Carmel is a Senior Lecturer,Head of the Discipline of Applied Social Science andAssociate Directorof the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the University of Galway. Carmel is currently a lead member of a COST Innovators Grant-funded Family Support Network focusing on quality assurance protocols for family support services in Europe. Before that from2019 - 2023, Carmel was a Working Group Leader and Management Committee memberofCOST Action (18123), a Europe-wide network focused on the development of Family Support theory, policy, and practice (EurofamNet). Carmel led the development ofa multi-dimensional and multi-level framework for conceptualising family support in Europe, advancing for the first time a coherent and comprehensive conceptualisation of family support in ways that uphold childrens rights and promote social justice and gender equality (Devaney et al., 2023). Carmels recent Public - No restrictionations and conference presentations are in the areas of Family Support, Parenting Support, Child Protection and Welfare, Alternative Care, and supporting practitioners who work in these areas. Carmel has published over 40 peer-reviewed research papers in international journals, including the British Journal of Social Work, Child and Youth Services Review, Child amp; Family Social Work, European Journal of Social Work , Journal of Family Studies , and Social Work Education as well as books, edited books, book chapters, and research reports. Carmel holds a BA in Social Studies (DIT), an MA in Family Support Studies (NUI Galway), and a PhD (NUI, Galway). She also holds a PG Cert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the University of Galway. Prior to joining the University,Carmelworked for many years in statutory children and family services as both a practitioner and manager.

Research interests include: Family and parenting support, prevention, and early intervention Child protection and Welfare Alternative care

Family Support, Child Welfare, Child Protection, Alternative Care, Parenting Support, Participation, Social Issues and Policy responses, practice issues in children and family services, reflective practice, adult education.