid Psychiatric service, moved on to Community Care as Senior Social Worker for Kildare (1979), and was appointed Social Work Adviser to the Department of Health (1982).  With the establishment of the Social Services Inspectorate (1999) - forerunner to HIQA - she was able to take early retirement.  Augusta continued to work, for some years, as a consultant on a number of projects with the statutary and voluntary agencies.   My active engagement with the Irish and International Social Work associations was invaluable to me both in my practice and my input to social policy.

Presentation by Vivian Geiran: 'The Present: Building On Our Past, Co-producing Our Future.'

Vivian has been an IASW Board member since 2020, was previously the Director of the Irish Probation Service and has many years’ experience of senior leadership and practice development in criminal justice social work, nationally and internationally. He is now an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at TCD. A longstanding member of IASW, he has contributed to the Association in various ways, including on the Irish Social Worker journal committee, and presenting at IASW conferences. Over the past year, he has filled the role of Chair of the Board and all that involves. Vivian is a registered social worker and has always championed the social work profession, particularly throughout his thirty-three years in Probation. This included introducing a requirement for new Probation Officers to be CORU-registered and leading on the Probation Service role as a key organisational sponsor of the World Social Work Conference 2018. 

Presentation by Sinead McGarry: 'From Witnesses to Influencers; the IASW speaking up and out.'

Sinead has experience in medical social work and safeguarding practice. Experienced in practice teaching, social work management, lecturing, policy and media writing, Sinéad has represented social work on various advisory/expert groups and is an IASW Board member. Sinéad believes the distinct voice of the social work profession, with our expertise in social justice and human rights is critical and transformative in Ireland. Sinéad views the IASW as a vital microphone for the profession, supporting social workers to deliver key messages from the frontline to political leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders to shape a fairer society for all.