Prof. Stephen Webb

Biography

In 2008 Stephen Webb was appointed from the University of Sussex, UK to the University of Newcastle. He is Professor of Human Sciences and Director of the newly established Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing (RISIW). Professor Webb is one of the worlds leading international researchers in the field of human services, Social Policy and is a pioneer of evidence-based practice research. His influential international research and publications since the late 1980s have significantly enriched the field of human services research by bringing innovative theoretical and methodological perspectives to the evaluation of social interventions and professional practice. His 2006 book Social Work in a Risk Society is widely acclaimed by international reviewers as demonstrating advanced scholarship and integrating sociological analysis to construct new conceptual and methodological frameworks in social work. His 2001 publication: ‘Some considerations on the validity of evidence-based practice in social work’, British Journal of Social Work, 31 (1), pp.57-79 is the world's highest cited social work (field 1607) publication and ranked as the most influential journal article in the discipline over the past decade (Hodge et.al, 2011).

Qualifications

• Master of Science (Accounting), University of Oxford - UK, 1992
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), Polytechnic of Wales, 1984

Research

Research keywords

• critical social work
• evidence-based practice
• governmentality
• risk society
• social inclusion and participaton
• social network analysis
• social work ethics

Research expertise

Professor Webb is one of the worlds leading international researchers in the field of human services, Social Policy and is a pioneer of evidence-based practice research. His influential international research and publications since the late 1980s have significantly enriched the field of human services research by bringing innovative theoretical and methodological perspectives to the evaluation of social interventions and professional practice.

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Centre for Social Research in Energy and Resources
• Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER)
• Research Institute of Social Inclusion & Wellbeing

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• social work ethics and values