Carol Ireland

Adjunct Staff

Dr Carol Ireland

BSc (Hons) in Applied Psychology, MSc in Psychology and Criminal Psychology, PhD, MBA, Grad Cert with Commendation in Professional Practice in Law: Approved Clinician Training

Adjunct Associate Professor

Dr. Carol A. Ireland is a Consultant Chartered Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist and Chartered Scientist. She has been working clinically with individuals who have committed sexual offences for 25 years, both as part of psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions. The context of such work as been varied, including HM Prison Service, High Secure Psychiatric Care and in the community. She was an accredited trainer and therapist for the HM Prison Service Sex Offender Treatment Programs, and is lead trainer for the Life Minus Violence Harmful Sexual Behaviour Therapy (www.tiofp.com). She also has experience of critical incidents (hostage taking, barricades, rooftop protests), both as an advisor and trainer of negotiators, and where she leads on advising and training for Mersey Care NHS Trust, UK. She has regularly published research in the area of sexual offending, sexual exploitation, critical incidents and aggression, as well as presenting nationally and internationally on this topic. She is also Senior Research Lead at the Ashworth Research Centre, Ashworth Hospital. She also works at the University of Central Lancashire, where she is the Director of Studies for the MSc in Forensic Psychology. She currently works at the Coastal Child and Adult Therapeutic Services (CCATS, www.ccats.org.uk), and where she is the Research Lead for the CCATS International Research Centre.

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) in Applied Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, UK;
  • MSc in Psychology and Criminal Psychology, the Manchester Metropolitan University UK;
  • Doctor in Philosophy, Thesis titled ‘Problems in Adapting to Prison Life’, University of Central Lancashire, UK;
  • Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Open University;
  • Graduate Certificate with Commendation in Professional Practice in Law: Approved Clinician Training, Northumbria University;
  • Accredited EMDR Therapist;
  • Consultant Forensic Psychologist;
  • Chartered Scientist.

Teaching

At the University of Central Lancashire I teach on consultancy, working with sexual and violent offenders and critical incidents.

Supervision

I regularly supervise MSc and PhD students. On average, I have 3 – 4 MSc dissertation students per year, and 7 to 8 PhD students at any one time. The topics of the research include child sexual exploitation, deliberate-self-injury/suicidal ideation, staff trauma in forensic services, critical incidents, aggression, terrorism, cybercrime, victims of abuse and psychopathy.

Research

Current research topics include the following:

  • Child sexual exploitation: the nature and extent, risk and protective factors, model development.
  • Staff trauma: Secondary and vicarious trauma in forensic psychiatric staff and the police, identifying the nature and extent of the trauma response and predictive elements.
  • Critical incidents: The functions and motivations of an individual’s engagement in hostage taking, rooftop protests and barricades (community and forensic psychiatric services).
  • Victims of abuse: The impact on victims exposure to physical and sexual abuse in residential/secure care as children.

Professional Memberships & Activity

Editor for the Journal of Forensic Practice, and I am an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice.

One of the National Advisors for the Police in the UK in regard to critical incidents.

Research Lead for the CCATS International Research Centre (www.ccats.org.uk)

Full Member of the Division of Forensic Psychology (British Psychological Society) and a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. I am a Consultant Forensic Psychologist and a Chartered Scientist.

Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Grants

Carol secured external funding for a 3 year fully-funded PhD scholarship from the Director of Security at Mersey Care NHS Trust. The student had now completed their studies (2018). Further, Carol has secured funding for 3 part-time PhD students, paid for from Mersey Care NHS Trust (ongoing).

Carol also brings in external income for the Ashworth Research Centre by the Trust paying the University for my time; this equates to around £30,000 and has been in place for the last 3 years. This is linked to my research in hostage and critical incidents, as well as being the C-QUINN lead for security and safer communities. In addition, as of late 2018/19, Carol secured £60,000 funding for CQUINN research from Mersey Care NHS Trust. Finally, Carol has four Maastricht University clinical and research interns, both of which have Erasmus scholarships and are on 10 month placements.

Media

The reality of work as a forensic psychologist

Crime 'crackers' no better than witch doctors