Your views needed: using research resources in casework with vulnerable people

We have been working hard to develop our forthcoming research hub and digest, which will keep you abreast of new high quality publications and the latest developments in the overlapping worlds of psychology, law and emotion. We look forward to publishing our first research digest in May, so be prepared for the face of our quarterly newsletter to change! In the meantime, we are running a short survey collecting legal and voluntary sector professionals’ views on using research resources in casework with vulnerable women, children and migrants, which you can find here. Your input into this exciting new phase of our work is much appreciated; please share the survey with any others who might be interested.

Spent a fascinating day yesterday at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine (Queen Mary College, Univ. of London) at an event which drew together medics and lawyers to promote the new MSc in Mental Health and Law at Queen Mary, led by Profs. Kamaldeep Bhui and Richard Ashcroft.  We listened to human rights lawyer Professor Francois Hampson speaking about international laws covering armed combat, and how medical facilities are, in law, very well protected, but in practice things are changing. Prof. George Szmukler, visiting professor at the LSE, spoke about the differences in rights to refuse treatment between people with physical and mental illnesses, and Sanchita Hosali told us about the great work of the British Institute of Human Rights.  Prof. Kam Bhui outlined the forthcoming results of a fascinating project that has reviewed a broad literature in order to understand the development of individuals' sympathies for, and likelihood to be drawn into terrorism, applying a public health approach to understanding and intervening at the earliest possible stages to prevent terrorist attacks.  I of course talked about our work bringing psychological evidence into refugee law and pointed a few more people to our website for resources for their work.

Another contribution to the multi-disciplinary outputs of the CREDO project

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) has just published Credibility Assessment in Asylum Procedures – A Multidisciplinary Training Manual. The manual is written by international experts within the framework of the “CREDO” project (funded by the European Commission), in cooperation with the UNHCR. 

CSEL is very pleased to have contributed a chapter, Memory and its Limitations, looking at what we know about memory for autobiographical events - which plays such a crucial role in applications for state protection.

HHC said in their announcement:
"Credibility assessment is undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of asylum decision-making. An important part of claims for international protection are rejected based on the justification that the determining authority or court does not believe what the applicant says. While in recent decades there has been spectacular advancement regarding the legal standards and relevant concepts of international refugee law, credibility has to some extent remained out of focus. This training manual aims to fill an important gap, by offering a creative, multidisciplinary learning method on credibility assessment, tailored to the needs of asylum decision-makers and other asylum professionals.

The manual is freely available online at http://helsinki.hu/wp-content/uploads/Credibility-Assessment-in-Asylum-Procedures-CREDO-manual.pdf, as well as at http://www.refworld.org/docid/5253bd9a4.html.

Annual Report 2012-2013 now online!

Our 2012-2013 Annual Report is now online, a review of another exciting year for CSEL - a new review of the psychology of memory, the CREDO project with UNHCR, and a new dissemination project funded by Comic Relief to reach lawyers. You can read it online, or download it to read at your leisure.

http://issuu.com/csel_uk/docs/annual_report_12-13_final

Please do get in touch to find out more about any of the work we've reported on, or to find out what we're up to this year!

Email: c.cochrane@csel.org.uk

Fascinating new research post at the Max-Planck Institute

The Max-Planck Institute for Human Development (Max Planck Institut für Bildungsforschung) Center for the History of Emotions, in Berlin, are calling for research proposals for a programme of enquiry into the history of emotion in law.

Looks fascinating!

See http:\\www.csel.org.uk/resource/max planck ad Law Emotions cfa.pdf for details and how to apply. 
Closing date 13th Oct.

CSEL Needs a Research & Communications Assistant

We're recruiting!

As part of the Evidence into Practice project, funded by Comic Relief, we are taking on a part-time Research and Communications Assistant to help the EiP project manager implement CSEL’s communications strategy and communications plan.

The RCA will work be responsible for carrying out clearly defined communications and research tasks aimed at promoting the organisation and its work to key target audiences, to increase awareness of CSEL’s research and dissemination work, and take-up of our training and consultancy services. To get the most out of this job you will an interest in human rights and justice, proven research skills, an ability to write for and use new media, and an ability to represent CSEL to external organisations and partners.

Please note, this is NOT a campaigning role: CSEL is not a campaigning organisation and does not carry out campaigning or lobbying activities. Our academic independence is vital to ensure our research is seen as credible by all relevant audiences.

We think the job will suit a recent graduate or post-graduate with the relevant skills. 

We’re particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates with experience of working with, and the ability to communicate with, people from different cultural backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Applications must be received by 5pm on 16 September 2013.

The post is fixed-term to September 2015.

Formore information, and for details of how to apply, see the job description.

Clare Cochrane, the EiP project manager, is available to talk about the role on 27 & 28 August and 4 September, on 07851 767 974.

Post-doctoral Child Psychology Researcher & Trainer

Recruiting for this post is now closed.  We will post more information here soon about our work on psychological issues for children seeking asylum.

 

This is an unique opportunity to lead a research and dissemination project at the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law in conjunction with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC). 

Following the recent CREDO project which reported on decision-making about adults seeking asylum in Europe (see Beyond Proof), UNHCR are collaborating with the Hungarian Helsinki Committee to review decision making across European states about children seeking asylum.  The project is part-funding the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law to review psychological literature pertaining to children seeking asylum, feeding into their final reports and training material.  The post-doc will make a substantial contribution to the write-up and analysis of the relevant empirical literature and theory. The written work will result in a publication in a peer reviewed scientific journal, chapters in the UNHCR final project report, a chapter in a training manual for decision makers, and the delivery of training to immigration judges in Italy and Bulgaria.

The post is for 12-18 months and the researcher would be responsible for an in-depth review of the empirical work and  for providing expertise on children in the asylum process.  There will be ample prospects for identifying further primary research and you will be supported in applying for funding to extend the post and to engage in further research and dissemination.

You must have a DClinPsych or PhD in clinical psychology or developmental psychology with a proven special interest in children. You should also have some experience of training and presentation.  Existing knowledge of the issues facing children seeking asylum would be an advantage.

If you are interested in applying and meet the criteria above, please contact Dr. Jane Herlihy for more details and how to apply: j.herlihy@csel.org.uk or call 07939 151557.

(Fixed term for 12-18 months part time)

Salary: £24,000 pro rata

Expected start date: 01 October 2013

Closing date for applications: 12 August 2013

Date for interviews: 5th September 2013