معرفی
Philip Heslop is a Lecturer in the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University. His academic work centers on social work practice with specific focus areas including autism, foster care, kinship care, and engagement with male carers and fathers.
Dr. Heslop's research interests span multiple critical areas within social work practice, with particular emphasis on social work with autistic people, foster care systems, kinship care arrangements, and engagement with fathers and male carers. His work demonstrates a commitment to improving social work practice through evidence-based approaches and community involvement.
His recent publications (2022-2025) show a strong focus on autism-related social work, with multiple studies examining safety planning for autistic adults, social workers' perceptions of autism training, and the development of practice guides. The research trends indicate a growing emphasis on adapting mainstream social work practices to better serve autistic populations, particularly in mental health contexts.
Dr. Heslop serves as Principal Investigator for the research project "Supporting autistic people as they age: equipping social workers to work with autistic people" (funded by Instituto Nacional de Investigaço em Saúde, Angola, 2023-2025, £14,919.00). His professional activities include significant involvement with the British Association of Social Work (BASW), where he chairs the Special Interest Group on social work with autistic people and people with learning disabilities, contributes to CPD pathway development, and participates in the Homes not Hospitals initiative.
His academic background includes a PhD in Childcare (2015), an MA in Education (2007), and a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Social Policy (1985). He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2015) and a registered Social Worker with the Health & Care Professional Council (2014).
