Dr Sinead O'Malley

IASW Independent Social Workers

Name: Dr Sinead O'Malley

Email: swrapconsult@gmail.com

Telephone: 085 175 8745

Type of Work/Specialism: I am founder of a newly established independent social work practice and research consultancy service called SWRAP. SWRAP aims to bridge the gap between child and family social work activities and ongoing research and evaluation, promoting evidence-based practice on the ground. SWRAP has three components: Facilitator, Researcher, and Assessor. As a facilitator I provide supervision and deliver accredited training and lectures for social workers, health care and prison professionals on trauma informed practice, how to work emotionally with mothers facing adversity, and how to work positively and practically with children of offenders/prisoners. As Assessor I provide evidence-based court reports to child, adult, and family Courts. As Researcher, I undertake and support projects which aim to enhance people’s lives as a result of evidenced based research. All training, reports and research projects are of high quality, ensuring robust recommendations and learning. I apply extensive experience and competencies in conducting relevant research reviews and reports and have an ability to apply deep solid analysis

CORU Registration Number: SW023039

Region/Location: England and Ireland

Languages spoken: English and Spanish

Description of relevant experience/profile:

• I provide Assessment Reports to Child and Adult Courts, provision of Guardian Ad Litem & Needs-Assessment Reports to Family Courts. Specialists areas include Family Assessments, Special Guardianship Orders, Fostering Assessments, Viability Assessments, Assessment of Offenders/Prisoners for Family Court, Attachment Assessments, Parental Capacity Assessments.
• I provide independent consultation to agencies and student supervision, support and advocacy services for children, families, and individuals in relation to issues such as Family Conflict, Mental Health, Drug Addiction, Child Welfare, Attachment and Trauma.
• Practice experience is across areas of Child Protection, Child Welfare, Children in Long Term Foster Care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Homelessness, and with the Traveller community.

Qualifications: I trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in 2020. I received a PhD in Child and Youth Research from UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre in 2018. I qualified with a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2013 from National University of Ireland, Galway. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Politics, and Spanish (2012)

Professional registrations: CORU

Extra skills: My specialist research area is concerned with exploring the experience of motherhood and mothering for imprisoned mothers and in doing so, to give visibility to their children, child caregivers and supports. I began research and publishing in this area in 2012 and have several peer reviewed publications to date. I am a Lecturer for various Master’s in Social Work and Criminology programmes in Ireland. This role requires engagement and knowledge of service user/offender issues, overall practice & current research across all human services with children and adults, including TUSLA, Child and Family Agency, the Probation Service, Medical Social Work (HSE) and Disability. Through lecturing, I have refined and developed skills of teaching, presentations, writing and large and small group facilitation