Independent Researcher

Senior Research Fellow

About

Dr Helga Sneddon has recently taken up the position of Senior Fellow in Research and Evidence at the Centre for Effective Services (CES).  CES is a part of a new generation of intermediary organisations across the world working to apply learning from the emerging science of implementation to real world policy and practice concerns that affect children, families and communities.  Helga's background is in psychology.  Her research interests and publications focus on parenting and child development, particularly family interactions, child maltreatment, non-organic failure to thrive and the effects of parenting initiatives and therapeutic interventions.  She is also interested in what is perceived to be 'normal' sexual behaviour for young people and media representations of children.  As a Cochrane Fellow she is undertaking a systematic review on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy on adolescent sex offenders. 

Prior to this, Helga was a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Child Care Research, Queen's University Belfast.  She was Co-Principle Investigator on the Lifestart Evaluation which is examining the effects of the Lifestart programme on parents and children using Randomised Control trial and qualitative methods.  Between 2002-2007, she was co-Principle investigator on the Growth, Learning & Development (GLAD) study which examined a broad range of factors influencing feeding and growth in one year old children.  During 2002 she was also co-Principle Investigator on the ASC study which examined the care planning process and associated outcomes for adolescents being placed in residential or foster care.  Previous to this she worked on a 20 year follow-up study of non-organic failure to thrive, and a study of the impact of the Children Order on service provision to children with disabilities. 

Helga is experienced in undertaking research with parents and children as well as vulnerable groups.  Research methods have included psychometric testing, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, developmental testing of children, and behavioural observations.  She is particularly interested in mixed methods approaches such as combining Randomised Control trials (RCTs) with qualitative research. 

She chaired the N. Ireland branch of BASPCAN (British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) during its setup period and currently serves on the steering group.  She also serves on the N. Ireland Homestart Committee and the Editorial Boards of Child Abuse Review and Child Care in Practice.

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