Reimagining the future of School Social Work in the United Arab Emirates:

Professor Doel, PhD, is a registered social worker and Professor Emeritus at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He has twenty years’ community-based social work practice, specialising in groupwork and task-centred practice. He has experience as a social work teacher and trainer, practice educator, head of school of social work, a writer (22 books, plus many scholarly articles and chapters), a researcher, project director and external examiner. He leads workshops in groupwork and practice education. He is currently researching the use of objects in in direct practice, with support from Coram/BAAF.

Mark has lived and worked in the US, has extensive experience in eastern Europe. and works alongside community activists in Kolkata, India. He is Honorary Professor at Tbilisi State University, Georgia, as well as previous Vice-President of the International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG). Mark is co-Chair of Nether Edge Festival, a community celebration in a neighbourhood of Sheffield.

https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/mark-doel 

You might be interested in these reads by the presenter:

Doel, M. (2019) 'Displaying social work through objects’, British Journal of Social Work, 49(3), April 2019, 824–841 (free download).

Doel, M. (ed.) (2017) Social Work in 42 Objects (and more), Lichfield: Kirwin Maclean (enquiries@kirwinmaclean.com)

Doel, M. (2016) Rights and Wrongs in Social Work: Ethical and practice dilemmas, London: Palgrave.

Doel, M. and Kelly, T. (2014) A-Z Groups and Groupwork, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Doel, M. (2012) Social Work: The Basics, London: Routledge.

Doel, M. (2010) Social Work Placements: A traveller's guide, London: Routledge. 

Doel, M. and Best, L. (2008) Experiencing Social Work: Learning  from service users, London: Sage.

Doel, M. (2006) Using Groupwork, London: Routledge / Community Care.

New novel:

Doel, M. (2021) In Soviet Times People Knew Where To Cross The Road, Malvern: Aspect Press/GSP (allan@aspect-design.net)

Worked in Media field for 12 years

Worked as an editor Journalist in Al Ittihad newspaper

Worked in Zakat Fund

Director of the website of the Zakat Fund

Director of the social networking sites of the Zakat Fund (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook)

Head of Public Relations department in Social Security Fund (Ministry Of Interior)

Working as Journalist in the General Command of Civil Defense

Media coverage for the participation of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, the Arab Women's Organization in Tunis 2010

Bachelor of Mass Communication – UAU University

Master of Social Work - Criminal Justice - UAU University

5 years of Experience in teaching children in early grades

Participated in The Graduate Students Research Conference 2021 (Khalifa University) – paper title ( The Challenges that AbuDhabi Schools’ Social Workers Face)

Ann Marie is safeguarding practitioner and has been a qualified social worker since 1996. She has worked for various local authorities on the front line, in management, Local Safeguarding Children Board Trainer, LADO, Safeguarding advisor to schools, school improvement advisor, Designated Safeguarding Lead trainer and Designated Safeguarding Lead coordinator. She held half termly meetings with the DSL’s and shared updates, local themes and support at these meetings.

She is well known amongst her peers and is very passionate about keeping children safe and sharing her knowledge about child abuse and violence against women. Ann Marie has specialised in safeguarding from 1992 and specialised within education and childcare settings since being a schoolbased
social worker in 1999. She went on to manage social workers in schools for a Local Authority.
In 2003 she managed a Child Protection Team for a Local Authority and supported 75 local schools with child protection advice, training and consultancy. In 2010, she became an independent social worker and provides associate consultancy and training to various organisations including NSPCC, Local Authorities, , ISI Consultancy, Early Years Teams, Youth Justice Teams, Boarding School Association, The Key for Leaders, Optimus Education, Council of International Schools, AEGIS, IAPS, Insurance companies, Charities, Faith organisations, Premier League, Multi Academy Trusts and more. She writes articles and contributes regularly to Head Teachers Update, SEN Magazine and Nursery World. Ann Marie frequently delivers workshops and keynotes at National & International conferences. She raises the awareness of child abuse and promotes child protection internationally and over the last few years delivers training and keynotes in Dubai, Singapore, Jamaica, Japan and Armenia.
She was’ Highly Commended’ and received an award at the Win Trade Awards 2019 for ‘Woman in the Public Sector’ and nominated in 2018 & 2019 in the NSPCC Child Protection Trainer of the Year.

Cathryn qualified as a social worker in 1989. She has worked with children and families in the local authority and for Cafcass. Cathryn has a long-standing interest in supporting social work students and has done this as both a senior lecturer in social work and as an onsite and off-site practice educator.

In 2015 whilst working part-time for Cafcass, Cathryn started a social enterprise developing social work student placements in schools. The social enterprise is called Support Circle and has hosted successful social work student placements in the East Midlands region.

Cathryn is currently working for Social Work England as a Professional Case Examiner.

Outside of work, Cathryn enjoys painting and drawing and all foodie activities cooking, baking and eating!