Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Engagement
I am an Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Engagement in the School of Social Sciences (Faculty of Education and Society). I am also a Research Fellow in the multimorbidity, ageing and frailty theme of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for North East and Cumbria (NENC), based at the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute.
I am the co-head of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) which supports engagement with research and practice-based collaborations.
My research interests are related to engagement and participation, adult abuse and safeguarding, 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 studying on BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care, MSc Inequality and Society, and Social Work. I am currently the module leader for HSC105: 'Everyone's Accountable: Safeguarding to Promote, Prevent, and Protect'. I supervise MSc Inequality and Society students undertaking their dissertations on a range of topics.
PhD supervision:
Current supervision:
- Director of Studies: Self harm and resilience in young adult mental health patients.
- Co-supervisor: 'The existential crunch that is middle age': Exploring the experiential impact of lifecourse events on the pyschosocial wellbeing of women at midlife in the UK.
- Co-supervisor: How is adult safeguarding performed with service users who lack mental capacity due to dementia? A micro-ethnographic inquiry.
Recent supervision:
- 2016 - 2021: (Co-supervisor/ External advisor): How do social workers conceptualise social justice?
- 2016-2020: (Co-supervisor): Exploring the sensitivities of care home services to the older Nigerian minority in the UK.
- 2016-2019: (Co-supervisor): From Shame to Pride: The Politics of Disabled Traveller Identity.
Research interests for potential research students
I am interested in supporting students whose research interests are related to adult abuse and safeguarding, 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 the co-head of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) and an active member of the DISCRIM network. Within CASS, I am also on the editorial board for the CASS Working Papers, am the web development lead, and also run both a writing group and a reading group for CASS members.
I am a member of the European Social Work Research Association (ESWRA) and as part of this I am involved in a Special Interest Group focused on Gerontological Social Work. I am also on the International Advisory Board for the journal 'European Social Work Research'.
Examples of recent research projects:
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. Best practice guidance was developed from this research which included key strategies that can be adopted in the class room 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:
This Teaching Partnership (TP) funded project developed capacity for the involvement of experts by experience in social work education within the TP region. 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.
To find out about my current research projects please follow me on Twitter: @SarahLonbay.
Publications
Article
Cavener, John and Lonbay, Sarah (2022) Enhancing ‘Best Practice’ in Trauma-Informed Social Work Education: Insights from a Study Exploring Educator and Student Experiences. Social Work Education. pp. 1-22. ISSN 1470-1227
Lonbay, Sarah and Stambolieva, Marija (2022) Social Policy in Social Work Education and Practice - Innovative Approaches (editorial). Social Work and Society, 19 (2).
Lonbay, Sarah, Pearson, Amy, Hamilton, Emma, Higgins, Pat, Foulkes, Emma and Glascott, Michelle (2021) Trauma informed participatory research: Reflections on co-producing a research proposal. Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 14 (1). ISSN 1836-3393
Lonbay, Sarah, Russell, Claire and Smiles, Julie (2021) Involving co-educators in social work education in the context of Covid-19: Reflections on challenges and potential solutions. Relational Social Work Journal. ISSN 2532-3814
Lonbay, Sarah, Cavener, John, O'Driscoll, Steve and Chappell, Stewart (2020) Enhancing ‘Educator by Experience’ Led Social Work Training: Lessons learned from the development of a Teaching Partnership funded project. Social Work Education. ISSN 0261-5479
Pentaris, Panagiotis, Willis, Paul, Ray, Mo, Deusdad, Blanca, Lonbay, Sarah, Niemi, Mia and Donnelly, Sarah (2020) Older people in the context of COVID-19: A European Perspective. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. ISSN 0163-4372
Southall, C., Lonbay, Sarah and Brandon, T. (2019) Social workers’ negotiation of the liminal space between personalisation policy and practice. European Journal of Social Work, ahead. pp. 1-13. ISSN 1369-1457
Lonbay, Sarah (2018) ‘These Are Vulnerable People Who Don’t Have a Voice’: Exploring Constructions of Vulnerability and Ageing in the Context of Safeguarding Older People. The British Journal of Social Work, 48 (4). pp. 1033-1051. ISSN 0045-3102
Lonbay, Sarah and Brandon, Toby (2017) Renegotiating power in adult safeguarding: the role of advocacy. The Journal of Adult Protection, 19 (2). pp. 78-91. ISSN 1466-8203
Yoeli, Heather, Lonbay, Sarah, Morey, Sarah and Pizycki, Lara (2016) Safeguarding adults: from realism to ritual. The Journal of Adult Protection, 18 (6). pp. 329-340. ISSN 1466-8203
Book Section
Lonbay, Sarah, Hallam, Shirley, Higgins, Pat and Weatheritt, Sheila (2020) Don't judge a book by its cover: Lived experiences of the involvement of older people in social work education. In: The Routledge Handbook of Service User Involvement in Human Services Research and Education. Routledge. ISBN 9781138360143
Lonbay, Sarah (2018) Participatory Approaches to Social Policy in Relation to Ageing. In: Social Policy First Hand: An International Introduction to Participatory Social Welfare. Policy Press, pp. 211-222. ISBN 9781447332367
Conference or Workshop Item
Lonbay, Sarah and Cavener, John (2023) Enhancing best practice in trauma informed social work education: Insights from a study exploring educator and student perspectives. In: The Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference, 15-16th June, Glasgow. (Unpublished)
Lonbay, Sarah and Southall, C. (2022) Identifying and responding to domestic abuse in the older population: Key challenges and complexities. In: European Conference for Social Work Research (2023), 12-14 April, 2023, Milan, Italy.
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) Narrowing the gap between social work research and practice: How do social workers make use of research and what impact does this have on practice? In: European Conference for Social Work Research, 12-14 April, Milan, Italy.
Lonbay, Sarah, P and Southall, Carole (2022) Identifying and responding to domestic abuse in the older population. In: University of Sunderland Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference, Sunderland. (Unpublished)
Lonbay, Sarah and Cavener, John (2021) Enhancing best practice in trauma informed teaching in social work education: Insights from a study exploring the perspectives of social work educators and students. In: Faculty of Education and Society Staff Conference, 01 Jun 2021, Sunderland, UK.
Lonbay, Sarah and Stambolieva, Marija (2021) Social Policy Education in Social Work – Innovative Approaches. In: European Conference on Social Work Education, 15 Jun - 18 Jun 2021, Tallinn University, Estonia. (Unpublished)
Lonbay, Sarah (2020) These are vulnerable people who don't have a voice: Exploring constructions of vulnerability and ageing in the context of safeguarding older people. In: CASS Public Lecture, 25 Nov 2020, Sunderland, UK. (Submitted)
Lonbay, Sarah (2020) Enhancing Educator by Experience led Social Work Training. In: Faculty of Education and Society Staff Conference, 01 Jun 2020, Sunderland, UK.
Lonbay, Sarah and Brandon, Toby (2019) Co-production: A better route to impact? In: NESWA workshop, 2019, Durham Centre, County Durham. (Submitted)
James, Alexandra, Myers, Jan and Lonbay, Sarah (2017) Entrepreneurial Safeguarding in Public Services: Innovating with experience. In: Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2017: ‘Borders’, prosperity and entrepreneurial responses, November 8-9, 2017, Belfast.
Lonbay, Sarah (2016) Reflective Practice in the Arena of Adult Social Care: How do Social Workers Negotiate the Liminal Space Between Policy and Practice? In: 6th European Conference for Social Work Research. ECSWR 2016, 30 March - 1 April 2016, Lisbon.
Lonbay, Sarah (2015) Exploring the Involvement of Older People in Adult Safeguarding: What Helps and What Hinders? In: 44th Annual BSG Conference 2015, July 1-3, 2015, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Lonbay, Sarah (2015) Advocacy and Engagement in Adult Safeguarding. In: Making Safeguarding Personal In Kirklees, 9 Jan 2015, University of Huddersfield.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Bridges and Barriers: Exploring the Involvement of Older People in Adult Safeguarding. In: 1st Annual Conference of the Association for Psychosocial Studies: Psychosocial connections: Practice, policy and research, December 16-17, 2014, Preston.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Protecting the Human Rights of Older People: Does Adult Safeguarding Policy Help or Hinder? In: Aging and Society: Fourth Interdisciplinary Conference, November 7-8, 2014, Manchester.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Intervention versus Interference: To what extent should we safeguard? In: BSA MedSoc Conference, 15 Sep 2014, Aston University, Birmingham.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) 'These Are Vulnerable People Who Don’t Have a Voice': Exploring Constructions of Risk, Vulnerability and Involvement of Older People in Adult Safeguarding. In: Safeguarding the Vulnerable, May 1, 2014, Bucks New University.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Exploring the involvement of older people in adult safeguarding. In: Fourth European Conference fo Social Work Research, 9 Mar 2014, Bolzano, Italy.
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Paternalism and empowerment: The involvement of older people in adult safeguarding. In: British Sociological Association PGR Conference, 2014, Newcastle Upon Tyne. (Submitted)
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Bridges and Barriers: Exploring the Involvement of Older People in Adult Safeguarding. In: Fourth European Conference for Social Work Research, Apr 2014, Bolzano, Italy. (Submitted)
Lonbay, Sarah (2014) Factors which Help and Hinder Involvement of Older People in Adult Safeguarding. In: Northumbria University Research Conference, 2014, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne. (Submitted)
Video
Lonbay, Sarah (2019) Involving Service Users and Carers in Social Work Education. [Video]
Lonbay, Sarah (2019) Involving experts by experience: Key messages for social workers and social work students. [Video]
Lonbay, Sarah (2019) Involving people with lived experience: Key messages for social work educators. [Video]
Audio
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work. Series one, episode three: A conversation with Donna. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work. Series one, episode two: A conversation with Rick. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work. Series one, episode four: A conversation with Lesley. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking research and practice for social work. Series one, episode five: A conversation with Angie and Sheila. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking research and practice for social work. Series one, episode seven: A conversation between Sarah and Lesley. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley (2022) The Portal Podcast: Linking research and practice for social work. Series one, episode six: A conversation with Nicola and Demi. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work. Series one, episode 1: A conversation with Neil Evans. [Audio]
Lonbay, Sarah and Deacon, Lesley Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work. Series one. Episode 0. [Audio]
Other
Lonbay, Sarah (2018) Emerald Literati Award 2018. UNSPECIFIED.
Lonbay, Sarah (2018) Training materials to support the involvement of people with lived experience in social work education. North East Social Work Alliance.
James, Alexandra, Myers, Jan and Lonbay, Sarah (2017) Best paper: The Institute for Small Business and Enterprise (ISBE). UNSPECIFIED.
- 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
I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA and a member of the European Social Work Research Alliance (ESWRA) Special Interest Group on Gerontological Social Work.
My Orcid ID is: 0000-0002-5122-9505.
For updates on my research and publications follow me on Twitter: @SarahLonbay.
