Research
A PhD, alongside the practice.
Since 2021, Hannah Verheul-Cane has been working part-time toward a PhD — driven by the same gap she saw on the frontline: how rarely legal knowledge makes it into everyday social work practice. The research is ongoing, and this page will grow as it does.
Three threads, currently
Confidence and legal knowledge
How legal literacy shapes confidence in frontline, day-to-day decision-making.
Complexity of Cultural and Legal Support
There is something additionally challenging to supporting whaiora to navigate legal systems not originally designed for them and their whānau.
From thesis back to practice
How research like this finds its way back into the sector — not just into a thesis.
Notes, as they're ready
New notes are added here as the research develops — there's nothing to read yet, but it's coming. If you'd rather not check back, leave your email and Hannah will let you know when the first one is published.