Ian Cummins

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Ian is Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Salford. Before taking up an academic post, Ian Cummins worked as a probation officer and subsequently an approved social worker in Manchester for over ten years and is a registered social worker. He has acted as a reviewer for the Routledge Criminology, British Journal of Social Work, Journal of Social Work Education, International Journal of Social Work, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Journal of Academy of Social Science and the Journal of Adult Protection and Transgressive Culture. He has acted as a reviewer of research bids for the National Institute for Health Research Central Commissioning Facility and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Adult Protection. The main themes of his research are policing and mental illness in the era of mass incarceration and the cultural representation of policing.

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Support to enhance social networks for mental health

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Ian Cummins examines research on how mental health workers can support the generation of social capital through social networks for people recovering from psychosis and finds links with the recovery model.

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Rural housing problems, mental health and substance use

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Ian Cummins considers an Australian study on the interplay of rural issues, mental health problems and substance use on housing and access to a secure home.

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People with mental health problems talk about poverty

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Ian Cummins adds to current political debates about poverty and social justice as he explores Canadian research on the topic that captured the experiences and views of people with mental health problems who actually live in poverty.

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Community treatment orders and the limits of freedom

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Erstwhile Mental Elf blogger, Ian Cummins, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Salford University, joins the Social Care Elf to examine a study on the perspectives of service users, psychiatrists and carers on community treatment orders.

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Department of Health publish new guidance on reducing the need for restrictive interventions

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A handout photo, issued by the BBC, of a screen grab from the Panorama investigation into abuse at Winterbourne View. Photograph: BBC/PA

In Scandal, Social Work and Social Welfare (Policy Press 2005), Butler and Drakeford examine the ways, in which, social welfare policy is often formulated in a response to scandals or inquiries. These scandals highlight areas of abuse or neglect but also can act as an engine for change. This is true across all areas of [read the full story…]

Suicide in primary care: findings of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness

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The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness was established in its current form at Manchester University in 1996. From 1991, prior to the move to Manchester, research in this area had been managed within the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  The NCISH has established an outstanding national and international reputation [read the full story…]

Screening for mental health problems in the adult prison population

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On 14th May 2010, when Kenneth Clarke returned to the Ministry of Justice, the prison population in England and Wales was 85,009. When he had previously been Home Secretary in 1992-93, the average prison population had been 44,628 (Prison Briefing 2010). This represents a 90% increase in a period when crime rates were generally falling. The [read the full story…]

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‘Beating the Blues’ intervention shows promise for reducing depression and improving quality of life in older African Americans

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This paper reports the findings of a study exploring a new approach to treating the symptoms of depression in older African Americans. This a group of the population with very high levels of general health care needs – the result of a combination of factors including the USA’s political and social history but also modern [read the full story…]

We ignore the rise of suicide in people with mental illness

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Despite public campaigns to combat stigma around mental illness, people with mental health problems still face ongoing discrimination. And while some sections of the media focus on mental illness in cases of violence, a rise in the number of people who are more of a risk to themselves goes unnoticed. We still find it difficult [read the full story…]