The Barnardos Board is pleased to welcome a new member, Massey University social work lecturer Jack Scanlan.

Mr Scanlan is completing his doctoral research, which focuses on addressing Samoan youth offending through the transformational change of Samoan social practitioners from South Auckland who were formerly at-risk youth. He was also a contributing author to the first Pacific social work textbook that was published in 2019.

“I am a New Zealand-born Samoan proud to be from Māngere, South Auckland,” he says. “My late parents were from the villages of Faleula and Vaiusu/Vaigaga.”

Much of Mr Scanlan’s work experience has been with the New Zealand Police, mainly as a non-sworn Police Youth Development Project Manager running a social service in East Auckland. He has also taught social work at several tertiary institutions throughout Tāmaki Makaurau and is a registered social worker.

Barnardos’ Board Chair James Te Puni says, “Jack’s passion, knowledge, and expertise in the youth justice field with over 20 years as a youth worker and social worker in South Auckland will strengthen the kōrero at the Board table. He will bring valuable perspectives, relationships and experience of the Pacific community and the social needs of young people and families to Barnardos that will add enormous value to our governance work.”

Social work lecturer Jack Scanlan joins Barnardos’ Board