Fiona Smith

Academic qualifications

• BA (Hons) University of Manchester;
• PhD University of Reading

Profile

Fiona Smith is director of the Centre for Human Geography and director of the Out of School Childcare Research Unit (OSCRU). Her research focuses on the lives of children and young people, gender, parental employment and impacts of welfare reform. Fiona has carried out research for a variety of organisations including Central Government departments, local authorities, voluntary organisations, charities and the ESRC. She publishes her work in a variety of internationally renowned journals and books and has co-authored a number of Government reports. She is the book reviews editor for the journal ‘Children’s Geographies’ and is a member of its editorial board. She holds a Department for Work and Pensions Framework Agreement, meaning she is eligible to carry out research for this Government Department.  Fiona teaches on the MA Social Work programme and supervises students on the MA in Children, Youth and International Development. She is Chair of the Social Work Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing Committee and is the MA Social Work Admissions Tutor.

Committee responsibilities

• School Research Committee;
• School Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing Committee;
• University Admissions Tutors Forum;
• Chair Social Work Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing Committee

Admin responsibilities

• Director: Centre for Human Geography;
• Chair: Social Work Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing Committee;
• MA Social Work Admissions Tutor;
• Acting Module Leader SW 5540 (MA Social Work Dissertation Module)  

Other responsibilities

Convenor of ‘New Geographies of Body and Mind’ Seminar Series

Teaching responsibilities

Acting Module Leader SW 5540
Teaching on SW 5540 (dissertation workshops)
HH5577 (Research methods workshops for Social Work students)

PhD supervision

• Susie Weller (completed)
• John Barker (completed)
• Barbara Van Wijnendaele (current)

Teaching interest

Social Geography; Children and Young People’s Geographies; Gender

Research interests

My research interests include the impacts of social policy and welfare reform upon women and children; lone parent families; childcare provision; children's geographies; gender and education; children’s emotional and social wellbeing.

Research centres

• Centre for Human Geography (CHG)
• Centre for Child and Youth Research (CCYR)

Research projects and grants

DWP Research Framework Agreement
(Department of Work and Pensions: 2009-2012) Fiona Smith, Susan Buckingham, John Barker, Emma Wainwright, Elodie Marandet

Women's progression through training: from socialisation to qualification, funded by the London West LSC -(with S Buckingham, E Marandet and E Wainwright)

The training needs of women with children under five, funded by European Social Fund for the London West LSC (F Smith, S Buckingham, E Marandet and E Wainwright)

Evaluation of the Childcare Affordability Programme
(Department for Education and Skills, 2006-2008) John Barker and Fiona Smith with SQW 

DWP Research Framework Agreement
(Department of Work and Pensions: 2004-2008) Fiona Smith, Susan Buckingham, John Barker, Emma Wainwright, Elodie Marandet, Valerie Hey (School of Education and Sport) and Judith Harwin (School of Health Sciences and Social Care)

Evaluation of Third Round Childcare Programme
(New Opportunities Fund, 2003) Fiona Smith and John Barker with SQW limited

Evaluation of Childcare Partnership Managers
(Department for Work and Pensions: 2003-2004) Fiona Smith and John Barker

The impact of out of school childcare on children and parents
(DFES: 2002-2003) Fiona Smith, John Barker and members of the Child-Focused Research Centre

‘Gender’ and educational outcomes across Brunel University 2004, funded by the Learning and Teaching Development Unit, Brunel University

Evaluating the Out of School Hours Childcare Initiative (New Opportunities Fund: £120,000, 2001-2002) Fiona Smith and John Barker (with SQW)

'Gendered' achievement in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, 2001-2003, funded by the Learning and Teaching Development Unit, Brunel University

Community attitudes towards after-school care (Kids Clubs Network, 1999) Fiona Smith and John Barker

Child-centred after-school and holiday childcare funded by the ESRC: The Children 5-16 Research Programme [award No. L129251050, 1996-1999],

Professional activities or recognition

• Book reviews editor for ‘Children’s Geographies’ Journal;
• External Examiner University of Gloucester;
• Member of DWP Research Framework
  

Other external activities

Academic Advisor Hawn Foundation

Publications

Journal Papers

(2011) Smith, F., Wainwright, E., Buckingham, S. and Marandet, E., Women, work-life balance and quality of life: Case studies from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland | Las mujeres, el equilibrio trabajo-vida personal y la calidad de vida: Estudios de caso del reino unido y la república de Irlanda, Gender, Place and Culture 18 (5) : 603- 610

(2010) Wainwright, E., Marandeta, E., Smith, F. and Rizvi, S., The microgeographies of learning bodies and emotions in the 'classroom-salon', Emotion, Space and Society 3 (2) : 80- 89

(2008) Smith, F., Barker, J., Wainwright, E., Marandet, E. and Buckingham, S., A new deal for lone parents? Training lone parents for work in West London, Area 40 (2) : 237- 244

Book Chapters

(2009) Ansell, N. and Smith, F., Young people, care and social wellbeing. In: Smith, S., Marston, S. and Pain, R. eds. Handbook of Social Geography. Sage