Biography
Louise is an Assistant Professor in Social Policy in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin. She holds a PhD in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she was awarded an LSE PhD Scholarship to undertake her research. Louise also holds a Full Post-Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (PGCHE) from the LSE, an MSc in Applied Social Research from Trinity College Dublin and a BA (International) in Political Science and History from University College Dublin (UCD). Immediately prior to joining Trinity College Louise worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Division of Health and Social Care, King's College London, and prior to entering academia she worked as a research consultant, delivering numerous reports for government and NGO clients in Ireland and the UK. Louise is Director of the MSc Applied Social Research. She teaches across the following courses: MSc Applied Social Research, BA Joint Honours Social Policy, BA Social Studies, PGDip Social Policy and Practice, PGDip Child Protection and Welfare and the Masters in Social Work. Louise"s research interests include hearing and representing children"s voices, child contact, inspection of child and family services and policy and practice implementation and evaluation. Louise is also expert in systems approaches and realist evaluation. She uses these frameworks to investigate important questions around policy and practice implementation, including why reforms introduced are not having the intended results or why results are patchy.
Louise welcomes PhD applications in the following areas of child protection and welfare and health systems policy: policy or practice implementation, inter-professional working, regulation of services including, audit/inspection of services and performance measurement and management. I have a particular interest in studies adopting complexity theory, a systems approach or realist evaluation/synthesis. Children's experiences/voices in child protection and welfare services; child contact, Signs of Safety.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Munro, E., Caffrey, L., Effective Child Protection, 4th, London, SAGE, 2027
Tobin, S., Caffrey, L., Brady, E., Whiting, S., Sheaf, G., Gilligan, R., Mayock, P., Quinn, N., Foster Placement Breakdown: A Scoping Review of Care-Experienced Narratives, Child & Family Social Work, 2026
Liz Farsaci, Padraic Fleming, Louise Caffrey, Sara Van Belle, Catherine O'Donoghue, Arianna Almirall Sanchez, David Mockler, Steve Thomas, Barriers and facilitators to international Universal Health Coverage reforms: A realist review, International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2025
Flynn, S.,Caffrey, L.,Antosik-Parsons, K.,Whiting, S., Byrne, J. and Conlon, C., New-Materialist Bricolage: Presenting an Ontological Position for Qualitative Internet-Based Research, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 28, (2), 2025, p179 - 192
Caffrey, L., Tobin, S., Flynn, S., Holt, S., Houston, S., Petautschnig Arancibia, C. & Sheaf, G., The Intended and Unintended Effects of Inspection on Child and Family Social Work Services: A Rapid Evidence Review of the International Literature, Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 2025
Gregory S, Caffrey L, Daly D, Sheaf G., How woman-centred care is experienced and understood in maternity services by women and professionals: A rapid review, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2025
De Clercq, L., Meulewaeter, F., Rowaert, S., Decoene, S., Caffrey, L., Caslor, M., Vandevelde, S., & Vanderplasschen, W., Families' perspectives on the impact of signs of safety in child protection services through the lens of self-determination theory, Children and Youth Services Review, 2025
Gilligan, R., Holt, S., Brady, E., Caffrey, L., Safety and Beyond: What are children's priorities for their participation in the child protection and welfare process?, Child Abuse and Neglect, 2025, p11
Flynn, S.,Lakkshme Sundaresan, S., and Caffrey, L., Outcomes Measurement in Social Care: Insights from Current Evidence, Journal of Social Care, 4, 2024, pArticle 2-
Caffrey, L., Flynn, S., Quinn, N., Tobin, S. & Holt, S., The Focus and Methodology of Inspection in Ireland: a documentary analysis of Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) child protection and welfare services inspection reports, November, 2024
Flynn, S., Lakkshme Sundaresan, S., Caffrey, L.,Spratt, T. and Holt, S., Towards Better Outcomes for Children and Families: Evaluation of the Implementation of an Outcomes Framework, 2024, p1 - 64, https://doi.org/10.25546/11021
Flynn, S., Lakkshme Sundaresan, S., Caffrey, L., Putting Outcomes into Practice: The Implementation of a Framework of Outcome Measures within a Child and Family Service, The British Journal of Social Work, 2024, p1 - 18
Caffrey, L., Brady, E., Keegan, O., Dunne, S., Sheaf, G., Holt, S., & Gilligan, R., Children's Experiences of Signs of Safety: A Scoping Review, Children and Youth Services Review, 2024
Gregory, S., Caffrey, L., Daly, D., "It could not have been more different." Comparing experiences of hospital-based birth and homebirth in Ireland: A mixed-methods survey, Women and Birth, 2023
Stephanie Holt, Robbie Gilligan, Louise Caffrey & Eavan Brady, Through the Eyes of the Child: A Study of Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Intervention, 2023
Caffrey, L, Browne, F. , The Challenge of Implementation in Complex, Adaptive Child Welfare Systems: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, Children and Youth Services Review, 2023
Caffrey, Louise, Browne, Freda , Understanding the social worker-family relationship through Self Determination Theory: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, Child & Family Social Work, 27, 2022, p513 - 525
Padraic Fleming, Louise Caffrey, Sara Van Belle, Sarah Barry, Sara Burke, Jacki Conway, Rikke Siersbaek, David Mockler, Stephen Thomas, How International Health System Austerity Responses to the 2008 Financial Crisis Impacted Health System and Workforce Resilience " A Realist Review, International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 12, 2022
Fleming, P., Caffrey, L., Van Belle, S., Barry, S., Conway, J., Sierbaek, R., Mockler, D., & Thomas, S., How International Health System Austerity Responses to the 2008 Financial Crisis Impacted Health System and Workforce Resilience: A Realist Review, International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2022
Elaine McKimmons, Louise Caffrey, Discourse and Power in Ireland's Repeal the 8th Movement , Interface, 2021
Padraic Fleming, Louise Caffrey, David Mockler, Steve Thomas, 'A realist review to determine how health system austerity responses to the 2008 financial crisis impacted health system resilience for subsequent shocks - why, when, for whom and under what circumstances', 2021, -
O'Reilly, C., Caffrey, L. & Jagoe, C., Disability data collection in a complex humanitarian organisation: Lessons from a realist evaluation, International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 2021
Caffrey, Louise, How everyone's business can become no one's business: a systems study of interprofessional referral to child contact centres , Journal of Children & Youth Services Review , 109, 2020
Caffrey, Louise, Ferlie, Ewan, McKevitt, Christopher, The strange resilience of new public management: the case of medical research in the UK's national health service, Public Management Review, 2018, p1-22
Weinrot, M., Caffrey, L., McKevitt, C., Patient-initiated recruitment for clinical research: evaluation of an out-patient letter research statement, Health Expectations, 2017
Caffrey, L & Munro, E, A Systems Approach to Policy Evaluation, Evaluation, 23, (4), 2017
Love, S., Brown, S., Weir ,C., Harbron, C., Yap, C., Gaschler-Markefski, B., Matcham, J., Caffrey, L., McKevitt, C., Clive, S., Craddock, C., Spicer, J., & Cornelius, V., Embracing model-based designs for dose-finding trials, British Journal of Cancer, 2017, p332 - 339
Caffrey, L., Wyatt, D., Fudge, N., Mattingley, H., Williamson, C. & McKevitt, C. , Gender Equity Programmes in Academic Medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes, BMJ OPEN, 6, (9), 2016
Caffrey, L., McKevitt, C., & Wolfe, C. , Embedding Research in Health Systems: lessons from complexity theory, Health Research Policy and Systems, 14, (54), 2016
Adams, M., Caffrey. L. & McKevitt, C. , Barriers and opportunities for enhancing patient recruitment and retention in clinical research: findings from an interview study in an NHS academic health science centre, Health Research Policy and Systems, 13, (8), 2015
Caffrey, L. , The Importance of Perceived Organisational Goals: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Child Safeguarding in the Context of Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse Review, 2015
Caffrey, L. , Hearing the 'Voice' of the Child? The role of child contact centres in the family justice system, Child and Family Law Quarterly , 25, (4), 2013
Murphy, C & Caffrey, L. , Supporting Child Contact: the need for child contact centres in Ireland, Dublin, One Family/Family Support Agency, 2009
Murphy, C., Keilthy, P. & Murphy, C. , Lone parents and employment: what are the real issues?, Dublin, One Family/Combat Poverty Agency, 2008
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Caffrey, L. Brady, E., Keegan, O., Dunne, S., Sheaf, G., Holt, S., Gilligan, R., Children"s Experiences of Signs of Safety: a scoping review, National Child Protection and Welfare Conference, UCC, 24/20/2025, 2025
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, International Conference for Realist Research, Evaluation and Synthesis, Atlanta, USA, 22/09/2025, 2025
Tobin, S., Caffrey, L., Brady, E., Whiting, S., Sheaf, G., Gilligan, R., Mayock, P., Quinn, N., Foster Children's Lived Experience of Placement Breakdown: A Scoping Review., European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EUSARF), University of Zagreb, Croatia, 2025
Tobin, S., Caffrey, L., Brady, E., Whiting, S., Sheaf, G., Gilligan, R., Mayock, P., Quinn, N., Foster Children's Lived Experience of Placement Breakdown: A Scoping Review, European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EUSARF), University of Zagreb, Croatia,, October 2025, 2025
Caffrey, L., Flynn, S., Tobin, S., Quinn, N., Holt, S., Houston, S., Petautschnig, C., Sheaf, G., Inspecting Insection: What does inspection of child and family social work services focus on and with what effects?, Tusla Child & Family Agency National Operations Meetings, online, 16/12/25, 2025
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., Practice Points: The Challenge of Implementation in Complex, Adaptive Child Welfare Systems: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, 2024, -
Caffrey, C. & Browne, F., The challenge of implementation in complex, adaptive child welfare systems: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, Practice and Research Together (PART) Canada Webinar, Online, 16/01/2023, 2023, Practice and Research Together (PART) Canada
Conlon, C., Antosik-Parsons, K., Flynn, S., Caffrey, L., Byrne, J. and Whiting, S., Lessons from Pivoting to Online Interviewing: Ethical and Technical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers following the COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Sciences Research Network, 2023
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., Conceptualising the Social Worker-Organisational Relationship through Self-Determination Theory: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, European Conference for Social Work Research, University Milan, April 2023, 2023
Stephanie Holt, Robbie Gilligan, Louise Caffrey & Eavan Brady, Through the Eyes of the Child: A Study of Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Intervention - A Research Briefing, 2023
Caffrey, L., What helps and hinders Signs of Safey Implementation?, Organization study day: Scientific research into the implementation of Signs of Safety, Henri Conscience building in Brussels, 23/06/2022, 2022, University of Ghent & Agency `Opgroeien" (Flemish government)
Padraic Fleming, David Mockler, Louise Caffrey, Steve Thomas, The legacy of health system responses to the 2008 financial crisis and how this impacted health system resilience " A realist review, Sphere 2022 Conference, TCD, 2022
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., Implementing Interventions in Complex Adaptive Child Protection Systems: A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect, Talinn, Estonia, 14/06/2022, 2022
Caffrey, L. & Brady, E., Children and Young People"s Experiences of Child Protection and Welfare Services, Tusla Study Group, online, 03/02/2022, 2022, Tusla Child & Family Agency
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., Understanding the social worker"family relationship through self-determination theory: A realist synthesis of Signs of Safety, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect, Tallinn, Estonia, 13/06/2022, 2022
Caffrey, L., The link between Signs of Safety & Self Determination Theory: Which elements of Signs of Safety support sustainable change?, Signs of Safety Study Day, Henri Conscience building in Brussels, 23/06/2022, 2022, University Ghent & Agency `Opgroeien" (Flemish government)
Caffrey, L. & Browne, F., Synthesising & Developing Mechanisms in Signs of Safety"s Theory of Change, Signs of Safety's Researchers Group, online, 02/09/2021, 2021, Elia
Caffrey, Louise, Book Review: Errors and Mistakes in Child Protection: International Discourses, Approaches and Strategies by Kay Biesel, Judith Masson, Nigel Parton and Tarja Poso, Critical Social Policy, 42, (2), 2021
How do we Know if Signs of Safety is Improving Children's Safety and Well Being? in, editor(s)Andrew Turnell, Terry Murphy , Signs of Safety: Comprehensive Briefing Paper, East Perth, Elia, 2021, pp10 - 22, [Louise Caffrey, Mike Caslor, Eileen Munro]
Louise Caffrey, We're dragging our heels but there is enough evidence to support making facemasks mandatory, 2020, -
Caffrey, L., A Realist Synthesis Approach to Signs of Safety: Initial Findings, Research Meeting, Tusla Child & Famiy Agency, 17/01/2020, 2020
Louise Caffrey, Evaluating Signs of Safety in Ireland: How to best evaluate a whole-systems, nationwide, complex intervention in a complex system?, Evidence Amalgamation Conference, University College Cork, 10/05/2019, 2019
Caffrey, L., A Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety, Child Protection and Welfare Conference, UCC, October 2019, 2019
Munro, E., & Caffrey, L., Final Reflections on the Signs of Safety Gathering, The 12th International Signs of Safety Gathering, RDS Dublin, 8/11/2018, 2018, Tusla Child & Family Agency & Elia
Caffrey, L, The Future of Women's Health: a critical discussion, Labour Party Conference, Dublin, 2/11/2018, 2018
Caffrey, L., Barriers and enablers to hearing the voice of the child in child contact centres: a systems approach (invited), Father-Inclusive Social Care Practice: Opportunities and Challenges, UCC, 19/09/2017, 2017
Caffrey, L., Wyatt, D., Fudge, N., Mattingley, H., Williamson, C.,McKevitt, C., Gender equity programmes: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes, Critical perspective on Athena SWAN, Warwick University, 17/02/2017, 2017, Ruth Pearce University Warwick
Caffrey, L. (2016), The BMJ's stance on qualitative research is epistemologically naïve, BMJ, 352, 2016
Caffrey, L., Tobin, S., Flynn, S., Holt, S., Houston, S., Petautschnig Arancibia, C., Sheaf, G., Inspecting Inspection:Evidencing the Intended and Unintended Effects of Inspection on Practitioner Decision Making & Practice in Child and Family Services, Decisions, Assessment, Risk & Evidence in Social Work (DARE) Conference, University Zurich, 26/06/2026
Research Expertise
Description
My research programme examines how public services improve quality, safety and outcomes through regulation, inspection and the implementation of policy and practice reform, with a particular focus on child protection, family welfare and health systems. A central concern of my work is understanding how inspection, audit and performance management influence organisational behaviour and contribute to service improvement. More broadly, my research seeks to explain why policy and practice change is often challenging to achieve and how evaluation can generate more useful evidence for policymakers and practitioners. I have developed a distinctive research profile at the intersection of implementation science, systems thinking and realist evaluation, applying complexity theory and systems approaches to understand how change occurs within complex public-sector organisations. Three interconnected strands characterise my research. First, I examine the regulation of services, including inspection, audit and performance measurement, exploring their effects on accountability, organisational learning, inter-professional working and system safety. This body of work has contributed to understanding both the intended and unintended consequences of regulatory activity and the conditions under which inspection can support service improvement. Second, I investigate the experiences and perspectives of service users, particularly children and young people involved with child protection services, ensuring their voices inform policy and practice development. I also contribute to research on patient voice within health systems research. Third, I study the implementation and evaluation of complex interventions and reforms, including Signs of Safety, outcomes frameworks and wider system-change initiatives. Across this work, I have contributed to the application and development of systems and realist methodologies to understand what works, for whom, in what contexts and why. My research has attracted funding and collaborations with government departments, statutory agencies and international partners, generating outputs that have informed policy, practice and service development. Through this body of work, I have established a growing leadership role in implementation, regulation and evaluation research within social policy, child welfare and social care.Projects
- Title
- The Focus and Methodology of Inspection in Ireland: a documentary analysis of Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) child protection and welfare services inspection reports
- Summary
- Role: PI
- Funding Agency
- Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth
- Date From
- 2024
- Date To
- 2025
- Title
- Quantitative and Qualitative Research into the Impact of Signs of Safety on the Outcomes for and Experiences of Children, Young People, thier Parents and Support Networks in Child Protection
- Summary
- The study is an evaluation of the implementation of Signs of Safety, a framework for child protection social work, in Flanders, Belgium funded by the Flemish The PI is Dr Wouter Vanderplassche. I am an external international expert on the project.
- Funding Agency
- Growing Up Agency Flemish Government, Belgium
- Date From
- 01/03/2026
- Date To
- 01/03/2027
- Title
- MAMMI in the work place: Enhancing femal equity, parental resilience, and maternal health in the workplace
- Summary
- Interdisciplinary project aiming to improve understanding of how women as mothers, together with their partners and organisations, navigate their professional role and responsibilities after having children. It includes 3 work packages. I am leading Work Package 3: 1. 10 year follow up survey for the MAMMI study with section on work-related implications of motherhood 2. Qualitative interivews with women and partners 3. Systems policy analysis of parents and work The study is led by Co-PIs Dr Sinead Monaghan (TCD Business School) and Prof. Deirdre Daly (TCD Midwifery)
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council
- Date From
- 01/03/2026
- Date To
- 28/02/2028
- Title
- A rapid review of the international evidence on the focus and effects of inspection of child and family services
- Summary
- Role: PI
- Funding Agency
- Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth
- Date From
- 2023
- Date To
- 2024
- Title
- RESTORE (Towards Dynamic Resilience in Health System Performance and Reform )
- Summary
- The goal of the research is to support the effective and thorough implementation of the Sláintecare reform programme. The research will examine key challenges facing the progress of the reform in the light of health system shocks and burdens on staff. It will highlight strategies to facilitate success. The award is a HRB Senior Leader Award, led by Prof. Steve Thomas, the Edward Kennedy Chair of Health Policy and Management at TCD. Louise is contributing expertise on complex adaptive systems and Realist methodologies. Role: collaborator
- Funding Agency
- Health Research Board
- Title
- Children's experiences of child protection and welfare services in Tusla Child and Family Agency
- Summary
- A qualitive study exploring children's experiences of the child protection and welfare services in Ireland. A collaboration in the School of Social Work & Social Policy, led by Prof. Stephanie Holt. Role: funded co-investigator
- Funding Agency
- Tusla Child & Family Agency
- Date From
- 2022
- Date To
- 2023
- Title
- Realist Synthesis of Signs of Safety
- Summary
- Signs of Safety is a complex, integrated framework for doing children's services work. It has been implemented in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide and in 2017 was introduced in Ireland as the national child protection framework. Realist Synthesis complements more established approaches to systematic review, which have been developed and used mainly for simpler interventions like clinical treatments or therapies. Using pre-existing literature, the study aims to provide an explanatory analysis of how and why Signs of Safety might work (or not) in particular contexts or settings. To do so it will use a broad array of literature and wider evidence to identify and test Signs of Safety's underlying causal mechanisms and to explore how those mechanisms might operate under varying conditions. Role: PI
- Funding Agency
- Resolutions
- Date From
- 2019
- Date To
- 2021
- Title
- Children's Experiences of Signs of Safety: a scoping review
- Summary
- A systematic scoping review to identify and synthesise the international literature on children's self-reported experiences of the popular child protection social work practice framework, Signs of Safety. Role: PI
- Title
- United Nations Module Design: Evaluation methods
- Summary
- We successfully bid to be rostered to design and teach evaluation methods to Untied Nations Secretariat Staff. Designed a module for teaching evaluation methods to UN Secretariat Staff. Role: Co-PI with Dr. Edurne Garcia Iriarte.
- Funding Agency
- United Nations Secretariat
- Title
- Towards Better Outcomes for Children and Families: Evaluation of the Implementation of an Outcomes Framework
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council
- Title
- Knowledge for Use (K4U)
- Summary
- Knowledge for Use (K4U) is an innovative, interdisciplinary and multi-institutional ERC-funded research project that aims to show how to put scientific research and common knowledge together to build more decent societies. It is an international collaborative project led by Prof. Nancy Cartwright in Durham University. Louise is contributing to the child welfare case study on Signs of Safety
- Funding Agency
- ERC Horizon 2020
- Date From
- 2015
- Date To
- 2021
Recognition
Representations
Louise is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Authority. Further information at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship
UNICEF Reference Group for Review of Child Protection Systems in Four Countries in South Asia. I am providing guidance to the project on the use of a systems approach.
Awards and Honours
LSE PhD Scholarship
UCD Entrance Scholarship