Research Profile

Cindy O'Shea

Biography

Cindy O'Shea has worked in UCC since 1995 and has significant teaching experience through her roles in Adult Continuing Education and in the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC. She is particularly involved in the development of competent professional practitioners for the Youth & Community Work sector and in the development of reflective practice and professional competencies. Cindy is founder of the Youth Work Educators Forum- a community of practice space for HEI staff on the island of Ireland and is the Ministerial appointed HEI rep on the NSETS Committee.

Cindy is part of the senior leadership team of Samaritans UK and Ireland and in the role of Director of Branch Operations, is responsible for the Welsh, South West, North West and West Midlands Regions. Committed to the value of voluntary work and community engagement as a vehicle for social justice and change she is also a prison facilitator, Chair of Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services, Chair of Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP) Ireland and external trustee on the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland.  

Cindy is a regular speaker at conferences and has presented papers at conferences at National and international level.
She is currently undertaking her Doctoral thesis on the value of Peer Support in Prison Contexts.

Research Interests

  • Professionalisation of youth and community work.
  • Reflective Practice and Professional Formation in the social professions
  • Group Work Practice
  • Group Work as an educational tool
  • The experience of prisoners in the Irish prison System
  • I am also a member of the 'Researching the Professions' and 'Children & Youth' research clusters of ISS21.

Contract Researchers

 Researcher NameProjectRoleFunding Body
Cindy O'SheaBarriers to Male Participation in Adult EducationPostgraduate ResearcherUCC Strategic Research Fund
Cindy O'SheaAn Evaluation of ABI Services in HSE Southern RegionCo Principal InvestigatorHealth Service Executive
Cindy O'SheaNeeds Analysis of single parents under 24 on Great IslandCo Principal InvestigatorDepartment of Education and Science
Cindy O'SheaAudit of Cork County Education Provision in 2005Co Principal InvestigatorDepartment of Education and Science
Cindy O'SheaSocial Needs Analysis for Step Program in East CorkCo Principal InvestigatorDepartment of Education and Science

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2016)'Book Review: Schinkel, Marguerite (2014) Being Imprisoned; Punishment, Adaptation and Desistance'
O'Shea, Cindy (2016) 'Book Review: Schinkel, Marguerite (2014) Being Imprisoned; Punishment, Adaptation and Desistance'. Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, Vol 16 (ISS.2) [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

 YearPublication
(2022)ETS Conference Berlin
O'Shea, C . (2022) Becoming- the journey from knowledge to practice' ETS Conference Berlin [Details]
(2022)ICEMTL Barcelona
O'Shea, C & O'Donovan D. (2022) Practice Teaching in the Pandemic -Creating constructive clinical practice learning environments through interactive multi media methods’ ICEMTL Barcelona [Details]
(2019)SOTL Conference Bilbao
O'Shea, C & O'Donovan D. (2019) Developing the professional 'toolkit' - Making learning meaningful in applied youth and community work education' SOTL Conference Bilbao [Details]

Published Reports

 YearPublication
(2008)'Needs Analysis of single parents under 24 on Great Island'.
O'Shea.C and Griffin, M. (2008) 'Needs Analysis of single parents under 24 on Great Island'. Family Support Network, Cork, Cork. [Details]
(2006)'Social Needs Analysis for Step Program in East Cork'.
O'Shea.C and Griffin, M. (2006) 'Social Needs Analysis for Step Program in East Cork'. YMCA East Cork, Cork. [Details]
(2006)An Evaluation of ABI Services in HSE Southern Region'.
O'Shea.C and Griffin, M. (2006) An Evaluation of ABI Services in HSE Southern Region'. HSE Regional ABI Committee, Cork. [Details]
(2005)Cork County Adult Education & Training Audit 2005'.
O'Shea.C and Griffin, M. (2005) Cork County Adult Education & Training Audit 2005'. Cork County Development Board, Cork. [Details]
(2004)A Study of Barriers to Male Participation in Adult Education'.
O'Shea, C & O''Faithigh, M.. (2004) A Study of Barriers to Male Participation in Adult Education'. Centre for Adult Continuing Education, UCC, Cork. [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2013UCC Exceptional Citizen University College Cork
2019Gold Digital Badge SPEEDS UCC
2019Bronze Digital badge SPEEDS UCC

Professional Associations

 AssociationFunctionFrom / To
Samaritans UK & Ireland Deputy Chair of regional Directors01-SEP-21 /
CDYS Board menber01-SEP-22 /
Samaritans Cork Branch Director01-JUL-12 / 01-JUL-15
Samaritans Ireland Regional Prison Support Officer01-OCT-20 /
Samaritans Ireland Regional Director01-OCT-17 / 07-APR-19
Leargas Committee Member01-MAR-22 /
NSETS HEI representative01-JUN-22 / 02-JUN-24
AVP Ireland Chair & Board Member01-JAN-21 / 12-JUL-22
GSBAA External Trustee01-MAR-20 /

Conference Contributions

 YearPublication
(2023)Bringing Hope in Difficult Times Samaritans International Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2023) Leadership in the management of change. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Bringing Hope in Difficult Times Samaritans International Conference, Virtual . [Details]
(2022)Samaritans Ireland national Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2022) Prisoner Experiences during Covid 19. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Ireland national Conference, Cork . [Details]
(2022)International Conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning (ICMETL),
Cindy O'Shea & David O'Donovan (2022) Practice Teaching in the Pandemic -Creating constructive practice learning environments through interactive multi media tools. [Oral Presentation], International Conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning (ICMETL), Barcelona . [Details]
(2022)ETS JUgend for Europe- The Quality Bonus,
Cindy O'Shea (2022) Competence-based approach in the education and training of youth workers”. [Oral Presentation], ETS JUgend for Europe- The Quality Bonus, Berlin . [Details]
(2020)Youth Work- An Evolving Field; Policy & Practice 2020-21,
Cindy O'Shea (2020) 'Sure we're ok- lockdown isn't new too us- its worse for you. Prison Experiences in the Pandemic'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Youth Work- An Evolving Field; Policy & Practice 2020-21, UCC . [Details]
(2019)Samaritans Ireland National Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2019) The role of Talk therapy in emotional support. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Ireland National Conference, Derry . [Details]
(2019)EuroSOTL Conference Bilbao,
Cindy O'Shea & David O'Donovan (2019) Developing the professional “toolkit”_Making learning meaningful in applied youth and community work education. [Oral Presentation], EuroSOTL Conference Bilbao, Bilbao . [Details]
(2018)North South Criminology Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) Creating Peer Support Opportunities in Prisons- A Casestudy. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], North South Criminology Conference, UCC . [Details]
(2018)Pfizers Health Awareness Series,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) Emotional Health and Support in the Workplace. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Pfizers Health Awareness Series, Ringaskiddy, Cork . [Details]
(2018)Samaritans Impact Report 2018,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) Collaboration and Delivery; Emotional Support in Irish Prisons. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Impact Report 2018, Dublin . [Details]
(2018)10th Anniversary of Mountjoy Prison Listener Scheme,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) The Contribution and development of the Listener Scheme in Mountjoy Prison. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 10th Anniversary of Mountjoy Prison Listener Scheme, Mountjoy . [Details]
(2018)Samaritans International Conference 2018,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) Who is ireland- Responding to Mental in an Irish Context. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans International Conference 2018, London . [Details]
(2018)Samaritans National Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2018) Loneliness- A Mental Health Issue. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans National Conference, Limerick . [Details]
(2017)Mental Health Reform,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) Supporting people with Suicidal Ideation. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Mental Health Reform, Dublin . [Details]
(2017)Samaritans Ireland Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) The Power of the Samaritan Volunteer. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Ireland Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event, Dublin . [Details]
(2017)Samaritans International Conference 2017,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) Responding to the Mental health needs of the Irish Traveller Community. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans International Conference 2017, London . [Details]
(2017)IPS and Samaritans; Peer to Peer: reducing Suicide through Collaborative Approaches,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) The Listener Scheme- Positive contributions towards reducing prison suicide. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], IPS and Samaritans; Peer to Peer: reducing Suicide through Collaborative Approaches, Dublin Castle . [Details]
(2017)Valuing Volunteering,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) Presentation on the value of volunteering in Mental Health Charities. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Valuing Volunteering, Armagh . [Details]
(2017)Samaritans Ireland National Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2017) The role of the volunteer in Samaritans services. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Ireland National Conference, Drogheda . [Details]
(2016)Samaritans Ireland National Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2016) Stories from the inside: Working in a prison environment to reduce suicide. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans Ireland National Conference, Waterford . [Details]
(2016)Samaritans National Conference,
Cindy O'Shea (2016) Working with Prisoners as a high risk group. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans National Conference, Newry . [Details]
(2016)IPS Changing Lives: Collaboration in the delivery of effective support to Prisoners,
Cindy O'Shea (2016) The value of peer support- the Samaritan Listener Scheme. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], IPS Changing Lives: Collaboration in the delivery of effective support to Prisoners, Wheatfield Prison . [Details]
(2016)Irish Association of Suicidology Annual COnference,
Cindy O'Shea (2016) Normalising Conversations around Mental Health. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Irish Association of Suicidology Annual COnference, Killarney . [Details]
(2016)Staff Support in Irish Prisons- IPS,
Cindy O'Shea (2016) Opportunities for staff support in the Irish Prison Service. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Staff Support in Irish Prisons- IPS, Portlaoise . [Details]
(2015)Samaritans International Conference 2015,
Cindy O'Shea (2015) Reimagining our callers- Listening in challenging times. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Samaritans International Conference 2015, London . [Details]
(2015)Catholic Girl Guides Regional Training 2015,
Cindy O'Shea (2015) Working to Support mental Health with Young People. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Catholic Girl Guides Regional Training 2015, Cork . [Details]
(2014)NSRF Responding to Suicidal Crisis- Research Policy and Practice,
Cindy O'Shea (2014) Talking Therapy as Support in Mental health. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], NSRF Responding to Suicidal Crisis- Research Policy and Practice, Cork City Hall . [Details]
(2014)HSE Conference; Responding to Mental Health in the Community,
Cindy O'Shea (2014) Media Guidelines and Ethical reporting of Suicide and Self Harm. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], HSE Conference; Responding to Mental Health in the Community, Dublin . [Details]

Committees

 CommitteeFunctionFrom / To
UCC's Work Integrated Learning Project Committee Member2022 /
Professional Development Course in Advocacy Chair2022 /
UCC's RPL Steering Group Committee Member2022 /
EAAD Best (HSE South) Steering Group Member2021 /
Professional Accredited Programmes and Work Placement Working Group (CACSSS) Committee Member2021 /
National Suicide and Self Harm Committee of IPS Committee Member2020 /
Mental Health Reform Prison Committee Committee Member2020 /
Youth Work Educators Forum Founder & Convenor2017 /

Employment

 EmployerPositionFrom / To
ACE, University College Cork Course Co-ordinator01-SEP-09 / 30-JUN-14
ACE, University College Cork Course Co-ordinator01-SEP-95 / 31-AUG-04
Ogra Chorcai Ltd Outreach Worker01-JAN-88 / 31-AUG-95
Cork Aids Alliance Education Outreach Worker01-SEP-95 / 01-SEP-97
University College Cork Lecturer & Practice Supervisor01-SEP-04 /

Education

 YearInstitutionQualificationSubject
2006Coach Academy NLP PractitionerNLP Theory and Skills
2010UCC Pg Dip TLHETeaching & Learning
2005UCC PG Cert in Teaching & Learning in Higher EducationTeaching & Learning
2002University of Leicester MSC. Training & HRMTraining & Human Resource Management
1987UCC B.Soc. Sc.Social Sciences
2005Coach Academy Dip in Life and Business CoachingLife and Business COaching
1994UCC H.Dip CounsCounselling

Outreach Activities

 Description

Supervisor & trainer for Voluntary sector agencies and Youth Work Practitioners. Speaker at Youth Work Events Erasmus Programme

Other Activities

 Description

External Examiner for Carlow IT 2013-16 and LIT Thurles Campus 2011-14

Teaching Activities

Teaching Interests

  • Group Work & Facilitation
  • Reflective Practice
  • Professional Formation & Skills development
  • Managing & developing Professional Practice in Youth & Community Work
  • Peer Support and approaches to working in prison
  • Experience of Prisoners within the prison system

Recent Postgraduates

 Graduation YearStudent NameInstitutionDegree TypeThesis Title
2022Aoife Talty UCCAn Examination of the experience of Churchfield Community Trust during the Covid Pandemic
2022Nicole Nagle NUI (UCC)An analysis of the Irish Social Welfare System as it is Applied to the Direct Provision System, and the Overlapping of Human Rights Breaches.
2022Luke Conway NUI (UCC)Social Isolation Among the Elderly- an All-Ireland Comparative Study of Experiences in Urban & Rural Areas

Contact details

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School of Applied Social Studies

Staidéar Sóisialta Feidhmeach

William Thompson House, Donovan's Road, Cork, Ireland.,

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