![David Wilkins](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/3238?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Professor David Wilkins
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for David Wilkins
Professor
Overview
I am a Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Sciences, where I lead the MA Social Work programme. My practice background is in child and family social work, mostly in the areas of disability and child protection.
My research interests lie primarily in the fields of supervision for child and family social work and how to measure and improve the quality of social work judgements. I have published extensively on these themes, including peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, and practice guides.
Current positions:
- Advisory Group member, Centre for Child, Youth and Family Welfare (Queen's University Belfast)
- Assistant Director, Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE)
- Board member, Health and Care Research Wales Integrated Funding Scheme
- Editorial Board Member, The Clinical Supervisor, Child and Family Social Work
- External Examiner, Advanced Child Protection MA (University of Kent), Policy Research MSc, Social Work Research MSc, Disability Studies MSc (Bristol University)
- Founder member and member of the organising committee, Conversation Analysis and Social Work Special Interest Group (European Social Work Research Association)
- Programme Director, MA Social Work
Publication
2026
- Webb, C. M. and Wilkins, D. 2026. Echoes and ripples: a qualitative analysis of the relationship between social work supervision and home visits. Children and Youth Services Review 180 108681. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108681)
2025
- Meindl, M. and Wilkins, D. 2025. Can social workers forecast future actions, events, and outcomes? A study of referrals to children’s services in England. Child Care in Practice 31 (2), pp.321-335. (10.1080/13575279.2021.2001434)
- Nordmo, L. C. L. , Wilkins, D. and Nordmo, M. 2025. Unwanted variability in child welfare decision-making: an empirical investigation. Journal of Social Work Practice (10.1080/02650533.2025.2589778)
- Schroeder, E. et al., 2025. Family VOICE: family group conferencing for children and families: implementation, context and cost-effectiveness [Abstract]. Presented at: 2nd North American Conference on Integrated Care Calgary, Canada 15-17 October 2024. Vol. 25.Vol. 178. (10.5334/ijic.NACIC24178)
- Wilkins, D. and Bennett, V. 2025. Making accurate judgements in child welfare: comparing ChatGPT with qualified social workers. Child & Family Social Work (10.1111/cfs.13304)
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2025. 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 31 (2), pp.301-320. (10.1080/13575279.2022.2118674)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2025. Implementing Schwartz Rounds in children’s social care: enablers and barriers. Journal of Social Work 25 (1), pp.61-82. (10.1177/14680173241278249)
2024
- Cowley, L. E. et al. 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) e2862. (10.1002/car.2862)
- Phillips, A. R. et al., 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)
- Powell, S. et al. 2024. Understanding how and under what circumstances parental advocates support parents to participate in decision-making: a scoping review. Child Care in Practice 30 (4), pp.517-536. (10.1080/13575279.2024.2354823)
- 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) 55. (10.1186/s40814-024-01491-7)
- Randell, E. et al. 2024. Watch Me Play! A pilot feasibility study of a remotely- delivered intervention to promote mental health resilience for children (aged 0-8) across UK early years and children's services.. Project Report.Foundations.
- 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) e0300834. (10.1371/journal.pone.0300834)
- 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. 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. 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)
- 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 107623. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107623)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
2023
- Bennett, C. V. et al. 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)
- Jones, R. et al. 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)
- Phillips, A. R. et al., 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) e12161. (10.1002/jcv2.12161)
- Phillips, A. R. et al., 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)
- 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)
2022
- Bezeczky, Z. and Wilkins, D. 2022. Repeat missing child reports: Prevalence, timing, and risk factors. Children and Youth Services Review 136 106454. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106454)
- Flinkfeldt, M. et al., 2022. Conversation analysis in social work research: a scoping review. Qualitative Social Work 21 (6), pp.1011-1042. (10.1177/14733250221124215)
- 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. L'attaccamento va in tribunale: protezione e affidamento dei minori. Quaderni Di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access, 50 , pp.25-97. (10.3280/qpc50-2022oa14082)
- 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)
- Jones, R. K. et al., 2022. How did levels of psychological distress and perceptions of workplace support amongst children’s social work staff change during the Covid-19 pandemic?. The British Journal of Social Work 53 (1), pp.405–424. (10.1093/bjsw/bcac126)
- 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)
- Symonds, J. et al., 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)
- 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)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2022. A regional study of supervision for child protection professionals.
- Wood, S. et al. 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 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.
2021
- El-Banna, A. et al., 2021. Systematic review of economic evaluations of children's social care interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 121 105864. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105864)
- 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.
- 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. and Meindl, M. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of a ‘checklist’ intervention to mitigate confirmation bias and improve forecasting accuracy in social work.
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of Schwartz Rounds: An intervention to reduce psychological distress for staff in children's services.
2020
- 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. 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)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 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. , 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.
- 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. 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.
2019
- 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)
- Brand, S. et al. 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.
- 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. 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. 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)
- 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 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)
- Wilkins, D. , Shemmings, D. and Pascoe, C. 2019. Child Abuse 5e An evidence base for confident practice. Open University Press.
2018
- 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. , 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. , 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. et al. 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. , 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. 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)
- 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. 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. 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. and Whittaker, C. 2017. Doing child-protection social work with parents: what are the barriers in practice?. British Journal of Social Work bcx139. (10.1093/bjsw/bcx139)
2015
- 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.
- Wilkins, D. , Shemmings, D. and Shemmings, Y. 2015. A-Z of Attachment. Professional Keywords Bloomsbury Publishing.
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
- 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)
- 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)
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)
Articles
- 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)
- Bennett, C. V. et al. 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)
- Bezeczky, Z. and Wilkins, D. 2022. Repeat missing child reports: Prevalence, timing, and risk factors. Children and Youth Services Review 136 106454. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106454)
- Cowley, L. E. et al. 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) e2862. (10.1002/car.2862)
- El-Banna, A. et al., 2021. Systematic review of economic evaluations of children's social care interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 121 105864. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105864)
- Flinkfeldt, M. et al., 2022. Conversation analysis in social work research: a scoping review. Qualitative Social Work 21 (6), pp.1011-1042. (10.1177/14733250221124215)
- 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. L'attaccamento va in tribunale: protezione e affidamento dei minori. Quaderni Di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access, 50 , pp.25-97. (10.3280/qpc50-2022oa14082)
- 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)
- Jones, R. et al. 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)
- Jones, R. K. et al., 2022. How did levels of psychological distress and perceptions of workplace support amongst children’s social work staff change during the Covid-19 pandemic?. The British Journal of Social Work 53 (1), pp.405–424. (10.1093/bjsw/bcac126)
- Meindl, M. and Wilkins, D. 2025. Can social workers forecast future actions, events, and outcomes? A study of referrals to children’s services in England. Child Care in Practice 31 (2), pp.321-335. (10.1080/13575279.2021.2001434)
- Nordmo, L. C. L. , Wilkins, D. and Nordmo, M. 2025. Unwanted variability in child welfare decision-making: an empirical investigation. Journal of Social Work Practice (10.1080/02650533.2025.2589778)
- Phillips, A. R. et al., 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) e12161. (10.1002/jcv2.12161)
- Phillips, A. R. et al., 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. et al., 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)
- 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)
- Powell, S. et al. 2024. Understanding how and under what circumstances parental advocates support parents to participate in decision-making: a scoping review. Child Care in Practice 30 (4), pp.517-536. (10.1080/13575279.2024.2354823)
- 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) 55. (10.1186/s40814-024-01491-7)
- 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) e0300834. (10.1371/journal.pone.0300834)
- 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)
- Symonds, J. et al., 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)
- 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)
- Webb, C. M. and Wilkins, D. 2026. Echoes and ripples: a qualitative analysis of the relationship between social work supervision and home visits. Children and Youth Services Review 180 108681. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108681)
- 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)
- 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. 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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. 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)
- 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. 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)
- 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. 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. 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. 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)
- 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. 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. 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)
- 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 Bennett, V. 2025. Making accurate judgements in child welfare: comparing ChatGPT with qualified social workers. Child & Family Social Work (10.1111/cfs.13304)
- 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)
- 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. , 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. 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. , 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. , 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. 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 107623. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107623)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 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. , 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)
- Wilkins, D. and Meindl, M. 2025. 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 31 (2), pp.301-320. (10.1080/13575279.2022.2118674)
- 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)
- 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. , 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)
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2025. Implementing Schwartz Rounds in children’s social care: enablers and barriers. Journal of Social Work 25 (1), pp.61-82. (10.1177/14680173241278249)
- Wilkins, D. and Whittaker, C. 2017. Doing child-protection social work with parents: what are the barriers in practice?. British Journal of Social Work bcx139. (10.1093/bjsw/bcx139)
- Wood, S. et al. 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 106685. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106685)
- 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)
Book sections
- 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.
Books
- Corby, B. , Shemmings, D. and Wilkins, D. 2012. Child abuse: an evidence base for confident practice. Open University Press.
- Forrester, D. , Wilkins, D. and Whittaker, C. 2021. Motivational interviewing for working with children and families. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
- Wilkins, D. and Boahen, G. 2013. Critical analysis skills for social workers. Open University Press.
- Wilkins, D. , Shemmings, D. and Pascoe, C. 2019. Child Abuse 5e An evidence base for confident practice. Open University Press.
- Wilkins, D. , Shemmings, D. and Shemmings, Y. 2015. A-Z of Attachment. Professional Keywords Bloomsbury Publishing.
Conferences
- Schroeder, E. et al., 2025. Family VOICE: family group conferencing for children and families: implementation, context and cost-effectiveness [Abstract]. Presented at: 2nd North American Conference on Integrated Care Calgary, Canada 15-17 October 2024. Vol. 25.Vol. 178. (10.5334/ijic.NACIC24178)
Monographs
- Brand, S. et al. 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.
- Randell, E. et al. 2024. Watch Me Play! A pilot feasibility study of a remotely- delivered intervention to promote mental health resilience for children (aged 0-8) across UK early years and children's services.. Project Report.Foundations.
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2022. A regional study of supervision for child protection professionals.
- Wilkins, D. et al. 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. and Meindl, M. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of a ‘checklist’ intervention to mitigate confirmation bias and improve forecasting accuracy in social work.
- Wilkins, D. et al. 2021. A randomised controlled trial of Schwartz Rounds: An intervention to reduce psychological distress for staff in children's services.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- Wood, S. et al. 2022. A UK-wide survey of family group conference provision. Project Report.Cardiff: CASCADE.
Thesis
Research
I am an active social work researcher with a particular focus on supervision, professional judgment and decision-making in child and family settings.
I have led or been involved in successful grant applications worth over £8 million in research funding from organisations including Health and Care Research Wales, Foundations, NIHR and Nuffield Foundation. Recent funded projects include evaluations of family group conferencing, studies of supervision models and their impact on practice, and investigations into the accuracy of social work judgements. These projects frequently involve collaboration with Welsh Government, local authorities, and international partners, ensuring a strong practice and policy focus. My research has also included many unfunded studies, such as piloting interventions to improve the quality of social work judgement and comparing the accuracy of judgements made by social workers with those made by ChatGPT.
I am currently working as part of several projects, including a study of how young people, parents, and social workers assess the quality of social work practice in Wales, funded by HCRW, and an evaluation of a system-level intervention to improve support for children with emotional and behavioural problems.
Key words: child protection, decision-making, disability, judgement, risk assessment, safeguarding, statutory social work, supervision
Teaching
I am currently the Programme Director for the MA Social Work programme, where I also teach on topics including Motivational Interviewing, person-centred practice skills, professional values, child and family law, and judgment and decision-making in statutory settings. I co-convene the modules Principles and Contexts of Statutory Social Work (Year 1), Introduction to Social Work Theory and Practice (Year 1), and Social Work Practice (Year 2).
I also regularly contribute to professional development and practitioner training, particularly in Motivational Interviewing and supervision for social work practitioners and managers.
In addition to my work at Cardiff University, I regularly deliver guest lectures and workshops on supervision and good judgement for other universities and professional organisations.
Biography
Appointments
Present:
Professor of Social Work, Cardiff School of Social Sciences (2024 – present)
Programme Director, MA Social Work (2023 – present)
Assistant Director, Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE) (2018 – present)
Previous:
Reader in Social Work, Cardiff School of Social Sciences (2021 – 2024)
Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Cardiff School of Social Sciences (2018 – 2021)
Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of Bedfordshire (2014 – 2018)
Social Worker, Deputy Team Manager and Principal Child and Family Social Worker (2007 – 2014)
Qualifications
2014 PhD Social Work (University of Kent)
2009 Specialist Diploma in Child and Family Social Work (Royal Holloway University)
2007 MA Social Work (Distinction, Middlesex University)
2003 BA (Hons.) New Media Production (Bournemouth University)
Honours and Awards
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Principal or Co-Investigator for over £3 million in competitive research grants (2018 - present)
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Award in Team Leading, Institute of Leadership and Management (2009)
Professional Memberships
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Social Care Wales (Registered Social Worker)
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Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy)
Other Positions and Affiliations
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Member of the Editorial Board, Child and Family Social Work
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Member of the Editorial Board, The Clinical Supervisor
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Advisory Group Member, Centre for Child, Youth and Family Welfare (Queen's University Belfast)
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Board Member, Health and Care Research Wales Integrated Funding Scheme
Supervisions
PhD Supervision
I am interested in supervising doctoral projects in the following areas:
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Social work supervision, particularly within child and family services
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Professional judgment and decision-making
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The use of Motivational Interviewing for social work practice
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Conversation Analysis and social work
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Observational methods in relation to social work practice
Current supervision
Louisa Roberts
Charlie Whittaker
Kate Phillips
Zoe Bezeczky
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Social work
