About Professor Sarah Lonbay
I am a Professor in the School of Social Sciences and Law and the Director of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS). CASS is a research centre which supports applied and practice-based research in a range of diverse areas.
My research interests are related to engagement and participation, adult abuse and safeguarding, trauma, older people and ageing, mental health, adult social care, empowerment, and vulnerability. I have published in these areas and also regularly peer-review for a number of academic journals that publish on these topics. I also teach and supervise students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Teaching and supervision
I teach students across a range of subject areas and I teach qualified social workers undertaking further education and CPD courses. I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA.
Doctoral supervision:
Current doctoral supervision:
- Hilbert Abie (PhD) (Director of Studies): Self-harm and resilience in adult mental health patients.
- Liz Cunningham (DProf) (co-supervisor): Researcher identity in relation to participatory and collaborative research practice.
- Lisa Dickinson (PhD) (co-supervisor): Studying at university with Adverse Childhood Experiences: Reflecting on undergraduate and graduate perspectives.
- Kristy Regan (DProf) (co-supervisor): Practice Educators' perceptions of professionalism in social work students.
Examples of previous doctoral supervision:
- Cat Meredith: How is adult safeguarding performed with service users who lack mental capacity due to dementia? A micro-ethnographic inquiry.
- Jack Nicholls: How do social workers conceptualise social justice?
- Ifeoma Amuji: Exploring the sensitivities of care home services to the older Nigerian minority in the UK.
- Rosaleen McDonagh: From Shame to Pride: The Politics of Disabled Traveller Identity.
Interests
I am interested in supporting students whose research interests are related to adult abuse and safeguarding, ageing and the life-course, empowerment and vulnerability, mental health, engagement/participation/partnership working, co-production, and advocacy. I also specialise in participatory research and other creative and critical research methodologies.
Research
I have a strong interest and expertise in participation, engagement, and co-production and work closely with a range of individuals and organisations to develop and undertake my research. I am particularly interested in adult social care, including safeguarding, trauma, mental health and ageing.
I am the Director of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences and the REF Unit of Assessment Lead. I am the developer and co-host of The Portal Podcast, which aims to connect social work practitioners with research. The Portal Podcast explores the work of a different researcher in each episode and aims to support people to access, understand, and make use of research in their practice.
I am the co-convenor of the European Social Work Research Association's special interest group, the European Network for Gerontological Social Work. I am also on the International Advisory Board for the journal 'European Social Work Research'. I work with the NIHR regional Research Delivery Network North East and North Cumbria as the co-speciality lead for social care and am a member of the NIHR Research Programme for Social Care funding committee. I am also a Research Fellow in the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for North East and North Cumbria (NENC), based at the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute.
Examples of research projects:
A Vision of Safety: An Arts-Based Project to Explore the Concept of Safety
This Arts-Based Research (ABR) was co-produced with people who have experienced mental health problems and abuse. Two groups worked together to co-create artwork that represented what safety meant to them. The two pieces, titled 'Peace in a Bubble' and 'Creating Sanctuary', explored several themes representing what safety means to the creators. The creators showcased their work alongside a survey they developed to capture viewers' reactions to the artwork and perspectives on safety.
Trauma-Informed Teaching
This study (undertaken in collaboration with Dr John Cavener from Northumbria University) aimed to develop insight into how social work and police educators adopt trauma-informed principles into their practice to mitigate the risk of vicarious or secondary trauma in the classroom. A framework for trauma-informed teaching was developed from this research, which included key strategies that can be adopted in the classroom to help educators respond ethically and expertly to students learning about sensitive and difficult topics.
Domestic Abuse in the Older Population
This project (undertaken in collaboration with Dr Carole Southall from Northumbria University) aimed to develop knowledge and understanding of how key agencies identify and respond to domestic abuse in the older population. This study identified a need to develop responses that reflect the unique needs of older people and to develop better understanding of the experiences of older people who have been subjected to domestic abuse.
Developing the Involvement of Educators by Experience in Social Work Education
This project examined the views of people with lived experience about their involvement in social work education. The project focused on understanding motivations for becoming involved in social work education, as well as examining perspectives about their involvement and how they think this area of work should develop. Motivation for involvement is grounded in a desire to improve things for others and the benefits of such involvement are wide-ranging, including validation of personal experiences and increased confidence.
Enhancing Experts by Experience-Led Education in Social Work
The North East Social Work Alliance (NESWA) Teaching Partnership developed the capacity for the involvement of experts with experience in social work education. As part of the project, a regional committee was established to foster collaborative working across the higher education institutes and Local Authorities involved in the teaching partnership. Key outputs from the project included a package of training materials designed to support and enhance the involvement of Experts by Experience in social work education.
To learn more about these projects please contact me or view my publications.
Areas of expertise
- Adult social care/ social work
- Participation and co-production
- Adult/elder abuse and safeguarding
- Trauma-informed research and teaching
- Advocacy
- Mental health
- Ageing and older people
- Lived experience and social work education
- Qualitative research and creative methods, including Arts-Based Research