I have four years’ experience teaching and examining in the areas of Criminology and Criminal Justice at undergraduate and postgraduate level (4-7) at Ulster University. Through these experiences I have taught on a range of modules in the areas of Criminology and Criminal Justice, but also in Sociology and Social Policy. Modules taught on: o PUP 119: Introduction to Crime and Deviance (Level 4: Core Module)o PUP 120: Crime and Criminal Justice (Level 4: Core Module)o PUP 121: Theories of Crime and Criminalisation (Level 4)o SOP107: Social Policy: Analysis and Skills (Level 4)o SOC330: Sociology of Development (Level 5)o PUP 321: Young People Crime and Justice (Level 5)o PUP 501: Crime and the Media (Level 6)o PUP 529: Contemporary Issues in Criminology (Level 6)o PUP 531: Prisons Punishment and Power (Level 6)o SOP506: Voluntary Action and Social Welfare (Level 6)o PCS711: Research Methods (Level 7) Teaching and examining at Ulster University has provided me with experience in the following areas:o Written communication skills, evidenced through the independent preparation of lecture slides, group worksheets and class tests.o Oral communication skills, required in delivering clear, coherent and concise information to students in large amounts through lectures; but also necessary for breaking down and explaining in greater detail large amounts of information and reading through seminars. o Awareness of the contemporary developments of teaching and learning, in particular the importance of e-learning and blended learning, and intertwining these into teaching in the area of applied criminal justice.o Teaching students from a range of social and cultural backgrounds, with changing and diverse learning needs such as teaching students with English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties.

My PhD research focused on the needs, experiences and attitudes of young men imprisoned in Hydebank Wood (Young Offenders Centre, Belfast), analysing these through the lens of masculinity. In recent years the Prison Review Team has described Hydebank, and young men (aged 18-24) imprisoned within, as the “forgotten group in the Northern Ireland prison system” and stated that the level of resources made available to this group are significantly less than for other prisons and prisoners (PRT, 2011: 70). Moreover, recent research highlights the unique nature of masculinity within Northern Ireland society with young men experiencing a “sense of alienation, perceived normality of violence, unwelcomed interactions with paramilitary members and restrictive notions of masculinity” (Harland and McCready, 2014: 1); their gender identities being constructed within “hostile and dangerous” environments imaginable (Ashe and Harland, 2014: 755). This ethnographic research coupled methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews in the aim of gaining a holistic insight into the whole social aspect of imprisonment. During the nine-month fieldwork period I visited the prison three/four times per week spending time with the young men in educational classes, vocational training, recreational activities and association times. The observational aspect of the research provided an insight into how traditional elements of masculinity, such as bravado and machismo, play out in a group dynamic; while the interviews provided valuable insight into young men’s subjective perspectives of imprisonment uncovering vulnerabilities such as bullying, mental health issues and struggles with substance misuse and addiction, issues young men often do not feel comfortable expressing in a group situation.

Independent Visitor (IV) Scheme (June, 2012–May, 2013): A befriending and support service provided to young people aged under 18 who are ‘looked after’ by the care system. The role of the IV is to provide continuity to the young person by spending time with them on a weekly basis, building a long term trusting and supportive relationship and acting as a positive influence in the young person’s life. Through the scheme I was able to facilitate the return and continued attendance of a young male to boxing training, something he enjoyed doing with his late father. MOVE Project (June, 2013–February, 2015): MOVE pairs a young person and a volunteer for a minimum of one year in the aim of providing enhanced opportunities for young people and address offending behaviour. The young person who I was paired with was heavily involved in the Criminal Justice System and was facing an extensive period in custody. Through some of the contacts in my own employment I was able to assist him in getting a job in a local restaurant, support him in returning to college and securing private accommodation. The young person was successful in desistance from offending behaviour and is now a volunteer on the MOVE project. We played an integral role in the securement of funding for the continuation of the MOVE project. The promotional is available online: http://www.niacro.co.uk/move Independent Representation (IR) Scheme (March, 2015–present): IR aims to ensure that the views, opinions and concerns of young people in Lakewood Secure Care Centre are heard, receive serious consideration and are responded to in a considered way. To achieve this the IR team mediate with the young people, listen to their concerns, and raise issues within the Centre. This involves building a genuine rapport with the young people by engaging in conversation and activities but also maintaining good working relations with the staff in order to ensure that the young people’s voices are heard and needs met.

Youth Work Volunteer (September, 2008- September, 2011): As a former youth club attendee I was recruited as soon as I was old enough to volunteer in the youth club, it is something which I thoroughly enjoyed as the club provides a social sphere for local young people and keeps them of the streets and out of trouble on a Friday and Saturday night. Through the youth club I gained experience in planning and initiating projects and activities with young people that enables them to develop and achieve. It also provided me with the ability to challenge young people to think about their values and attitude and also helping them to manage their behaviour. I have a good understanding of the needs of young people and a ability to raise their aspirations.I am a certified youth worker (level 2, NOCN) and have attended courses in suicide and self-harm prevention (PIPS: Mind Your Mate) and addressing drug use and abuse with young people (FASA: Give Drugs the Red Card).Rosario Youth Football Team (August, 2010-present):As a senior player with Rosario Youth I again got involved in coaching at a very young age. I have taken a junior team from Under-10 to their present age Under-16. One of the things myself and my partnering coach pride ourselves on is the inter-community aspect of our team which has players from a range of social classes but also cultural backgrounds which is a rarity in Belfast. Together alongside the support of the club we formalised a fundraising committee which raised almost £40,000 to bring our team and another to a week long football tournament in Barcelona (June, 2015). This was a tremendous achievement for us as a team and for Rosario as a whole.

My role as a Research Consultant with Perceptive Insight involved the quantitative and qualitative collection and interpretation of data and information on behalf of a wide range of national and international clients, from both public and private sectors. This provided me with comprehensive experience in a wide range of data collecting techniques, such as: focus groups, interviews, surveys and questionnaires. In conjunction with this I developed skills in a number of areas imperative in the research sphere, including data analysis (and subsequent software attributed with it: SNAP for quantitative analysis; NVivo for qualitative), authoring reports and maintenance of high levels of client service standards. Since starting my PhD I have worked for Perceptive Insight on an ad hoc basis helping out seasonally or in exceptionally busy periods.