Dr David Wilkins
Reader
- wilkinsd3@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2251 0935
- Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
Overview
I am a Reader in Social Work, and a tutor and lecturer for the MA Social Work programme. My main research interests are supervision for child and family social work, and social work judgement and decision-making.
Biography
Education
- 2014 PhD “How do social workers use attachment theory in practice?” University of Kent, UK
- 2007 MA (with distinction) in Social Work, Middlesex University, London, UK
- 2003 BA (Hons) in New Media Production, Bournemouth University, UK
Professional memberships
Registered social worker (Social Care Wales)
Previous academic positions
2015 – 2018 Senior Research Fellow, University of Bedfordshire
2014 – 2015 Senior Lecturer in Social Work (Academic Tutor), University of Bedfordshire (Frontline programme)
2011 – 2011 Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Anglia Ruskin University (part-time)
Publications
2024
- Wilkins, D. 2024. Improving the accuracy of social work judgements: A proof-of-concept study of a training programme. Child & Family Social Work 29(4), pp. 948-959. (10.1111/cfs.13146)
- Wilkins, D., Thompson, S., Jones, R., Bezeczky, Z. and Bennett, V. 2024. Implementing Schwartz Rounds in children’s social care: enablers and barriers. Journal of Social Work (10.1177/14680173241278249)
- Phillips, A. R., Hiller, R. M., Halligan, S. L., Lavi, I., Macleod, J. A. A. and Wilkins, D. 2024. A qualitative investigation into care‐leavers' experiences of accessing mental health support. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 97(3), pp. 439-455. (10.1111/papt.12525)
- Wilkins, D. and Keddell, E. 2024. Risk perceptions and experience in child protection decision-making: a comparative study of student social workers in Wales and Aotearoa New Zealand. Children and Youth Services Review 163, article number: 107623. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107623)
- Wood, S. et al. 2024. Family group conference provision in UK local authorities and associations with children looked after rates. The British Journal of Social Work 54(5), pp. 2045-2066. (10.1093/bjsw/bcae019)
- Powell, S., Fitz-Symonds, S., Wilkins, D., Westlake, D., Long, F., Lilly, E. and Diaz, C. 2024. Understanding how and under what circumstances parental advocates support parents to participate in decision-making: a scoping review. Child Care in Practice (10.1080/13575279.2024.2354823)
- Scourfield, J. et al. 2024. Family group conferencing for children and families: Evaluation of implementation, context and effectiveness (Family VOICE). Study protocol. PLoS ONE 19(6), article number: e0300834. (10.1371/journal.pone.0300834)
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2024. Measuring the ratio of true-positive to false-positive judgements made by child and family social workers in England: A case vignette study. Child & Family Social Work 29(2), pp. 327-338. (10.1111/cfs.13086)
- Wilkins, D. 2024. Seven principles of effective supervision for child and family social work. Practice: Social Work in Action 36(3), pp. 213-229. (10.1080/09503153.2023.2261148)
- Tahsini, I. and Wilkins, D. 2024. The patchy landscape of supervision for child protection professionals in Albania. The Clinical Supervisor 43(1), pp. 22-41. (10.1080/07325223.2023.2282018)
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2024. Can social workers estimate the likelihood of future actions and events? A forecasting accuracy study. The British Journal of Social Work 54(3), pp. 1150-1169. (10.1093/bjsw/bcad234)
- Randell, E. et al. 2024. Watch Me Play!: protocol for a feasibility study of a remotely delivered intervention to promote mental health resilience for children (ages 0–8) across UK early years and children’s services. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 10(1), article number: 55. (10.1186/s40814-024-01491-7)
- Cowley, L. E., Bennett, C. V., Quinn-Scoggins, H. D., Nuttall, D., Wilkins, D. and Kemp, A. M. 2024. Factors influencing clinicians', health visitors' and social workers' professional judgements, decision‐making and multidisciplinary collaboration when safeguarding children with burn injuries: a qualitative study. Child Abuse Review 33(1), article number: e2862. (10.1002/car.2862)
2023
- Phillips, A. R., Halligan, S. L., Lavi, I., Macleod, J. A. A., Robinson, S., Wilkins, D. and Hiller, R. M. 2023. A scoping review of factors associated with the mental health of young people who have 'aged out' of the child welfare system. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse (10.1177/15248380231196107)
- Phillips, A. R., Halligan, S. L., Denne, M., Hamilton‐Giachritsis, C., MacLeod, J. A. A., Wilkins, D. and Hiller, R. M. 2023. Secondary data analysis of social care records to examine the provision of mental health support for young people in care. JCPP Advances 3(2), article number: e12161. (10.1002/jcv2.12161)
- Bennett, C. V., Hollen, L., Wilkins, D., Emond, A. and Kemp, A. 2023. The impact of a clinical prediction tool (BuRN-Tool) for child maltreatment on social care outcomes for children attending hospital with a burn or scald injury. Burns 49(4), pp. 941-950. (10.1016/j.burns.2022.07.014)
- Wilkins, D., Pitt, C. and Addis, S. 2023. What do child protection social workers talk about when they talk about helping children and families? An observational study of supervision. Practice 35(2), pp. 169-187. (10.1080/09503153.2022.2034777)
- Jones, R., Wilkins, D., Bezeczky, Z. and Thompson, S. 2023. How did levels of psychological distress and perceptions of workplace support among children’s social work staff change during the Covid-19 pandemic?. British Journal of Social Work 53(1), pp. 405-424. (10.1093/bjsw/bcac126)
2022
- Wood, S., Scourfield, J., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. L. 2022. How might changes to family income affect the likelihood of children being in out-of-home care? Evidence from a realist and qualitative rapid evidence assessment of interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 143, article number: 106685. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106685)
- Wood, S. et al. 2022. A UK-wide survey of family group conference provision. Project Report. Cardiff: CASCADE.
- Flinkfeldt, M., Iversen, C., Jørgensen, S., Monteiro, D. and Wilkins, D. 2022. Conversation analysis in social work research: a scoping review. Qualitative Social Work 21(6), pp. 1011-1042. (10.1177/14733250221124215)
- Webb, J., Wilkins, D. and Martin, R. 2022. (How) are decisions made in child and family social work supervisions?. Qualitative Social Work 21(6), pp. 1252-1273. (10.1177/14733250221124209)
- Symonds, J., Jorgensen, S., Webb, J., Mullins, E. and Wilkins, D. 2022. Eliciting third person perspectives in social work case discussions: A device for reflective supervision?. Qualitative Social Work 21(6), pp. 1274-1289. (10.1177/14733250221124206)
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2022. Can child protection social workers forecast future actions, events and outcomes? A case study of long-term work with five families.. Child Care in Practice (10.1080/13575279.2022.2118674)
- Forslund, T. et al. 2022. L'attaccamento va in tribunale: protezione e affidamento dei minori. Quaderni Di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access, 50, pp. 25-97. (10.3280/qpc50-2022oa14082)
- Bezeczky, Z. and Wilkins, D. 2022. Repeat missing child reports: Prevalence, timing, and risk factors. Children and Youth Services Review 136, article number: 106454. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106454)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2022. A regional study of supervision for child protection professionals.
- Forslund, T. et al. 2022. El Apego Va a Juicio: Problemas de Custodia y Protección Infantil1 [Attachment goes to court: Child protection and custody issues]. Anuario de Psicología Jurídica 32(1), pp. 115-139. (10.5093/apj2021a26)
- Forslund, T. et al. 2022. Attachment goes to court: child protection and custody issues. Attachment and Human Development 24(1), pp. 1-52. (10.1080/14616734.2020.1840762)
- Pitt, C., Addis, S. and Wilkins, D. 2022. What is supervision? The views of child and family social workers and supervisors in England. Practice 34(4), pp. 307-324. (10.1080/09503153.2021.1959543)
2021
- Meindl, M. and Wilkins, D. 2021. Can social workers forecast future actions, events, and outcomes? A study of referrals to children’s services in England. Child Care in Practice (10.1080/13575279.2021.2001434)
- Wilkins, D., Thompson, S., Bezeczky, Z., Daher, S., Bennett, V., Jones, R. and Clayton, V. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of Schwartz Rounds: An intervention to reduce psychological distress for staff in children's services. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research-report/a-randomised-controlled-trial-of-schwartz-rounds/
- Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2021. What do parents think about statutory child and family social work services in the UK?. British Journal of Social Work 51(6), pp. 2210-2227. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaa185)
- Wilkins, D., Thompson, S., Bezeczky, Z., Daher, S., Bennett, V., Jones, R. and Clayton, V. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of Schwartz Rounds: an intervention to reduce psychological distress for staff in Children's Services. Project Report. [Online]. What Work's for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research-report/a-randomised-controlled-trial-of-schwartz-rounds/
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of a ‘checklist’ intervention to mitigate confirmation bias and improve forecasting accuracy in social work. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research-report/a-randomised-controlled-trial-of-a-checklist-intervention-to-mitigate-confirmation-bias-and-improve-forecasting-accuracy-in-social-work/
- Forrester, D., Wilkins, D. and Whittaker, C. 2021. Motivational interviewing for working with children and families. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
- Wilkins, D. 2021. Supervision in child and family settings. In: O'Donoghue, K. and Engelbrecht, L. eds. The Routledge International Handbook of Social Work Supervision. Routledge International Handbooks Routledge, pp. 153-164.
- El-Banna, A. et al. 2021. Systematic review of economic evaluations of children's social care interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 121, article number: 105864. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105864)
2020
- Wilkins, D., Thompson, S. and Bezeczky, Z. 2020. Child and family social work during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review of the evidence in relation to social work practice, natural disasters and pandemics. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Natural-Disasters-Rapid-Review_Aug-2020.pdf
- Wilkins, D., Thompson, S. and Bezeczky, Z. 2020. Child and family social work during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review of the evidence in relation to remote leadership. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Rapid_Review_Remote_Leadership_June_2020.pdf
- Stabler, L., Wilkins, D. and Carro, H. 2020. What do children think about their social worker? A Q-method study of children's services. Child and Family Social Work 25(1), pp. 118-126. (10.1111/cfs.12665)
- Wilkins, D., Foster, C., Sanders, M. and Reid, L. 2020. Good judgement and social work decision-making: a randomised controlled trial of brief interventions to improve forecasting. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Good_judgement_and_social_worker_decision-making_report_Jan_2020.pdf
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2020. Outcomes-focused supervision: a pilot and feasibility study. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Outcomes-Focused-Supervision_full-report.pdf
- Wilkins, D. and Antonopoulou, V. 2020. Do performance indictors predict Ofsted ratings? An exploratory study of children’s services in England. Journal of Children's Services 15(2), pp. 45-59. (10.1108/JCS-07-2019-0035)
2019
- Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. Predicting the future in child and family social work: theoretical, ethical and methodological issues for a proposed research programme. Child Care in Practice 26(2), pp. 196-209. (10.1080/13575279.2019.1685463)
- Brand, S., Wood, S., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Scourfield, J., Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. How family budget change interventions affect children being in care: a rapid evidence assessment. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff, Wales: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: http://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Full_Report_Aug2019.pdf
- Beddoe, L. and Wilkins, D. 2019. Does the consensus about the value of supervision in social work stifle research and innovation?. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work 31(3), pp. 1-6. (10.11157/anzswj-vol31iss3id643)
- Wilkins, D., Shemmings, D. and Pascoe, C. 2019. Child Abuse 5e An evidence base for confident practice. Open University Press.
- Wilkins, D. and Antonopoulou, V. 2019. Ofsted and Children's Services: What performance indicators and other factors are associated with better inspection results?. British Journal of Social Work (10.1093/bjsw/bcy100)
- Wilkins, D. 2019. Social work supervision in child and family services: developing a working theory of how and why it works. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work 31(3), pp. 7-19. (10.11157/anzswj-vol31iss3id644)
- Wilkins, D. and Antonopoulou, V. 2019. What does supervision help with? A survey of 315 social workers in the UK. Practice 31(1), pp. 21-40. (10.1080/09503153.2018.1437398)
- Wilkins, D. and Antonopoulou, V. 2019. Ofsted and Children's Services: What performance indicators and other factors are associated with better inspection results? (Corrigendum). The British Journal of Social Work (10.1093/bjsw/bcy134)
2018
- Wilkins, D., Jones, R. and Westlake, D. 2018. 'The activity does not archive well': Comparing audio and written records of supervision case discussions in Children's Services. Journal of Children's Services 13(3/4), pp. 93-109. (10.1108/JCS-03-2018-0005)
- Wilkins, D., Khan, M., Stabler, L., Newlands, F. and Mcdonnell, J. 2018. Evaluating the quality of social work supervision in UK children's services: comparing self-report and independent observations. Clinical Social Work Journal 46(4), pp. 350-360. (10.1007/s10615-018-0680-7)
- Wilkins, D. and Jones, R. 2018. Simulating supervision: How do managers respond to a crisis?. European Journal of Social Work 21(3), pp. 454-466. (10.1080/13691457.2017.1366429)
- Wilkins, D., Lynch, A. and Antonopoulou, V. 2018. A golden thread? The relationship between supervision, practice, and family engagement in child and family social work. Child and Family Social Work 23(3), pp. 494-503. (10.1111/cfs.12442)
2017
- Wilkins, D. and Whittaker, C. 2017. Doing child-protection social work with parents: what are the barriers in practice?. British Journal of Social Work, article number: bcx139. (10.1093/bjsw/bcx139)
- Wilkins, D. 2017. How is supervision recorded in child and family social work? An analysis of 244 written records of formal supervision. Child & Family Social Work 22(3), pp. 1130-1140. (10.1111/cfs.12330)
- Wilkins, D. and Antonopoulou, V. 2017. How not to observe social workers in practice. Social Work Education 36(7), pp. 837-843. (10.1080/02615479.2017.1340446)
- Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Grant, L. 2017. What happens in child and family social work supervision?. Child and Family Social Work 22(2), pp. 942-951. (10.1111/cfs.12314)
- Wilkins, D. 2017. Using Q methodology to understand how child protection social workers use attachment theory. Child and Family Social Work 22(S4), pp. 70-80. (10.1111/cfs.12276)
- Wilkins, D. 2017. Does reflective supervision have a future in English local authority child and family social work?. Journal of Children's Services 12(2/3), pp. 164-173. (10.1108/JCS-06-2017-0024)
2015
- Wilkins, D., Shemmings, D. and Shemmings, Y. 2015. A-Z of Attachment. Professional Keywords. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Wilkins, D. 2015. The impact of 'being assessed' by a disabled children's team: a personal reflective account. Child and Family Social Work 20(1), pp. 10-18. (10.1111/cfs.12026)
- Wilkins, D. 2015. The use of theory and research knowledge in child protection social work practice: A study of disorganised attachment and child protection assessment. PhD Thesis, University of Kent.
2013
- Wilkins, D. 2013. Balancing risk and protective factors: how do social workers and social work managers analyse referrals that may indicate children are at risk of significant harm. British Journal of Social Work 45(1), pp. 395-411. (10.1093/bjsw/bct114)
- Wilkins, D. and Boahen, G. 2013. Critical analysis skills for social workers. Open University Press.
2012
- Wilkins, D. 2012. Ethical social work practice in direct work with carers and children. Ethics and Social Welfare 6(4), pp. 404-410. (10.1080/17496535.2012.735816)
- Corby, B., Shemmings, D. and Wilkins, D. 2012. Child abuse: an evidence base for confident practice. Open University Press.
- Wilkins, D. 2012. Ethical dilemmas in social work practice with disabled people. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities 16(2), pp. 127-133. (10.1177/1744629512444986)
- Wilkins, D. 2012. Ethical dilemmas in social work practice with disabled people: young adults with autism. Ethics and Social Welfare 6(1), pp. 97-105. (10.1080/17496535.2012.651892)
2010
- Wilkins, D. 2010. I'm not sure what i want (and I don't know how to get it): how do social care workers perceive the parental relationships of children with autistic spectrum conditions?. Journal of Social Work Practice 24(1), pp. 89-101. (10.1080/02650530903532799)
Teaching
I teach on the following programmes:
- MA Social Work
- MSc Social Science Research Methods
Research interests:
- Child and family social work
- Supervision
- Judgement and decision-making
Supervision
I am currently supervising several students studying for Professional Doctorates and / or PhDs.