Dez will talk about transitional safeguarding including what it is and isn't and a chance to reflect and explore what Transitional Safeguarding can look like in Nottingham City.

Biography

Dez Holmes

Dez Holmes is the Director of Research in Practice, a not-for-profit organisation that since 1996 has been supporting those who work with children, families and adults to use evidence in their practice and leadership.

Prior to this, Dez was the Programme Manager at C4EO responsible for Capacity Building. She previously worked in local government establishing and managing integrated early intervention services to families and previously managed multi-agency prevention and early intervention programmes (YISPs).

Dez has several years’ experience of training and workforce and leadership development; she is the Programme Director for the Practice Supervisor Development Programme. Her practice experience is largely within youth offending services and early help. She is particularly interested in adolescence, transitions, risk and participatory practice; Dez has led Research in Practice’s work on Adolescent / Transitional Safeguarding; she is the Programme Director for the Tackling Child Exploitation Programme and also chairs the Contextual Safeguarding UK Advisory Group.

Dez sits on the Board The Staff College, which develops leadership capacity across local authority children’s services; and was a founding trustee of the UK Implementation Society, which builds capacity and expertise for more effective, evidence-informed implementation in services for people and communities. Dez is a member of the NICE Implementation Strategy Group, sits on a number of Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) policy committees and on several research advisory boards. She is also a trustee of Family Action, a large charity providing practical, emotional and financial support to families who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation.

Selected publications

• Holmes, D. (2021, in press). ‘Transitional Safeguarding: The Case for Change’. Practice: Social Work in Action.

• Holmes, D (2021, in press) (Ed) Safeguarding young people: Risk, Rights, Resilience and Relationships. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.

• Cocker, C. Cooper, A. and Holmes, D. (2021) Transitional safeguarding: Transforming how adolescents and young adults are safeguarded. British Journal of Social Work.

• Cocker, C., Cooper, A., Holmes, D. and Bateman, F. (2021), Transitional Safeguarding: presenting the case for developing Making Safeguarding Personal for young people in England. The Journal of Adult Protection.

• Holmes, D. & Smale, E. (2018) Mind the Gap: Transitional Safeguarding – adolescence to adulthood. Dartington: Research in Practice.

• Godar, R. & Holmes, D. (2017) The use of research evidence regarding ‘what works’ in local authority child protection systems and practice: An analysis of five local authorities. London: Early Intervention Foundation.

• Godar, R. & Holmes, D. (2017) A rapid knowledge review of current child protection systems and practice. London: Early Intervention Foundation.

• Holmes, D. & Eaton, J. (2017) Working Effectively to Address Child Sexual Exploitation: An evidence scope. Department for Education Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme.

• Editorial lead for three linked evidence scopes (2016):

o Hackett S (2016) Exploring the Relationship between Neglect and Harmful Sexual Behaviours in Childhood and Adolescence: An evidence scope. Dartington: Research in Practice.

o Allnock D (2016) Exploring the relationship between neglect and adult-perpetrated intra-familial child sexual abuse: An evidence scope. Dartington: Research in Practice.

o Hanson E (2016) Exploring the relationship between neglect and child sexual exploitation: An evidence scope. Dartington: Action for Children, NSPCC and Research in Practice.

• Ruch, G. and Holmes, D. (2015) Regarding the use of practice observation methods as part of the assessment of social work practice: Evidence Scope. Dartington: Research in Practice. Commissioned by the Department for Education.

• Baginsky, M. & Holmes, D. (2015) A Review of Current Arrangements for the Operation of Local Safeguarding Children Boards. Commissioned by the Local Government Association,

• Holmes, D. & Hanson, E. (2014) That Difficult Age: developing a more effective response to adolescent risk. Dartington: Research in Practice.

• Holmes, D. and Brooks, C. (2014) Sector-Led Improvement In Children's Services: A Lever For Evidence-Informed Practice. Journal of Evidence & Policy Vol 10. Pp 513–25

• Lavie-Ajayi, M., Holmes, D. and Jones, C. (2007) ‘We Thought We "Knew"', So We "Did”’ A Voluntary Organization's Beginnings In Action Research. Action Research. December Vol. 5:4 Pp 407-429

Every Colleague Matters - Transitional Safeguarding