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HomeAcademic staffProfessor Andrew Whittaker
Professor Andrew Whittaker

Professor Andrew Whittaker

whittaka@lsbu.ac.uk

Social Work, Community and Public Health

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4686-1079

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I joined LSBU in 2005 and I am Emeritus Professor of Social Work Research. I gained my PhD studying risk and decision making in child protection at the Tavistock Clinic, London and was seconded to their Centre for Social Work Research (2010-12). My research focuses upon risk and decision making in the field of preventing violence towards children and young people, including gangs, youth violence and criminal child exploitation. I previously worked for 17 years as a practitioner and manager in the fields of child protection and child and adolescent mental health.

My research focuses on how we understand risk and how we can make the best decisions to protect children and young people from violence, abuse and neglect. My research on street gangs focused upon how gangs have moved from postcode-based conflicts to more organised child criminal exploitation within drugs markets and how trauma-informed approaches can contribute towards violence reduction.

I am interested in how professionals make decisions in real life situations and how predictable errors can be avoided. I have developed a model of decision analysis that I used when analysing professional decision making in a high-profile child death inquiry in Queensland, Australia.

I am an advocate of research-informed teaching and have developed a scenario-based digital teaching tool with Prof Karin Moser from the Business School. This has been evaluated by an RCT with promising results and has become the focus for a final year social work module focused upon risk and decision making.

I believe that universities have an important role to play in improving the lives of those in local, national and international communities. I recently was a Commissioner for the Poverty and Inequality Commission for the Smith Institute chaired by Baroness Tyler in Enfield. I have also acted as a speaker and consultant to a number of Violence Reduction Units across London.

When I was seconded to the Tavistock Clinic, I co-authored studies into child abuse linked to witchcraft and spirit possession and prison mental health care. I am the Editor of the Journal of Social Work Practice and am Co-convenor of the European research network for Decisions, Assessment and Risk (DARSIG).

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
Mr Bolaji Jubril KosegbeDoctoral Research ProjectPhD
PhD

Tavistock Clinic/UEL. Thesis title: ‘Professional judgment, practitioner expertise and organisational culture in child protection: An ethnographic study’.

2009
2015
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education

LSBU

2010
2011
Diploma in Social Work

Open University

1999
2000
Certificate in Management

Open University Business School

1992
1994
MA in Continental Philosophy

University of Essex

1987
1988
BA (Hons) Joint Honours in Government and Philosophy,

University of Essex

1984
1987
FunderYear wonProjectRole
Youth Endowment Fund2021HSC_Evaluation Panel EOI_Youth Endowment FundCo-Investigator
Surrey County Council2021HSC_IDVA Evaluation_Surrey County CouncilCo-Investigator
2020ASU Virtual ProgramsPrincipal Investigator
Kent County Council2020HSC_NEW KCC_Serious Violence Project EvaluationCo-Investigator
Lewisham Council2019H660_Contract Research_Trauma Informed groupwork programmePrincipal Investigator
British Academy 2017Improving Decision Making in Child Protection: Seeing through the eyes of an expertPrincipal Investigator
Waltham Forest Council2017H387_AppRes_Waltham Forest_GangsPrincipal Investigator
Fulbright Commission2019Reducing unhealthy outcomes of gang activityPrincipal Investigator
ProposalProjectRoleFunderStatusStatus last updated
ASU Virtual ProgramsASU Virtual ProgramsPrincipal InvestigatorOPEN Approved for submissionMar 2021

Editor-in-Chief
2019
University of Sussex
External examiner

CPD portfolio.

June 2018
University of East Anglia
External examiner

BA Social Work

September 2017
Prizes, awards, and accolades

Research in Action (Jun 2018)

LSBU


Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions?
Watkins, M., Mallion, J.S., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions? Public Health in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100412

Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis
Watkins, M., Mallion, J., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis. Frontiers in Digital Health. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1130784

Evaluation of the Kent Serious Youth Violence Project
Havard, T., Magill. C., Flood, C., Harvey, D., Shepherd, B., Miller, E. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Evaluation of the Kent Serious Youth Violence Project.

How Can Research and Theory Enhance Understanding of Professional Decision-Making in Reviews of Cases of Child Death and Serious Injury?
Gillingham, P. and Whittaker, A. (2022). How Can Research and Theory Enhance Understanding of Professional Decision-Making in Reviews of Cases of Child Death and Serious Injury? The British Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac116

Le défi des gangs de jeunes : enjeux et interventions dans le contexte britannique et canadien
Miller, E. and Whittaker, A. (2022). Le défi des gangs de jeunes : enjeux et interventions dans le contexte britannique et canadien. Montreal, Canada University of Montréal Press.

Reluctant Gangsters Revisited
Havard, T. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Reluctant Gangsters Revisited . in: The Palgrave Handbook of Youth Gangs in the UK. Palgrave Macmillan.

Group decision-making theories for child and family social work
Alfandari, R., Taylor, B., Enosh, G., Killick, C., McCafferty, P., Mullineux, J., Przeperski, J., Rölver, M. and Whittaker, A. (2022). Group decision-making theories for child and family social work. European Journal of Social Work. 26 (2), pp. 204-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.2016651

Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines
Havard, T., Densley, J., Whittaker, A. and Wills, J. (2021). Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines . Criminology & Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958211051513

Evaluation of the Lewisham Trauma Informed Group Work Programme
Whittaker, A., Harvey, D. and Shepherd, B. (2021). Evaluation of the Lewisham Trauma Informed Group Work Programme. London London South Bank University. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31817.67689

Editorial
Whittaker, A. and Kirwan, G. (2021). Editorial. Journal of Social Work Practice. 35 (4), pp. 333-334. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2021.1996697

How can we help novice child protection social workers to see situations like experienced practitioners? A randomised controlled trial evaluation of the ShadowBox™ method using pre-recorded video feedback
Whittaker, A., Moser, K., Harvey, D. and Brand, M. (2021). How can we help novice child protection social workers to see situations like experienced practitioners? A randomised controlled trial evaluation of the ShadowBox™ method using pre-recorded video feedback. Naturalistic Decision Making and Resilience Engineering Symposium 2021. Toulouse, France 20 - 24 Jun 2021 Naturalistic Decision Making.

Using intuition in social work decision making
Sicora, A., Taylor, B., Alfandari, R., Enosh, Guy, Helm, Duncan, Killick, C., Lyons, Olive, Mullineux, Judith, Przeperski, J., Rölver, M. and Whittaker, Andrew (2021). Using intuition in social work decision making. European Journal of Social Work. 24 (5), pp. 772-787. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1918066

Editorial for Volume 35, Issue 2
Whittaker, A. and Kirwan, G. (2021). Editorial for Volume 35, Issue 2. Journal of Social Work Practice. 35 (2), pp. 115-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2021.1917825

Editorial
Whittaker, A. and Kirwan, G. (2020). Editorial. Journal of Social Work Practice. 34 (3), pp. 221-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2020.1798098

No two gangs are alike: The digital divide in street gangs’ differential adaptations to social media
Whittaker, A, Densley, J and Moser, KS (2020). No two gangs are alike: The digital divide in street gangs’ differential adaptations to social media. Computers in Human Behavior. 110, pp. 106403-106403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106403

Professional Judgement and Decision Making in Social Work Current Issues
Taylor, B and Whittaker, A (2019). Professional Judgement and Decision Making in Social Work Current Issues. London Taylor & Francis.

Reluctant Gangsters Revisited: The Evolution of Gangs from Postcodes to Profits
Whittaker, A, Densley, J, Cheston, L, Tyrell, T, Higgins, M, Felix-Baptiste, C and Havard, T (2019). Reluctant Gangsters Revisited: The Evolution of Gangs from Postcodes to Profits. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-019-09408-4

Introduction to the edited book 'Risk in social work practice: current issues'
Whittaker, AJ and Taylor, B (2018). Introduction to the edited book 'Risk in social work practice: current issues'. in: Whittaker, AJ and Taylor, B (ed.) Risk in Social Work Practice: Current Issues Routledge. pp. 1-133

Human Growth and Development An Introduction for Social Workers
Sudbery, J and Whittaker, A (2018). Human Growth and Development An Introduction for Social Workers. Routledge.

From Postcodes to Profits: How gangs have changed in Waltham Forest
Whittaker, AJ, Cheston, L, Tyrell, T, Higgins, MM, Felix-Baptiste, C and Harvard, T (2018). From Postcodes to Profits: How gangs have changed in Waltham Forest. London London South Bank University. https://doi.org/10.18744/PUB.002234

Professional judgement and decision-making in social work
Taylor, B and Whittaker, AJ (2018). Professional judgement and decision-making in social work. Journal of Social Work Practice. 32 (2), pp. 105-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2018.1462780

Protecting children from faith-based abuse through accusations of witchcraft and spirit possession: understanding contexts and informing practice
Whittaker, AJ and Briggs, S (2018). Protecting children from faith-based abuse through accusations of witchcraft and spirit possession: understanding contexts and informing practice. British Journal of Social Work. 48 (8), pp. 2157-2175. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx155

How do child protection practitioners make decisions in real life situations? Lessons from the psychology of decision making
Whittaker, AJ (2018). How do child protection practitioners make decisions in real life situations? Lessons from the psychology of decision making. British Journal of Social Work. 48 (7), pp. 1967-1984. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx145

European Social Work Research Association SIG to Study Decisions, Assessment, and Risk
Taylor, B, Killick, C, Bertotti, T, Enosh, G, Gautschi, J, Hietamäki, J, Sicora, A and Whittaker, AJ (2017). European Social Work Research Association SIG to Study Decisions, Assessment, and Risk. Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work. 15 (1), pp. 82-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/23761407.2017.1394244

Understanding Risk in Social Work
Whittaker, AJ and Taylor, B (2017). Understanding Risk in Social Work. Journal of Social Work Practice. 31 (4), pp. 375-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2017.1397612

Developing the next generation of specialist cancer nurses.
Leary, A, Whittaker, AJ and Hill, A (2017). Developing the next generation of specialist cancer nurses. Cancer Nursing Practice. 16 (9), pp. 25-30. https://doi.org/10.7748/cnp.2017.e1453

Media Coverage, Public Awareness and State Intervention in Child Abuse in China – An Analysis of High-Profile Cases
Whittaker, AJ, Qiao, D and Zhang, T (2017). Media Coverage, Public Awareness and State Intervention in Child Abuse in China – An Analysis of High-Profile Cases. Child Abuse Review. 27 (5), pp. 378-388. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2488

Research skills for social work
Whittaker, AJ (2017). Research skills for social work. Sage.

Troubled, Troubling or in Trouble: The Stories of ‘Troubled Families’
Wills, JD, Whittaker, AJ, Rickard, W and Felix, C (2016). Troubled, Troubling or in Trouble: The Stories of ‘Troubled Families’. British Journal of Social Work. 47 (4), pp. 989-1006. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw061

Defensive practice as ‘fear-based’ practice: Social work’s open secret?
Whittaker, AJ and Havard, T (2015). Defensive practice as ‘fear-based’ practice: Social work’s open secret? British Journal of Social Work. 46 (5), pp. 1158-1174. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/BCV048

Succeeding in literature reviews and research project plans for nursing students
Williamson, GR and Whittaker, AJ (2014). Succeeding in literature reviews and research project plans for nursing students. Learning Matters.

Safeguarding children’s rights: exploring issues of witchcraft and spirit possession in London’s African communities
Whittaker, A. (2011). Safeguarding children’s rights: exploring issues of witchcraft and spirit possession in London’s African communities. London University of East London.