Nina Maxwell
Biographic Data
| ID | 6024417 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nina Maxwell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nina |
| FAMILY NAME | Maxwell |
| SIGNATURE | MAXWELL N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Cardiff University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3931-7729 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 36 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Numbers and demographic characteristics of UK social work students over time
Although the numbers and demographic characteristics of social work students are published annually by workforce regulators in each of the four UK nations, these have not before been brought together to form a UK-wide picture, over time, and allow some comparison between the four nations. This article does that, using individual-level data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, from 2007/8 to 2021–2. The analysis found the well-known pictur…
I am not going to lie; some people do not even want to talk
Co‐production values lived experience as it promotes individuals as assets and offers insight where little is known about a problem. This paper critically considers the pragmatic approach to co‐design adopted in Wales with young people and parents affected by child criminal exploitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It suggests that combining co‐design with data collection facilitated the recruitment, sensitisation and facilitation of vulnerable …
Shove that. There’s always hope’
Criminally exploited young people are often found with tangible evidence of criminality, challenging traditional notions of the victim offender dichotomy. This paper presents criminally exploited young people’s narratives regarding their lived experiences in Wales. It offers a nuanced perspective of victimhood by drawing on their personal accounts of how they were offered a false sense of hope by individuals who manipulated their unmet needs and …
Retention in statutory social work from fast-track child and family programs
Two fast-track child and family social work training programs have been established in England — Step Up to Social Work and Frontline. Trainees’ financial support is far higher than for mainstream social work degrees. One of the reasons claimed for setting up these programs is addressing retention, although critics (of Frontline) predicted graduates would not stay in social work. A 4-year study assessed retention and reasons for leaving social wo…
Fostering wellbeing
This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme, a set of five themed masterclasses delivered in two local authorities to a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the team around the foster child. The programme also included the development of the role of the foster carer Pioneer. The evaluation found benefits of the multi-disciplinary training, but attendance and commitment from some professionals were limited. T…
Using programme theory to identify the key elements of the Frontline programme
Using a programme theory approach, this paper aims to identify the key elements of the Frontline fast-track training scheme for social workers in children’s services in England. Programme logic is developed and refined based on findings from the pilot stage of the Frontline model regarding what was described as working well and what proved challenging. Fidings revealed an association between the recruitment of high calibre entrants and the traini…
Professional responses to ‘parental alienation’
Parental alienation was historically a term rejected by courts in England and Wales, but lawyers and social workers have noted an increase in the incidence of its use, possibly driven by campaign groups and media narratives. The two statutory services that provide independent social work advice to courts in England and Wales, respectively, on children’s best interests in parenting disputes, have taken different approaches to developing practice g…
When young people in and leaving state care become parents
Video Interaction Guidance
In response to the shift away from direct work in social work, there has been resurgence in relationship-based participatory approaches. Such approaches are dependent upon practitioner expertise in developing and sustaining relationships with families. This article presents findings from an evaluation of the Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) Service embedded within Children’s Services in a unitary authority in England. The Service provides therape…
The Pre-Training Characteristics of Frontline Participants and Mainstream Social Work Students
Frontline is a fast-track training scheme for social workers in children’s services in England, which aims to attract ‘outstanding’ graduates who may not previously have considered a career in social work. This implies that students recruited onto the Frontline programme will be of a higher academic quality than those on mainstream social work courses. This article presents findings from an independent evaluation of the Frontline pilot stage whic…
Evaluation of a Fast-Track Postgraduate Social Work Program in England Using Simulated Practice
Objective: Using data from our evaluation of the Frontline fast-track social work training program, introduced by the Government in England, we compare the performance of the first cohort of Frontline trainees with students from regular social work programs using simulated practice. Method: Forty-nine Frontline trainees were compared with 36 postgraduate students in high-tariff universities and 30 students from a range of other regular programs. …
Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales
Improving outcomes for looked after children and young people has been a longstanding concern in Wales. This article reports the findings of a scoping study which sought to identify interventions aimed at improving outcomes for looked after children that are effective or promising. The study was commissioned by an independent funding body to inform a £5 million investment programme for Wales. It comprised a rapid review of literature, informed th…
System-level change in mental health services in North Wales
PURPOSE: To describe changes to mental health services using systems thinking. METHOD: Structured standardized quality of life assessment (Manchester Short Quality of Life Assessment: MANSA) was used to establish service user priorities for changes to service provision (part of a process known as check in systems thinking). Current service performance in these priority areas was identified, and changes to service arrangements were planned, implem…
Engaging fathers in child welfare services
It is widely recognized as problematic that there are generally low levels of engagement with child welfare services from biological and social fathers. The result can be limited resources for children's care and potentially poor risk assessment and management. This paper reviews the published research from 2000 to 2010 about the barriers to and facilitators of better father engagement, as well as the very limited evidence on the effectiveness of…
Results of a training course for social workers on engaging fathers in child protection
UK Panel Data on Social Work Service Users
Panel studies are an under-used resource in social work research. A mapping exercise was undertaken to establish the current coverage of social work and social care-related topics in UK panel studies. A search was conducted of the Survey Question Bank and the World Wide Web, which resulted in ten panel studies being retained for initial exploration. The aim of this initial exploration was simply to establish the number and proportion of social wo…
Social Work Doctoral Students in the UK
Despite traditionally having low numbers of doctoral students, social work research is currently undergoing expansion at doctoral level. Professional doctorates are starting up, which are highly applied to practice and include modules as well as a thesis, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has now recognized social work as a separate discipline for doctoral training. The aims of this research project were to identify who these so…
Social Work Doctoral Students in the UK
Despite traditionally having low numbers of doctoral students, social work research is currently undergoing expansion at doctoral level. Professional doctorates are starting up, which are highly applied to practice and include modules as well as a thesis, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has now recognized social work as a separate discipline for doctoral training. The aims of this research project were to identify who these so…
When young people in and leaving state care become parents
Results of a training course for social workers on engaging fathers in child protection
Professional responses to ‘parental alienation’
Parental alienation was historically a term rejected by courts in England and Wales, but lawyers and social workers have noted an increase in the incidence of its use, possibly driven by campaign groups and media narratives. The two statutory services that provide independent social work advice to courts in England and Wales, respectively, on children’s best interests in parenting disputes, have taken different approaches to developing practice g…
Evaluation of a Fast-Track Postgraduate Social Work Program in England Using Simulated Practice
Objective: Using data from our evaluation of the Frontline fast-track social work training program, introduced by the Government in England, we compare the performance of the first cohort of Frontline trainees with students from regular social work programs using simulated practice. Method: Forty-nine Frontline trainees were compared with 36 postgraduate students in high-tariff universities and 30 students from a range of other regular programs. …
UK Panel Data on Social Work Service Users
Panel studies are an under-used resource in social work research. A mapping exercise was undertaken to establish the current coverage of social work and social care-related topics in UK panel studies. A search was conducted of the Survey Question Bank and the World Wide Web, which resulted in ten panel studies being retained for initial exploration. The aim of this initial exploration was simply to establish the number and proportion of social wo…
Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales
Improving outcomes for looked after children and young people has been a longstanding concern in Wales. This article reports the findings of a scoping study which sought to identify interventions aimed at improving outcomes for looked after children that are effective or promising. The study was commissioned by an independent funding body to inform a £5 million investment programme for Wales. It comprised a rapid review of literature, informed th…
Fostering wellbeing
This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme, a set of five themed masterclasses delivered in two local authorities to a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the team around the foster child. The programme also included the development of the role of the foster carer Pioneer. The evaluation found benefits of the multi-disciplinary training, but attendance and commitment from some professionals were limited. T…
The Pre-Training Characteristics of Frontline Participants and Mainstream Social Work Students
Frontline is a fast-track training scheme for social workers in children’s services in England, which aims to attract ‘outstanding’ graduates who may not previously have considered a career in social work. This implies that students recruited onto the Frontline programme will be of a higher academic quality than those on mainstream social work courses. This article presents findings from an independent evaluation of the Frontline pilot stage whic…
Social Work Doctoral Students in the UK
Despite traditionally having low numbers of doctoral students, social work research is currently undergoing expansion at doctoral level. Professional doctorates are starting up, which are highly applied to practice and include modules as well as a thesis, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has now recognized social work as a separate discipline for doctoral training. The aims of this research project were to identify who these so…
Engaging fathers in child welfare services
It is widely recognized as problematic that there are generally low levels of engagement with child welfare services from biological and social fathers. The result can be limited resources for children's care and potentially poor risk assessment and management. This paper reviews the published research from 2000 to 2010 about the barriers to and facilitators of better father engagement, as well as the very limited evidence on the effectiveness of…
Results of a training course for social workers on engaging fathers in child protection
UK Panel Data on Social Work Service Users
Panel studies are an under-used resource in social work research. A mapping exercise was undertaken to establish the current coverage of social work and social care-related topics in UK panel studies. A search was conducted of the Survey Question Bank and the World Wide Web, which resulted in ten panel studies being retained for initial exploration. The aim of this initial exploration was simply to establish the number and proportion of social wo…
System-level change in mental health services in North Wales
PURPOSE: To describe changes to mental health services using systems thinking. METHOD: Structured standardized quality of life assessment (Manchester Short Quality of Life Assessment: MANSA) was used to establish service user priorities for changes to service provision (part of a process known as check in systems thinking). Current service performance in these priority areas was identified, and changes to service arrangements were planned, implem…
Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales
Improving outcomes for looked after children and young people has been a longstanding concern in Wales. This article reports the findings of a scoping study which sought to identify interventions aimed at improving outcomes for looked after children that are effective or promising. The study was commissioned by an independent funding body to inform a £5 million investment programme for Wales. It comprised a rapid review of literature, informed th…
Evaluation of a Fast-Track Postgraduate Social Work Program in England Using Simulated Practice
Objective: Using data from our evaluation of the Frontline fast-track social work training program, introduced by the Government in England, we compare the performance of the first cohort of Frontline trainees with students from regular social work programs using simulated practice. Method: Forty-nine Frontline trainees were compared with 36 postgraduate students in high-tariff universities and 30 students from a range of other regular programs. …
The Pre-Training Characteristics of Frontline Participants and Mainstream Social Work Students
Frontline is a fast-track training scheme for social workers in children’s services in England, which aims to attract ‘outstanding’ graduates who may not previously have considered a career in social work. This implies that students recruited onto the Frontline programme will be of a higher academic quality than those on mainstream social work courses. This article presents findings from an independent evaluation of the Frontline pilot stage whic…
When young people in and leaving state care become parents
Video Interaction Guidance
In response to the shift away from direct work in social work, there has been resurgence in relationship-based participatory approaches. Such approaches are dependent upon practitioner expertise in developing and sustaining relationships with families. This article presents findings from an evaluation of the Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) Service embedded within Children’s Services in a unitary authority in England. The Service provides therape…
Professional responses to ‘parental alienation’
Parental alienation was historically a term rejected by courts in England and Wales, but lawyers and social workers have noted an increase in the incidence of its use, possibly driven by campaign groups and media narratives. The two statutory services that provide independent social work advice to courts in England and Wales, respectively, on children’s best interests in parenting disputes, have taken different approaches to developing practice g…
Using programme theory to identify the key elements of the Frontline programme
Using a programme theory approach, this paper aims to identify the key elements of the Frontline fast-track training scheme for social workers in children’s services in England. Programme logic is developed and refined based on findings from the pilot stage of the Frontline model regarding what was described as working well and what proved challenging. Fidings revealed an association between the recruitment of high calibre entrants and the traini…
Retention in statutory social work from fast-track child and family programs
Two fast-track child and family social work training programs have been established in England — Step Up to Social Work and Frontline. Trainees’ financial support is far higher than for mainstream social work degrees. One of the reasons claimed for setting up these programs is addressing retention, although critics (of Frontline) predicted graduates would not stay in social work. A 4-year study assessed retention and reasons for leaving social wo…
Fostering wellbeing
This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme, a set of five themed masterclasses delivered in two local authorities to a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the team around the foster child. The programme also included the development of the role of the foster carer Pioneer. The evaluation found benefits of the multi-disciplinary training, but attendance and commitment from some professionals were limited. T…
I am not going to lie; some people do not even want to talk
Co‐production values lived experience as it promotes individuals as assets and offers insight where little is known about a problem. This paper critically considers the pragmatic approach to co‐design adopted in Wales with young people and parents affected by child criminal exploitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It suggests that combining co‐design with data collection facilitated the recruitment, sensitisation and facilitation of vulnerable …
Shove that. There’s always hope’
Criminally exploited young people are often found with tangible evidence of criminality, challenging traditional notions of the victim offender dichotomy. This paper presents criminally exploited young people’s narratives regarding their lived experiences in Wales. It offers a nuanced perspective of victimhood by drawing on their personal accounts of how they were offered a false sense of hope by individuals who manipulated their unmet needs and …
Numbers and demographic characteristics of UK social work students over time
Although the numbers and demographic characteristics of social work students are published annually by workforce regulators in each of the four UK nations, these have not before been brought together to form a UK-wide picture, over time, and allow some comparison between the four nations. This article does that, using individual-level data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, from 2007/8 to 2021–2. The analysis found the well-known pictur…
Psychology (14 works) · Medicine (13 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Political science (11 works) · Social Work (9 works) · Social Work Education and Practice (9 works) · Medical education (8 works) · Nursing (8 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Engineering (5 works)