Staff profiles
Professor Mark Doel
PhD, MA (Oxon), CQSW
Phone 0114 225 5615/5680
E-mail m.doel@shu.ac.uk
Professor Mark Doel is research professor of social work in the Centre for Health and Social Care Research. He was appointed to this chair in November 2003.
Professor Doel graduated from Oxford in 1972 (Philosophy and Politics) and qualified as a social worker from Hull University in 1974. He was awarded his PhD from Birmingham City University (BCU) in 2000.
Mark Doel has almost 20 years experience as a social work practitioner and researcher in Suffolk, Wigan, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Sheffield and Portland (Oregon). He is an experienced practice teacher and a long-standing member of the National Organisation for Practice Teaching (NOPT). Prior to his appointment at Sheffield Hallam University, he was Professor of Social Work and Head of School of Social Work and RNIB Rehabilitation Studies at Birmingham City University (then UCE).
Professor Doel's research experience is in the fields of practice education, social work practice methods (especially groupwork and task-centred practice), service user involvement and international social work. He has led research commissioned by Skills for Care, Children's Workforce Development Council and numerous local authorities which has helped to map the state of practice education in social work and to recommend future directions on the basis of good practice.
He is the programme director of a three-year (2009-12) EU Tempus-IV project in social work education and research with Jo Lucas as project manager and partners in Tbilisi State University Georgia (TSU), Kiev Mohyla-Academy Ukraine, University of Ljubjana Slovenia, Tallinn University Estonia, and Vilnius Pedagogical University Lithuania. This builds on a successful EU project to establish social work education in Georgia. His international work also includes long-standing collaborations with Russian academies to develop social work practice, education and research (in particular, Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, where he has given the Leverhulme lecture, and universities in Ekaterinburg).
Other recent research and development projects include an enquiry into professional boundary issues commissioned by the General Social Care Council, the development of placements for social work students with service users who manage their own budgets, a study of a social inclusion and school social work interventions, a study of social workers' experiences of continuing professional development, and research into the ways in which practice learning is sustained, both in statutory agencies and in non-traditional settings.
Professor Doel is widely published, with 15 books plus six in foreign translations. His current book, Social Work Placements: a traveller's guide (Routledge) is a 'Rough Guide' approach to placements and introduces students and supervisors to Socialworkland. Visit: Also recently have been 'Educating Professionals' (co-edited with Steven Shardlow) which explores the way nine health and social care professions educate students and uses a virtual community to consider different roles and opportunities; and 'Experiencing Social Work: Learning from Service Users' (with Lesley Best), in which the narratives of people who have had positive experiences of social work help students and practitioners learn from good practice.
Professor Doel is co-editor of Groupwork journal (with Pamela Trevithick). He is founding co-editor (with Iago Kachkachishvili and Tetyana Semigina) of Social Policy and Social Work in Transition, an east European journal. Mark is co-Director of the MSW at Tbilisi State University and one of three academic representatives on SCIE's Partners' Council (Social Care Institute for Excellence), a former Vice Chair of the Association of Professors of Social Work (APSW), and a former elected member of the Board of the US-based Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG). Mark is Chair of the UK Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference (2008-10).
Visit the Modern Social Work Practice pages
Doctoral students
Mark welcomes students interested in investigating the detail of professional practice - what goes on in practice, attitudes to and uses of practice methodologies, practice in the context of agency and organisation and service user-professional boundaries. In particular he encourages people with interests in
- groupwork
- practice education, practice teaching and practice learning
- the relationship of generalist, generic and specialist practice
- virtual learning and simulation
- service user and carer participation in social work practice and education
- international social work, especially in post-soviet nations
He can support a range of qualitative methodological approaches.
Mark is currently supervising for PhD and Professional Doctorate
- 'Attachment theory and the development of a practice method with foster families'
- 'Recruitment and retention in child and family social work'
- 'Ethnic-based small groupwork in social work education'
- 'Older people's perspectives on chronic pain support groups'
Mark is currently mentoring for PhD by publication
- 'Community publishing and the professionalisation of writing activities as therapy' (Occupational therapy)
Mark's current and recent external examination duties (PhD examinations):
- 'External Examiner at Sussex University (P/Q programmes), University College, Cork (BSW, MSW, P/G Dip in Supervision) and Cardiff University (Professional Doctorate).
- 'Can't fail, won't fail: a qualitative study of practice assessors' experiences of assessing marginal or failing social work students' (University of Sussex)
- 'Recruitment and retention in child protection work in Ireland' (University College, Cork)
- 'Living through transition: issues faced by older persons as they relocate into residential care' (Nottingham Trent University)
- 'Overcoming barriers to post-qualifying social work education and training: the candidate speaks' (University of Southampton)
Research outputs: key publications since 2001
Books since 2001
 |
Doel, M. (2009], Social Work Placements: a traveller's guide, London: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-49911-8 Hbk and 978-0-415-49912-5 Pbk |
||
 |
Doel, M. and Shardlow, S.M. [eds] (2009], Educating Professionals: Practice Learning in Health and Social Care, Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN: 0 7546 4810 9 Hbk and 0 7546 4811 7 Pbk |  |
Doel, M. and Best, L. (2008), Experiencing Social Work: learning from service users, Sage |
 |
Doel, M. (2006), Using Groupwork, London: Routledge / Community Care, 180pp. [ISBN: 0-415-33932-4] |  |
Doel, M. and Shardlow, S.M. (2005), Modern Social Work Practice: teaching and learning in practice settings, Aldershot: Ashgate, 302pp. [ISBN: 0 7546 4121 X] |
 |
Marsh, P. and Doel, M. (2005), The Task-Centred Book, London: Routledge / Community Care, 191pp. [ISBN: 0-415-33455-1] |  |
Doel, M., Sawdon, C. and Morrison, D. (2002) Learning, Practice and Assessment: signposting the portfolio, London: Jessica Kingsley, [ISBN 1 85302 976 9] |
 |
Shardlow, S.M. and Doel, M. (eds) (2002) Learning to Practise Social Work: International Approaches, Jessica Kingsley, [ISBN 1 85302 763 4] |
 |
Doel, M. and Sawdon, C. (2001) The Essential Groupworker: teaching and learning creative groupwork, Italia: Edizioni Centro, Studi Erickson, pp 284 [ISBN: 88 7946 396 9]. Italian translation |
Reports since 2001
Doel, M. (2010) 'The impact of an improvised social work method in a school: aspirations, encouragement, realism and openness' in Practice: Social Work in Action, (Vol 22.2 pp 69-88).
Doel, M., Allmark, P., Conway, P., Cowburn, M., Flynn, M., Nelson, P. and Tod, A. (2009), Professional boundaries, London: General Social Care Council.
Doel, M. (2009), A study of a school social work service, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University.
Doel, M., Nelson, P., Flynn, E. and Mulrooney, C. (2008), How new pojects and initiatives in social work practice learning successfully mature, Leeds: Skills for Care and CWDC www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Doel, M. (2008), Revisiting new approaches to practice learning, Leeds: Skills for Care and CWDC www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Doel, M., Flynn, E., Nelson, P. and Mulrooney, C. (2008), Sustaining practice learning with local authorities, Leeds: Skills for Care and CWDC www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Doel, M. et al (2007), Developing Measures for Service User and Carer Participation in Social Care (SCIE)
Doel, M., Flynn, E. and Nelson, P. (2006) 'The Work-Based Learning Experience of Candidates Undertaking Post-Qualifying Awards in Social Work', Skills for Care.
Doel, M. (2006), Improving Practice Learning in Local Authorities 1: Developing Effective Strategies, London: Skills for Care, 'Capturing the Learning' series.
Parker, J., Whitfield, J. and Doel, M. (2006), Improving Practice Learning in Local Authorities 2: Workforce Planning, Recruitment and Retention, London: Skills for Care, 'Capturing the Learning' series
Doel, M. (2005), New Approaches in Practice Learning, London: Skills for Care, 'Capturing the Learning' series
Doel, M., Deacon, L. and Sawdon, C. (2004), An audit of practice learning in the first year of the social work degree, Sheffield/Practice Learning Taskforce
Doel, M., Hollows, A., Pengelly, H. and Nasr, N. (2004), Workforce Development Needs in South Yorkshire, Sheffield Hallam University/TOPSS
Web-based publications
Doel, M. and Cooner, T.S. (2002), 'A Virtual Placement: preparing for practice'.
Published refereed articles
Channer, Y. and Doel, M. (2009) 'Beyond Qualification: Experiences of Black Social Workers on a Post-Qualifying Course', Social Work Education, 28.4, 396-412.
Doel, M., Flynn, E. and Nelson, P. (2008) 'Experiences of Post-Qualifying Study in Social Work', Social Work Education, 27.5, pp 549-571
Doel, M. and Orchard, K. (2007) 'Participant observation and groupwork: researchers as temporary insiders', Groupwork 16.3. [ISSN: 0951-824X]
Doel, M. and Penn, J. (2007) 'Technical Assistance, Neo-colonialism or Mutual Trade? The experience of an Anglo/Ukrainian/Russiansocial work practice learning project', European Journal of Social Work, 10.3
Doel, M., Deacon, L. and Sawdon, C.(2007) 'Curtain down: practice learning in the first year of the new social work award', to be published by Social Work Education, 26.3 [ISSN: 0261-5479].
Parker, J., Doel, M. and Whitfield, J. (2006) 'Does practice learning assist the recruitment and retention of staff?', Research, Policy and Planning, 24.3, pp 179-196 [ISSN: 0264-519X]
Doel, M. (2005) 'Difficult behaviour in groups', in Social Work with Groups, (US journal) 28.1. pp 3-22 [ISSN: 0160-9513]
Doel, M. (2004) 'Difficult behaviour in groups', in Groupwork, 14.1: 80-100 [ISSN: 0951-824X]
Doel, M. and Cooner, T.S. (2002) 'A Virtual Placement: The Creation of an Interactive Web-based Programme to Prepare Students for Live Placement', in Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Care, 4.1: 71-89 [ISSN: 1460-6690].
Doel, M. and Sawdon, C. (2001) 'What makes for successful groupwork? A survey of agencies in the UK', in British Journal of Social Work, 31: 435-461 [ISSN: 0045-3102].
Editorials
Groupwork Journal (alternately with co-editor, Pam Trevithick) from Vol 14 (2004).
Guest editor
Doel, M. (ed) (2002) 'Creativity and Practice Teaching', Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Care, 4.1 Whiting and Birch. [ISSN: 1460 6690].
Doel, M. (2002) 'Interprofessional working: Berlin walls and garden fences' in Learning in Health and Social Care, 1.2: 170-2, Blackwell 1473-6853.
Articles in professional journals
Doel, M. (2006), 'Groupwork: all in the same boat,' Community Care, 1632: 34-5.
Doel, M. and Marsh, P. (2006), 'Across the Divide,' Community Care, 1626: 30-1.
Sheffield Hallam University is not responsible for the content of external websites
