Dr Lou Johnston
Casual Strategic Development & Partnerships Manager
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci (Social Work)
Career Summary
Biography
Lou was a lecturer in social work at UoN from 2001-2018. She continues to provide casual support for teaching and field education and is a researcher on UoN projects. Lou's teaching experience covers social policy, organisational practice, community development, group program development, research, schools and communities, and child law. She recently completed her PhD which focused on social work supervisors and how supervision practice is developed. In private practice as a social worker, Lou provides individual and group professional supervision as well as project and consultancy work focused on practice development for human services, especially around management, leadership, teams, systems, procedures and programs. Her qualitative research experience includes looking at perspectives of parents and carers of children with a disability about the NDIS, experiences of parents whose children were removed and placed in care, parent advocacy in child welfare, community life for people with disabilities, and social work graduate work readiness.
Research projects
2012-2021: PhD (Social Work): Supervising supervisors: Developing social work supervision practice link
2019-present: Parent peer support in child protection and out-of-home care
2016-present: Transitioning to community living: People living with disability (moving from large residential centres to community living)
2016: Follow-up study: What does person centred care mean for early intervention services? Parent and carer perspectives
2015-2017: Parents’ perspectives on support and legal services after having a child removed and placed in out of home care
2012-2013: What does person centred care mean for early intervention services? Parent and carer perspectives (focused on national disability reforms and their impact on families with children 0-6 years with a disability)
2011-2012: Renewing social work curriculum about non-heterosexualities to support student experience and increase professional development, UoN Teaching and Learning Project Grant ($10,000)
2011: Indicators of work readiness in social work students, UoN External Relations Project Grant ($7,000)
2010: Cultural connections in learning for Indigenous Social Work students, UoN Equity Initiative Grant ($6,500)
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Social Science, Mitchell College of Advanced Education
- Bachelor of Social Work, University of Sydney
- Graduate Certificate Practice of Tertiary Teaching, University of Newcastle
Keywords
- Experience based learning
- Field Education Preparation
- Groupwork
- Indicators of work readiness in social work graduates
- Organisations
- Professional supervision
- Schools and communities
- Social policy
- Social work
- Student preparation for practice
- Work Integrated Learning
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 440999 | Social work not elsewhere classified | 100 |
Professional Experience
Membership
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 20/12/2017 - 20/12/2020 | Committee member, Family Inclusion Strategies in the Hunter Inc. (FISH) | Family Inclusion Strategies in the Hunter Inc. (FISH) Australia |
| 1/10/2013 - 31/12/2017 | Secretary, Firstchance Inc. Board | Firstchance Inc. Australia |
| 1/1/2000 - 31/12/2023 | Member - Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) | Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Australia |
Professional appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 19/6/2023 - 31/12/2025 | Partnerships and Impact Manager | Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation Australia |
| 1/12/2020 - 30/6/2023 |
Service Manager Service establishment. Management, supervision and development for peer workers and students on placement who provide support and advocacy for parents and family who have had, or are at risk of having, children removed due to child protection concerns and placed in care. |
Family Inclusion Strategies Hunter Inc. (FISH) | Australia Australia |
| 1/1/2001 - 31/12/2023 |
Consultant Social Worker Private practice providing professional practice supervision for individuals and groups, as well as project work focused predominantly on organisational practice, such as team development, practice improvement, organisational culture, and program development. This includes development and facilitation of practice and skills workshops. |
Self-employed Australia |
Awards
Recognition
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2013 |
Work Integrated Learning Staff of the Year Award 2013 University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts |
| 2012 |
Work Integrated Learning Staff of the Year Award 2012 University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Johnston L, Noble C, Gray M, Critical Supervision for the Human Services A Social Model to Promote Learning and Value-Based Practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 288 (2016) [A1]
|
Nova |
Journal article (7 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Howard A, Johnston L, Tseris E, Joseph P, '"Not just a new house": The complexities of undoing institutional practices and identities in transitions to community living', AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, [C1]
|
||||||||||
| 2021 |
Agllias K, Pallas P, Blakemore T, Johnston L, 'Enhancing child protection practice through experience-based simulation learning: the social work big day in', Social Work Education, 40 1024-1037 (2021) [C1]
|
Nova | |||||||||
| 2018 |
Ross NM, Johnston L, Cocks J, Stoker L, 'Evidence-based law and practice with disadvantaged populations: Perspectives of parents involved in child protection proceedings', Newcastle Law Review, 12 23-41 (2018) [C1]
|
Nova | |||||||||
| 2015 |
Howard A, Johnston L, Agllias K, 'Ready or not: Workplace perspectives on work readiness indicators in social work graduates', Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 17 7-22 (2015) [C1]
|
Nova | |||||||||
| 2015 |
Howard A, Blakemore T, Johnston L, Taylor D, Dibley R, ' I m not really sure but I hope it s better : early thoughts of parents and carers in a regional trial site for the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme', Disability and Society, 30 1365-1381 (2015) [C1] The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is one of the most significant initiatives in Australian social policy history. Its complexity has been compounded by a fast-paced ... [more] The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is one of the most significant initiatives in Australian social policy history. Its complexity has been compounded by a fast-paced introduction and ongoing refinement throughout the initial trial phase. Parents and carers of very young disabled children face particular challenges accessing and navigating NDIS systems. This article presents findings from a mixed-method pilot study examining the perspectives of parents and carers of disabled children in one NDIS trial site ¿ the Hunter Region of New South Wales. The research highlights a number of policy assumptions potentially impacting on NDIS take up for young disabled children and their families in regional contexts. Based on research findings a number of policy suggestions and improvements for disabled children and their families entering the NDIS and other individualised funding schemes are outlined.
|
Nova | |||||||||
| 2013 |
Johnston L, 'Best practice in professional supervision: A guide for the helping professions', ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK AND DEVELOPMENT, 23 151-152 (2013) [C3]
|
Nova | |||||||||
| Show 4 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Report (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Ross N, Cocks J, Johnston L, Stoker L, ' No voice, no opinion, nothing : Parent experiences when children are removed and placed in care', 75 (2017)
|
Thesis / Dissertation (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Johnston L, Supervising Supervisors: Developing social work supervision practice, The University of Newcastle (2021) |
Dr Lou Johnston
Position
Casual Strategic Development & Partnerships Manager
Social Work
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Focus area
Social Work
Contact Details
| lou.johnston@newcastle.edu.au |
Office
| Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |
|---|