I qualified as a social worker in 1984 and have worked in England and Scotland. After six years as a generic social worker, I specialised in mental health work and then became a community care team manager. I joined the University in 1997 as a teaching fellow and then became a lecturer in 2004, in order to pursue writing and research.? I am currently the Programme Director for the MSc. in Applied Social Studies and pathway lead for the post qualifying certificate in adult services, support and protection. My PhD by publication used the concepts of citizenship, discretion, choice; and ethics of care and of justice to explore how social workers support or limit service users' rights when they are subject to adult protection legislation. This has led to an interest in and publications about the possible impact of devolution on social work law and policy; choice in the context of harm; Convention on Rights for Persons with Disabilities. It has also led to a two year study, just completed, that explored the perspective of older people of safety and vulnerability in everyday life.
I have experience of being a carer for family members and of receiving short -term support myself. This has further motivated me to want to explore bigger questions around the intensification of market and managerial practices; and of the focus on the 'rational' and 'responsibilised' self in health and social care policies. My experience and concern is that these have increased the dissection of citizens into varied labelled components of need and the delivery of services into multi-staged processes. These produce unintended consequences that are often hidden and uncosted in evaluating the success of any policy initiative or discrete intervention programme.
BA in Public Administration with an Option in Social Work
MSc.in Applied Social Research
我要吃瓜
Certificate of Qualification in Social Work
Robert Gordon University
Adult social care; mental capacity; adult support and protection; adult safeguarding; social work education; voice, choice and control; and resilience and vulnerability from a life course and strengths based perspective. Human Rights and Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities.?Methodologically I am increasingly using participative methods to work with practitioners and?services users as co-researchers. Knowledge exchange
Exploring the place of values in the new social work degree.
PI:
Funded by: Iriss
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An assessment of the operation of the Named Person role and its interaction with other forms of patient representation
PI: Dr Kathryn Mackay
Funded by: Scottish Government
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Article
Mackay K & McCusker P (2024) Adult safeguarding legislation: Navigating the borderlands between mental capacity, mental health and social care law and practice. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 94, Art. No.: 101964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101964
Editorial
Lonbay SP, Mackay K & Montgomery L (2023) Guest Editorial [Special Issue: Perspectives on safeguarding older people: Voice, choice, and control]. The Journal of Adult Protection, 25 (3), pp. 101-104. https://doi.org/10.1108/jap-06-2023-082
Research Report
Mackay K & McCusker P (2023) A narrative review of research into the operationalisation of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. not commissioned.
Article
Dangerous care: developing theory to safeguard older adults in caring relationships in the UK
Sherwood-Johnson F, Rummery K, Lawrence J, Mackay K, Ramsay K & McGregor R (2023) Dangerous care: developing theory to safeguard older adults in caring relationships in the UK. Journal of Adult Protection. https://doi.org/10.1108/jap-10-2022-0023
Article
Doyle L, Montgomery L, Donnelly S, Mackay K & Penhale B (2023) Assessment tools used in adult safeguarding practice within the UK and Ireland: results from a small-scale qualitative study. The Journal of Adult Protection, 25 (2), pp. 67-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/jap-10-2022-0021
Article
Sherwood-Johnson F, Mackay K & Greasley-Adams C (2022) Negotiating safety and vulnerability in everyday life: perspectives of UK older people from participative research. European Journal of Social Work, 25 (3), pp. 485-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1882397
Article
Sherwood-Johnson F & Mackay K (2021) Building knowledge for policy and practice based on service user and carer experiences: A case study of Scottish adult safeguarding research. Journal of Social Work, 21 (5), pp. 1182-1202. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017320952047
Research Report
Sherwood-Johnson F, Mackay K & Greasley-Adams C (2019) Feeling Safe? Feeling Vulnerable? Exploring Older People's Views and Experiences of Safety and Vulnerability in Everyday Life. Sir Halley Stewart Trust. Stirling: 我要吃瓜. https://feelingsafefeelingvulnerable.stir.ac.uk/
Book Chapter
The UK policy context for safeguarding adults: rights-based v public protection?
Mackay K (2018) The UK policy context for safeguarding adults: rights-based v public protection?. In: MacIntyre G, Stewart A & McCusker P (eds.) Safeguarding Adults: Key Themes and Issues. London: Palgrave, pp. 35-52. https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/Safeguarding-Adults/?K=9781137381002
Article
Mackay K (2017) Choosing to Live with Harm? A Presentation of two Case Studies to Explore the Perspective of those who Experienced Adult Safeguarding Interventions. Ethics and Social Welfare, 11 (1), pp. 33-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2017.1280069
Article
Mackay K & Notman M (2017) Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007: Reflections on Developing Practice and Present Day Challenges. Journal of Adult Protection, 19 (4), pp. 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-04-2017-0017
Article
Implications of divergences in Adult Protection Legislation
Montgomery L, Anand J, Mackay K, Taylor B, Pearson K & Harper C (2016) Implications of divergences in Adult Protection Legislation. Journal of Adult Protection, 18 (3), pp. 149-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-10-2015-0032
Research Report
Mackay K (2015) In whose best interests? Social work paternalism and personal autonomy under UK adult protection law, Research report on a scoping qualitative project undertaken 2012-14. Stirling: 我要吃瓜.
Article
Neglecting justice? Exploring Scottish convictions for ill-treatment and wilful neglect
Godwin C & Mackay K (2015) Neglecting justice? Exploring Scottish convictions for ill-treatment and wilful neglect. Journal of Adult Protection, 17 (4), pp. 234-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-02-2014-0005
Research Report
Mackay K & Cross B (2013) A project to support more effective involvement of service users in adult support and protection activity. Scottish Government.
Article
Mackay K, Notman M, McNicholl J, Fraser D, McLaughlan C & Rossi S (2012) What difference does the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) 2007 make to social work service practitioners' safeguarding practice?. Journal of Adult Protection, 14 (4), pp. 197-205. https://doi.org/10.1108/14668201211256681
Article
Mind the gap!: Students' Understanding and Application of Social Work Values
Woodward R & Mackay K (2012) Mind the gap!: Students' Understanding and Application of Social Work Values. Social Work Education, 31 (8), pp. 1090-1104. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2011.608252
Article
Mackay K (2012) A parting of the ways? The diverging nature of mental health social work in the light of the new Acts in Scotland, and in England and Wales. Journal of Social Work, 12 (2), pp. 179-193. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017310382322
Research Report
Mackay K, McLaughlan C, Rossi S, McNicholl J, Notman M & Fraser D (2011) Exploring how practitioners support and protect adults at risk of harm in the light of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007.
Article
Mackay K (2011) Compounding Conditional Citizenship: To What Extent Does Scottish and English Mental Health Law Increase or Diminish Citizenship?. British Journal of Social Work, 41 (5), pp. 931-948. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr010
Book Chapter
Vulnerability, autonomy, capacity and consent
Mackay K (2010) Vulnerability, autonomy, capacity and consent. In: Davis R & Gordon J (eds.) Social Work and Law in Scotland. 2nd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 136-151. https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/Social-Work-and-the-Law-in-Scotland/?K=9780230276314
Article
Exploring the place of values in the new social work degree in Scotland
Mackay K & Woodward R (2010) Exploring the place of values in the new social work degree in Scotland. Social Work Education, 29 (6), pp. 633-645. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470903452140
Research Report
Dawson A, Ferguson I, Mackay K & Maxwell M (2009) An Assessment of the Operation of the Named Person Role and its Interaction with other Forms of Patient Representation. Scottish Government - Health & Social Care - Health & Social Care Integration. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/03/09103446/0
Article
The Scottish adult support and protection legal framework
Mackay K (2008) The Scottish adult support and protection legal framework. Journal of Adult Protection, 10 (4), pp. 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200800023
Article
Dementia Studies Online: Reflections on the Opportunities and Drawbacks of eLearning
Innes A, Mackay K & McCabe L (2006) Dementia Studies Online: Reflections on the Opportunities and Drawbacks of eLearning. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 58 (3), pp. 303-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820600955567
Article
Thinking about taps: Reflections on dementia and disability
Mackay K & Marshall M (2006) Thinking about taps: Reflections on dementia and disability. Alzheimer's Care Quarterly, 7 (3), pp. 203-207. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-33750472346&md5=7e88d418685bd33b76ba87a88fe1c5dc
Research Report
Shared Approach to Performance Assessment: Final Report on the Demonstration Projects
Mackay K, Wilson M, Richie A & Brady J (2005) Shared Approach to Performance Assessment: Final Report on the Demonstration Projects. Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services; Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services; Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education. Glasgow: Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education. https://www.iriss.org.uk/sites/default/files/sieswe-ia-performance-assessment-final-report-2005-08.pdf
These follow my research interests: legal and ethical aspects of working with adult; human rights; ageing; disability across the life course; self- directed support and similar polices; and judgement and decision- making in adult protection, or safeguarding, practice.