Hello! Thank you for joining me.
My name is Harriet Smailes, my pronouns are 'she/her', and I work as a researcher in the fields of sexual violence and domestic abuse. I am also currently undertaking a PhD on the topic of sexual violence in English Higher Education.
I previously worked as the Wellbeing Case Manager at a UK University, with my main role being supporting students who have been subjected to unacceptable behaviours. I managed a small team of Case Workers and together we ran the University initiative to tackle unacceptable behaviours, also running events and training programmes. I moved from this role into a leading sexual violence and safeguarding training and consultancy organisation, leading their universities strand of work. I have been volunteering and working for Rape Crisis for almost six years. I volunteer as an Emotional Support Worker - offering emotional support session to clients and their family members - and have previously worked part-time to support the Centre, including conducting assessments, providing waiting list support, and general administrative support.
I am a trained Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (accredited by NCFE) and a trained Mental Health First Aider, and I have a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills.
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I have contributed to publications in the field of forensic psychology and criminology (cited below):
Book Chapters
Smailes, H. (2022). Students, Sex Work and Sexual Violence: An Exploration and Guide for UK Universities. In: Jones, D., Sanders, T. (eds) Student Sex Work. Palgrave Advances in Sex Work Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07777-7_11
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Journal Articles
Damery, S., Gunby, C., Hebberts, L., Patterson, L., Smailes, H., Harlock, J., Isham, L., Maxted, F., Schaub, J., Smith, D., Taylor, J. & Bradbury-Jones, C. Voluntary sector specialist service provision and commissioning for victim-survivors of sexual violence: results from two national surveys in England. BMJ Open. 2024 Sep 13;14(9):e087810. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087810. PMID: 39277200.
Gunby, C., Isham, L., Smailes, H., Bradbury-Jones, C., Damery, S., Harlock, J., Maxted, F., Smith, D. & Taylor, J. (2024). 'Working the edge: The emotional experiences of commissioning and funding arrangements for service leaders in the sexual violence voluntary sector', Violence against Women. https://pure-oai.bham.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/218499248/GunbyC2024Working_AAM.pdf
Jores, T., Collof, M.F., Kloft, L., Smailes, H. & Flowe, H.D. (2019). A meta-analysis of the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on witness recall: A meta-analysis of the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on witness recall
Applied Cognitive Psychology
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3533
Smailes, H.L., Humphries, J.E., Ryder, H., Klatt, T., Maltby, J., Pearmain, A.M. & Flowe, H.D. (2018). Age-related differences in spontaneous trait judgments from facial appearance, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 25:5, 759-768, DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2018.1477633
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13218719.2018.1477633?journalCode=tppl20
Klatt, T., Maltby, J., Humphries, J.E. Smailes, H.L., Ryder, H., Phelps, M., & Flowe, H. D. (2016). Looking bad: Inferring criminality after 100 milliseconds [Electronic Version]. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 12(2), 114-125.
http://www.apcj.org/journal/index.php?mode=view&item=118
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Reports
Bradbury-Jones, C., Damery, S., Fruin, K., Gunby, C., Harlock, J., Hebberts, L., Isham, L., Jones, A-M., Maxted, F., Mighty, A., Parmar, P., Patterson, L., Schaub, J., Scott, F., Smailes, H., Smith, D. and Taylor, Julie (2023) Exploring voluntary sector specialist services for victim-survivors of sexual violence in England: the PROSPER co-production study. Research Report. NIHR. (In Press)
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External Blogs
Smailes, H. (2024). How consent education can be more than a tick-box exercise. Wonkhe. https://wonkhe.com/blogs/how-consent-education-can-be-more-than-a-tick-box-exercise/
Smailes, H. (2023). Overcoming Challenges in Strangulation Research. IFAS. https://ifas.org.uk/overcoming-challenges-in-strangulation-research/
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Please refer to the 'Work and Contact' tab for more information about private consultancy support I might be able to provide. My areas of specialty include developing strategic and operating responses and procedures, creating and delivering training, conducting service needs assessments and strategic development sessions, and providing one-to-one practical and emotional support to victim/survivors or sexual violence.
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Given my area of expertise being sexual violence, please note that this theme will reoccur in my opinion posts and may be triggering for some. I will, of course, do whatever I can to talk sensitively yet powerfully about this issue which requires significant attention and work - and I will welcome feedback relating to how positively I have done that.