Danielle Douglas

Dr. Danielle Douglas is a Lecturer in Social Care at the Department of Social Care and Early Childhood, School of Humanities, South East Technology University (SETU), a position she has held since 2008. She is actively involved in teaching, research, and national policy engagement, with a focus on vulnerable and care-experienced young people. She is also the general editor of the Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies (IJASS) and a member of Tusla's Research Advisory Group.

Education:

• PhD in Children and Youth Studies, University College Dublin (2021)
• MA by Research in Resilience, Outcomes and Foster Care, SETU (2012)
• BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, SETU (2008)

Her research centers on marginalized groups, particularly children and young people in alternative care, with interests in children's geographies, identity, selfhood, and stigma. She employs creative methodologies such as photomethodology and narrative inquiry to explore the lived experiences of care-experienced youth. Her work often emphasizes socio-spatial dynamics, figured worlds, and emotional ecologies within foster care settings.

The available publications highlight a strong thematic focus on foster care in Ireland, resilience, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and professional standards in social care. Her recent doctoral thesis explores the everyday spatial and identity experiences of children in foster care, while her book chapter contributes to national social care proficiency standards.

Notable professional roles include:

• President, International Foster Care Organisation (2017–2020)
• Founding member, Power4Youth (European peer support network)
• Research Advisory Group Member, Tusla - Child and Family Agency (since 2016)
• Editor, Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies (since 2022)

Dr. Douglas is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in education and practice. She completed a Digital Badge in Universal Design for Teaching and Learning in 2021 and emphasizes a student-centered, safe learning environment. She supervises thesis projects and placement students and is currently accepting PhD candidates. Her advisory work extends to training for foster carers, social workers, and care-experienced young people at national and international levels.

She is affiliated with the Analysing Social Change Research Group at SETU and has contributed to quality assurance frameworks for foster carer assessment in Ireland.