Dr Penny Woolnough

Teaching
Research

Programme Leader for BSc Psychology with Forensic Biology

Module Tutor:

Investigative Psychology and Law: Applying Psychology from Scene to Court Room
Forensic Psychology: Understanding Offender Behaviour
Workplace Review: : Designing a Psychological Intervention to solve a Real-World Issue

Supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD students.

Interests

I am an applied psychologist with a background in social and cognitive psychology. As Senior Research Officer and head of the Grampian Police Research Unit (now Police Scotland) for 14 years, my role involved the management of two members of qualified social science research staff as well as police officer and student attachments. I was responsible for designing and conducting a range of impactful quantitative and qualitative research projects (e.g., Force Stress Audit; Police Mental Health Awareness Review and Strategy Development; National Uniform Evaluation).

Working directly with the police I have cultivated my own research interests predominantly within the remits of forensic and investigative psychology. I am specifically interested in the investigation of crime, missing persons, the policing of vulnerable people, and stress and policing. I am particularly passionate about translating research into practice which is pervasive throughout my work.

I am currently undertaking/supervising research on:

Geographies of missing
Repeat missing adults
Suicide and missing
Police use of social media in missing person investigations
Geographies of police search
Mental health and missing
Interprofessional education.
Behavioural profiling of missing persons
Recruitment and retention of Authorised Firearms Officers

View Publications

More Information

Funding

02/21-01/24 (£69,593) Woolnough, P. Murray, J. and Wright, L. awarded a 50:50 SIPR / Abertay University funded PhD studentship – ‘Development of the First Empirical Risk Assessment and Decision Support Tool for Missing Person Investigations’.

09/17-08/20 (Clarke, C. (PI), Wilkinson, H., and Woolnough P. PhD studentship to commence September 2017 - Alzheimers Society 22/04/2016 (Ref. 2178). Staying Safe 'Going Out': Enacted Narrative Research – dementia and missing (£72,921 awarded to Edinburgh University).

Moir, A. and Woolnough P. Carnegie Trust Vacation Scholarship Grant (awarded 20/04/2017). Experiential Avoidance and Missing Persons (£1,500 awarded).

Hamilton, J. (PI) and Woolnough P. Carnegie Trust Vacation Scholarship Grant (awarded 18/04/2016). Evaluation of social media usage for missing person investigations by Police Scotland. (£1,350 awarded).

Woolnough, P. (PI) and Dickens, G. Abertay University R-LINCS PhD studentship (awarded September 2015) – Multiple missing: behavioural consistency in repeat missing adults (full studentship awarded - £55,500).

06/13-05/14 (£28,858, Scottish Institute for Policing Research) 'Interagency adult support and protection practice of police and health and social care professionals: A realistic evaluation approach'. Co-investigator with: Dr Sundari Joseph, Professor Susan Klein, Mrs Inga Heyman, Dr Lesley Diack (all Robert Gordon University) and, Detective Inspector Samantha McCluskey and Inspector Craig Menzies (both Police Scotland).

02/11-02/14 (£420,485, Economic & Social Research Council) 'Geographies of missing people: processes, experiences, responses'. Co-investigator with Dr Hester Parr (Glasgow University) and Professor Nick Fyfe (Dundee University). RES-062-23-2492

2010 (£2,000, Scottish Institute for Policing Research) 'Tell us what happened? An analysis of police missing person cancellation forms'. (Principal Investigator).

Esteem

2015 - ESRC Impact Prize Winner: Outstanding Impact in Society
2013 - Scottish Policing Awards: Scottish Institute for Policing Research Applied Policing Research Award
2009 - International Association of Chiefs of Police: Excellence in Law Enforcement Research Award.
2009 - Scottish Policing Awards: Outstanding Contribution Award - Service Response.
2009 - Grampian Police: Force Excellence Award - Learning.
2009 - Women's Development Forum: Excellence in Performance Award.

Knowledge Exchange

I have a very strong track record of working closely with practitioners and translating research into practice and policy. I have pioneered the development of behavioural profiling of missing persons and my research findings are used by all UK police forces, the RAF, Maritime Coastguard Agency and international agencies. ESRC funded research on the geographies of missing is currently forming the basis for national police e-learning tools.

A Registered Forensic Psychologist and Expert Advisor to the National Crime Agency, I have provided operational support to over 100 high profile missing person cases around the world. I am a member of an invited member of an Interpol Working Group and been invited by the Scottish Government to help develop a National Strategy for Missing Persons. My award winning research has received extensive national and local media coverage over many years.

Current:

Associate Director, Scottish Institute for Policing Research (2016-present)
Scottish Government Multi-Agency Missing Person Strategy Group (2014-2017)
Police Scotland National Missing Person Strategy Group (2014-present)
Scottish Institute for Policing Research Evidence and Investigation Network Steering Group (2007-present).
Interpol Specialist Crimes Against Children Working Group (2007-present).

Past:

International Academy of Investigative Psychology Recognition of Excellence Committee (2009).
Aberdeen University Business Committee (2002-2004).

Outreach

I have organised and chaired several international symposia and workshops. This involved selecting and inviting speakers, collating abstracts, arranging venues, and securing external funding/support. Meetings include:

• Third International Conference on Missing Children and Adults, 14-16 June 2017, Abertay University. Conference Chair.
• An evaluation of interagency adult support and protection practice of police and health and social care professionals in Scotland. Awareness Event on Public Protection, 25th February, 2016, Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.
• SIPR International Policing Conference. Edinburgh (26th November 2015). Organisation of sessions on missing persons.
• Economic & Social Research Council / Scottish Institute for Policing Research one-day seminar 'Missing persons in a European context: research, practitioner and policy perspectives'. Scotland Europa, Brussels: 17th May 2013.
• Workshop on the 'geographies of missing persons', in collaboration with the Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy, George Mason University, Washington DC, USA: 9th April 2013.

Recent invited presentations

Woolnough, P. and Parr, H. (2013) Geographies of missing people: Processes, experiences, responses. Sharing innovative practice: A Workshop featuring the winners of the Scottish Policing Awards 2013. Wednesday, 2nd October 2013, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan.

Woolnough, P. S. (2013) Spatial and social profiling for missing persons investigations. Joint Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy - Scottish Institute for Policing Research Symposium, Washington DC (April).

Fife, N., Stevenson, O., Parr, H. and Woolnough, P. (2012) The Police response to reports of Missing Persons - research on current practice, FBI European Chapter Personal Development session, Brussels, (September).

Fife, N. and Woolnough, P. (2012) 'Geographies of Missing People: processes, experiences and responses'. Joint Annual Missing Persons Conference, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry (April).

Fyfe, N., Stevenson, O., Parr, H and Woolnough, P. (2012) 'Geographies of Missing People: processes, experiences, responses'. National Compact User Group Meeting, Hull, (February).
Woolnough, P. S. and Bonny, E. (2011) Cancellation forms. Scottish Institute for Policing Research seminar on missing persons, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan (June).

Fyfe, N., Parr, H., Woolnough, P. and Stevenson, O. (2011) 'Geographies of Missing People: processes, experiences, responses'. Scottish Institute for Policing Research seminar on missing persons, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan (June).

Woolnough, P. S. (2010) Missing persons: practitioner research to national practice. Scottish Institute for Policing Research Annual Conference, Dundee, (September).

Woolnough, P.S. (2010) 'Missing children: statistically assessing the risks'. Interpol Crimes Against Children Working Group, Interpol, Lyons, France (September).

Woolnough, P. S. & Gibb, G. J. (2010) Using Behavioural Profiling to inform risk assessment and response. Chooselife Annual Summit, Aberdeen (February).

Woolnough, P.S. (2009) 'Missing or abducted: using data to drive risk assessment, search efforts and Child Rescue Alerts'. Interpol Crimes Against Children Working Group, Interpol, Lyons, France (November).

Woolnough, P.S. (2008) 'Missing Persons: Understanding, Planning & Responding'. Invited talk, Applied Forensic & Investigative Psychology as a Practical Tool for Law Enforcement, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland (September).

Gibb, G. J. & Woolnough, P. S. (2005) 'Profiling the Behaviour of Missing Children'. EU AGIS Conference, An Garda Siochana, Dublin, Ireland (April).

Woolnough, P.S. & Gibb, G.J. (2003). 'Finding Missing Persons through Behavioural Profiling'. European Law Enforcement Missing Persons Conference, Bad Breisig, Germany (November).

Gibb, G.J. & Woolnough, P.S. (2002). Urban and Rural Missing Persons: Behavioural Profiles. Annual National Mountain Rescue Conference, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh (September).

Recent conference presentations

Joseph, S., Diack, L., McCluskey, S., Heyman, I., Klein, S., Woolnough, P and Reddish, A. (accepted) Investigating the working practices of professionals protecting vulnerable adults: A Scottish Perspective. Fourth International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector: Towards safety, security and wellbeing for all. Miami, Florida, 22 to 24 October 2014.

Joseph, S., Diack, L., Klein, S., Heyman, H., McCluskey, S. and Woolnough, P. (2013) Interagency Adult Support and Protection Practice of Police and Health and Social Care Professionals: A Realistic Evaluation Approach. Poster presentation to Scottish Institute for Policing Research Annual International Policing Conference, Edinburgh (14th November).

Parr, H., Stevenson, O., Woolnough, P. and Fyfe, N. (2013) Geographies of missing people. 1st International Conference on Missing Children and Adults, Portsmouth (June).

Holmes, L., Woolnough, P., Gibb, G., Lee, R., and Crawford, M. (2013) Mental health and missing. 1st International Conference on Missing Children and Adults, Portsmouth (June).

Woolnough, P. S. (2013) Missing an opportunity: exploring the importance of mental health in cases of missing persons. Scottish Mental Health Nursing Research Conference, Aberdeen (May).

Stevenson, O. and Woolnough, P. (2013) Police Response to Missing Persons. Society for Evidence Based Policing Annual Conference, Edinburgh (February).

Stevenson, O., Parr, H., Fife, N. and Woolnough, P. (2012) 'The misper' and policing geographies of missingness, RGS-IBG Conference, Edinburgh (July).

Stevenson, O., Parr, H., Fyfe, N. and Woolnough, P. (2012) 'The misper: police case files and writing geographies of missingness and search'. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, New York (February).

Woolnough, P.S. and Gibb, G.J. (2010) Development of a behavioural profiling methodology for police risk assessment and response to missing persons. Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference, Kent (June).

Woolnough, P.S. & Gibb, G.J., (2007). Searching for suicide: Using Behavioural Profiling for Missing Person Risk Assessment and Response. SIREN Annual Conference 2007, Glasgow (September).

Harrison, M., Gibb, G.J. & Woolnough, P.S. (2004). 'Emerging Search Technologies: What's new in the UK?'. US National Search & Rescue Conference, Lansdowne, Virginia, USA (June).

Gibb, G.J., Woolnough, P.S. & Harrison, M. (2004). The Crystal Ball is Dead! Predictive Behavioral Profiles for Urban Search & Rescue. National Search & Rescue Conference, Lansdowne, Virginia, USA (June).

My research has received extensive national & local media coverage, including:

• Police Professional, 'Missing Partnerships', 12/03/14.
• Herald Scotland, 'Relatives of missing need more help', 19/12/13.
• BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, 19/12/13.
• Aberdeen Evening Express, 'Cops call in researcher to probe force racism claims', 02/09/13.
• Police Oracle, 'Research to probe treatment of officer transferees', 01/09/13.
• Police Oracle, 'Scotland: Researchers to examine BME misconduct probes', 22/08/13.
• Holyrood magazine, 'Police Scotland to assess link between ethnicity and misconduct issues', 16/08/13.
• Police Professional, 'Mapping the missing: understanding runaway adults', 18/07/13.
• Metro, 'Missing people need sympathy on their return', 20/06/13.
• Dundee Courier, 'Why do they go?', 20/06/13.
• BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, 19/06/13.
• The Independent, 'Missing adults hide - but they don't run far', 16/06/13.
• Aberdeen Evening Express, ‘Psychologist digs into the minds of missing people’, 03/01/2013.
• The Scottish Sun, ‘Unlocking the truth behind the missing’, 14/12/12.
• STV Magazine, 19/09/12.
• STV Scotland, 17/09/12.
• The Guardian, 'Campaign to unlock secrets of people who go missing', 17/09/12.
• Radio5 live Drive Time, 17/09/12.
• BBC Radio Wales, 17/09/12.
• BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, 04/07/12.
• BBC Radio Tees, 08/02/12.
• The Evening Times, 04/07/12.
• The Dundee Courier, 07/02/11.
• BBC Radio Scotland (Aberdeen), 'news bulletin interview', 07/02/2011.
• Northsound Radio, 'news bulletin interview', 06/02/2011.
• STV Local, 05/02/11.
• The Dundee Courier, 'University research hopes to improve understanding of missing person issues', 05/02/11.
• Halifax Courier, 'Experts study missing person cases', 04/02/2011.
• Herald Scotland, 04/02/11.
• Press & Journal, 'Grampian Police in awards haul', news article 22/10/09
• The Herald, 'Scottish policeman's system for finding missing children will be used across UK', 04/05/09.
• STV North Tonight, 'Missing feature', 17/04/09.
• BBC Radio Scotland, 'Mountain rescue in the City', 25/02/09.
• The Herald, 'New system helps pinpoint location of missing persons', 08/04/05.
• The Scotsman, 'Scots police lead world with system to help trace the missing', 08/04/05.
• Northsound Radio, 'news bulletin interview', 06/05/05
• Aberdeen Evening Express, 'New way to help in searches', 06/04/05.
• Press & Journal, 'New approach to missing people', 06/04/05.
• STV Frontline, 'Missing', 2005
• BBC Radio Scotland, 'news bulletin interview', 2005.
• Press & Journal, 'Revolutionary database offers hope in missing person cases', 31/12/04.