5 Nations – April 25, 2025
Theme: Outcomes – How do you know you are making a difference in adult support and protection? Getting to grips with outcomes.
Hosted by Safeguarding Ireland
Friday, April 25, 10.30am
THEME & SPEAKER
Improving outcomes for people is at the heart of adult support and protection, however, traditional approaches to measuring outcomes can cause more problems than they solve, particularly when people are accessing support they may not have chosen.
In this seminar, Dr Ailsa Cook, will share insights based on 20 years of experience supporting organisations to focus on outcomes through her work to develop the Talking Points: Personal Outcomes Approach in Scotland and through her most recent work at Matter of Focus supporting over 200 organisations to embed meaningful approaches to outcome evaluation in their work. Ailsa will share a practical framework that organisations can use to understand how their work is making a difference at three levels of practice: Individual, Organisational and National.
Ailsa will share learning from this work, including the importance of taking a whole system approach that includes systems, processes, and culture so that services and supports are more orientated towards the outcomes that matter to people, continually learning and improving and able to tell a stronger story of the difference they make.
About Dr. Ailsa Cook
Ailsa is a leader in the field of outcomes. Through her research and work with policy and practice, Ailsa has made a significant contribution to shifting the focus of public services in Scotland towards the outcomes that are important to citizens and communities. She has done this through:
- Research into the outcomes important to people who use services; the practice of outcome measurement and recording and the use of outcomes focused approaches across public services.
- Leading pioneering improvement programmes bringing organisations together to develop and improve practice in focusing on outcomes at programme, personal and population levels. Working with policymakers to ensure a focus on outcomes is supported by policy.
- Leading training and capacity building to understand and use evidence for outcomes.
- Evaluating innovative outcomes focused services and programmes using theory-based approaches to evaluation, particularly contribution analysis.
Ailsa is a co-originator of the Talking Points: Personal Outcomes Approach, now used across thousands of organisations in Scotland and beyond.
View Dr Cook’s Presentation: Getting to grips with outcomes in adult support and protection.
PANELISTS
- Chair: Alex Davidson, Independent Chair, Orkney Public Protection Committee
- Patricia Rickard-Clarke, Chair, Safeguarding Ireland.
- Tam Baillie, Chair of Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee and Adult Protection Committee
Tam is the Independent Chair of the Adult and Child Protection Committees in Renfrewshire and Independent Chair of Child Protection Committees Scotland. Previously, Tam was the Independent Chair of Adult and Child Protection Committees in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, 2018-2023 and served as Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, 2009-2017. Tam has over 45 years’ experience working with and on behalf of vulnerable children, young people and adults.
- Amanda Casey, Chief Social Worker, HSE
Amanda was appointed to the post of Chief Social Worker in the HSE in August 2024. Prior to that, Amanda had 28 years’ clinical experience, mainly in Medical Social Work, the last 10 years of which were in management roles, including providing leadership support to hospitals with the implementation of the ADMA and Adult Safeguarding Policy. Amanda is a member of the HSE ADM Transitional Oversight Group and the Department of Health’s Expert Advisory Group on Protection of Liberty Safeguards. Amanda is an Adjunct Lecturer in UCD and was previously a member of Safeguarding Ireland’s National Safeguarding Advisory Committee.
- Des Manion, Safeguarding Board Wales
Des has undertaken a leadership role in services for children and families in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. Des has experience in service innovation, research, and the development of policy to support effective practice. Des has also been a member of a number of multiagency safeguarding forums at both a local and national level within Wales.
Upcoming dates
Archived dates 2025 & 2024
With any queries, please email info@safeguardingireland.org
