Diana Wider

Diana Wider is a Lecturer and Project Manager at the Lucerne School of Social Work (HSLU), affiliated with the Institute for Social Work and Law. She holds a Master in Law from the University of Freiburg (1998) and a Bachelor in Social Work from HSLU (2011). Her professional roles include leading the Competence Center for Child and Adult Protection and serving as Secretary-General of the KOKES Conference (since 2006).

Her research focuses on child and adult protection, legal-social aspects of guardianship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and quality standards in social services. She has authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals like Zeitschrift für Kindes- und Erwachsenenschutz, addressing topics such as participatory practices in placement care, standards for guardianship agencies, and systemic interventions in family conflicts.

• Leads academic programs including the MAS in Social Work and Law, and CAS in Child Protection
• Active in professional networks: member of AvenirSocial Ethics Commission, Child Protection Switzerland, and editorial board for ZKE
• Key projects include evaluating guardianship agencies and developing quality standards for out-of-home placements

Her work emphasizes interprofessional teamwork, ethical guardianship practices, and systemic solutions to family disputes. She regularly presents at national conferences and contributes to policy development in social welfare systems.