معرفی
Prof Gillian Ruch is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Sussex's Department of Social Work and Social Care, within the School of Education and Social Work. Her research focuses on child care social work, relationship-based practice, and innovative methods to enhance practitioner wellbeing. She leads the Centre for Social Work Innovation and Research and collaborates internationally, including with Flinders University in Australia.
Education:
- PhD, University of Southampton (2004)
- MA Child Protection, Tavistock Centre/University of East London (1996)
- MSc Social Policy, London School of Economics (1985)
- MA (Cantab), University of Cambridge (1982)
Research Interests: Gillian specializes in social work communication with children, reflective supervision forums, and systemic innovation in safeguarding. Her work emphasizes psycho-social methodologies and policy impact, particularly through projects like the Talking and Listening to Children (TLC) initiative and the Kitbag resource for emotional literacy.
Grants & Collaborations:
- £1.9m ESRC-funded project on innovation in child safeguarding (2019–2023)
- Partner in international research networks (e.g., International Futures Forum)
- Co-author of Relationship-based Social Work: Getting to the Heart of Practice
Advising & Grants:
- Supervises PhD research on empathy in child protection and psycho-social supervision landscapes
- Total grants secured: Over £2.2m across 16 projects
- External Examiner roles at University of Essex and Strathclyde
Labs/Teams: Directs Sussex's social work innovation hub and co-convenes the European Social Work Research Conference Special Interest Group on Children & Families.
