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Professor Stephanie Holt

Professor In (Social Studies)
ARTS BUILDING

 sholt@tcd.ie

 3531896 3908


Biography

With a robust background in social work practice across a variety of settings including residential child care, child protection and family support, Stephanie joined the School of Social Work & Social Policy in 2000 as a lecturer in social work. To date she has developed extensive experience of serving on school and college committees, including her current second term as Head of School, two terms as Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate)(2011-2015); Director the Master in Social Work from 2010-2014 and Director of the Online PG Diploma and MSc in Applied Social Studies (2014-2017). Stephanie spearheaded the University's first fully online postgraduate programme which commenced September 2014 and has been the driving force behind subsequent online developments in the School of Social Work & Social Policy with a second postgraduate programme, the MSc in Applied Social Studies commencing in 2015. Stephanie also has responsibility, as Course Director, for the Postgraduate Diploma in Child Protection & Welfare and is also leading the School's involvement in Micro-Credential Development as part of the Human Capital Initiative programme. Stephanie's teaching and research expertise is on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, with a particular emphasis on the impact of Domestic Violence on children and young people.

Research Tags

  Domestic violence, intimate partner homicide, child welfare

Research Projects

  Contact time for infants and young children in separated families
 Silence in the courtroom, silence in the street? An exploratory study of women's experiences of the Irish family law system in parental separation and divorce.
 Children and Young People's Experience of the Irish Child Protection System
 Dahlia-19 International Project
 Covid-19, Domestic Abuse and Social Work Practice

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Representations

Details Date
Invited Research Consultant to Department of Justice Research Advisory Committee June 2022
Invited Subject Expert Consultant to Tusla Child and Family Agency Committee on Domestic Violence Informed Child Protection and Welfare Practice May 2022
Invited External Board member of Child Vision National Services Committee as External Expert 2021-present
Chair, National Childhood Domestic Violence Project 2020-present
External Examiner of seven PhD Dissertations: University of Melbourne (2015); University of Ulster (2016); Queens University Belfast (2018; 2019); University of Central Lancashire (2019); University of Western Australia (2020); University of Toronto (2022). 2015-2022
Internal Examiner to five PhD Dissertations, TCD: Four in the School of Social Work & Social Policy (2011;2014; 2015; 2017); one in the School of Education (2018). 2011-2018
Invited member of Tusla (National Child Protection & Welfare Agency) Practice Development and Improvement Project (PDIP) as representative for all Irish Universities educating social workers. 2020-present
Invited Associate Editor, Journal of Family Violence (Impact Factor 2.186) 2020-present
Chair, Child Protection & Welfare Ireland, the first national network of child protection & welfare professionals in Ireland. 2019-present
Invited External Board member of Barnardos National Services Committee as External Expert 2017-2022
Ministerial appointment as Academic Expert to Scoping Group on Sexual Abuse and Violence Research 2017
Researcher, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC) 2017
Associate Researcher with the Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin 2005-2017
Member of European Conference on Domestic Violence Founding Group 2013
External Examiner to Bachelor in Social Work at Queens University Belfast 2013-2017
External Examiner to the Postgraduate Post Qualifying Social Work Programme at Cardiff University (Russell Group) 2013-2017
International Conference Presentations: I have presented more than 50 papers at international conferences since 2007 2007-present
Invited Editorial Board Member, Journal Child Abuse Review (Impact Factor, 2.086) 2015-present
Journal Reviewer for Child Abuse Review, Journal of Family Violence, Children and Youth Services Review, British Journal of Social Work, Child & Family Social Work, Child Abuse and Neglect. 2006-present

Languages

Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
French Basic Basic Basic
Irish Basic Basic Basic

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details Date From Date To
Chair of Child Protection & Welfare Ireland (CPWI) - the first national network of child protection & welfare professionals in Ireland. 2019 Present
Membership of the Irish Association of Social Workers 2019 present
Member of the International Domestic Homicide Researcher Network 2015 Present
Registered as a professional social worker with CORU, the Health and Social Care Regulator. 2011 Present
Member of ISPCAN (International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) 2007 2018
Chair of the Editioral Board of Eisteach - Irish Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. 2006 2008
Member of BASPCAN (British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) 2005 2018
Member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 2003 2007
Caffrey, L., Brady, E., Keegan, O., Dunne, S., Sheaf, G., Holt, S., & Gilligan, R., Children's Experiences of Signs of Safety: A Scoping Review, Children and Youth Services Review, 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Flynn, S., Lakkshme Sundaresan, S., Holt, S., Price, A. and ONeill, G., Disabled womens experiences of intimate partner abuse in Ireland: Research project report, Women's Aid, 2024, https://doi.org/10.25546/11021, Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Flynn, S., Lakkshme Sundaresan, S., Caffrey, L.,Spratt, T. and Holt, S., Towards Better Outcomes for Children and Families: Evaluation of the Implementation of an Outcomes Framework, 2024, p1 - 64, https://doi.org/10.25546/11021, Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
The Interface between Technology and Domestic Violence and Abuse: Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work Practice in, editor(s)Antonio Lopez Pelaez & Gloria Kirwan , The Routledge International Handbook of Digital Social Work, , London, Routledge, 2023, pp25 , [Holt, S., Cahill, L., Elliffe, R.], Notes: [In Press], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS
A European perspective on children and adolescents who experience domestic violence and abuse in, editor(s)J.Taylor, E. Bates & J. Callaghan , Children and adolescent's experiences of violence and abuse at home: current theory, research and practitioner insights, London, Taylor & Francis, 2023, [Holt, Stephanie, Overlien, Carolina], Notes: [IN_PRESS], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Child protection and welfare on the Island of Ireland: Irish issues, global relevance in, editor(s)Berrick, J.D., Gilbert, N. & Skivenes, M. , International Handbook of Child Protection Systems, USA, 2023, [Burns, K., Devaney, J., Holt, S. & Marshall, G.], Notes: [Published], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Stephanie Holt, Robbie Gilligan, Louise Caffrey & Eavan Brady, Through the Eyes of the Child: A Study of Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Intervention, 2023, Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Gregory S., Holt S., Barter C., Christofides N., Maremela O., Mwanda Motjuwadi N., Humphreys C., Elliffe R. & Stanley N. , Public Health Directives in a Pandemic: Paradoxical Messages for Domestic Abuse Victims in Four Countries, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, (21), 2022, p1 - 15, Notes: [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114148], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Holt, S., Elliffe, R., Gregory, S., & Curry P., Social Workers Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic, British Journal of Social Work, 2022, p19 , Notes: [Early Online publication https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac119], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Holt, S., Gregory, S., & Elliffe, R. , Opening up a national conversation on domestic abuse: Awareness raising campaigns in Ireland during Covid-19. A Case Study., March 2022, 2022, p1 - 23, Notes: [Of relevance to public health initiatives and unintendend consequences.], Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text
  

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Stephanie Holt, Robbie Gilligan, Louise Caffrey & Eavan Brady, Through the Eyes of the Child: A Study of Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Intervention - A Research Briefing, Children and Youth Services Review, 2023, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED
McCaughren, S., Holt, S., Parkes, A., Gregory, S., Contact Time for Infants and Young Children in Separated Families, November, 2022, p1 - 184, Notes: [This timely research was undertaken during a period when the Irish Family Law system is in the spotlight with a view to reform. This research attempted to gain a bird"s eye view of how, and in what ways, contact arrangements are established for infants and young children in the 0-6 years age category. It set out to capture the lived experiences of those who share parenting as well as those who work with these families and young children. ], Report, IN_PRESS
McCaughren, S., Holt, S., Parkes, A., Gregory, S., Research Report on Guidance on Contact Time for Infants and Young Children in Separated Families, Trinity College Dublin, December, 2022, p1 - 180, Report, PUBLISHED
Holt, S., Post-Separation Child Contact and DVA: In the best Interests of the Child? , Building a Family Law System for Children, Online, 02-06-21, 2021, Notes: [INVITED KEYNOTE], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Holt, Stephanie, Understanding the Experiences of Children who Live with Domestic Violence and Abuse, Barnardos Annual Conference - Understanding the impact of DVA on Children, Online, 03-06-2021, 2021, Notes: [INVITED KETNOTE], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Holt, Stephanie, Elliffe, Ruth, Social Workers Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse During the Covid-19 Pandemic, IV European Conference on Domestic Violence, Slovenia, 15-09-21, 2021, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
McCaughran, S., Holt, S. & Parkes, A., Silence in the Courtroom, Silence in the Streets, National Child Protection & Welfare Conference, Cork, Cork, 22-10-21, 2021, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Holt, Stephanie, Elliffe, Ruth, Social Workers Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse During the Covid-19 Pandemic, National Child Protection & Welfare Conference, Cork, Cork, 2021, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Holt, Stephanie, Children, DVA and Coercive Control, DCSCYPSC Tusla Conference, Online, 26-11-21, 2021, Notes: [INVITED KEYNOTE], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Holt, Stephanie, Celebrating 25 Years of WellSprings, Celebrating 25 Years of WellSprings, Online, 10-12-21, 2021, Notes: [INVITED KEYNOTE], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED

  

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Awards and Honours

Award Date
Health Research Board Research Fellowship 2006-2009
Fellow of Trinity College Dublin 25th April 2022