Linda Isherwood

Dr Linda Isherwood

Grant-Funded Researcher (C)

School of Social Sciences

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Dr Linda Isherwood is a Senior Research Fellow with the School of Social Sciences. She holds the role of Research Integrity Advisor at the University of Adelaide and is also a member of the ABLE Lower Risk Human Research Ethics Committee. Linda is a social worker by background and has worked extensively in the mental health and disability sectors in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Linda's key research interests are in the fields of housing, aged care, disability and public policy with a particular emphasis on policy and program evaluation. She specialises in undertaking research with disadvantaged groups including with Indigenous communities and people with disability. Linda is highly skilled in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and in combining these approaches in her research. She has been a senior researcher on a range of large-scale commissioned research projects that have informed policy development across several government priority areas. Linda has also been a chief investigator on numerous Category 1 research projects predominantly within the fields of Indigenous housing and aged care.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2017 - ongoing Senior Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2012 - 2017 Research Fellow Flinders University, Adelaide
    2008 - 2011 Research Associate Flinders University, Adelaide

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2017 Award Australian Association of Geronotology Distinguished Member Award Australian Association of Gerontology Australia -
    2016 Fellowship Australian Association of Gerontology Fellowship Award Australian Association of Gerontology Australia -
    2014 Research Award Australian Association of Gerontology SA Division Early Career Research Award Australian Association of Gerontology Australia -
    2014 Research Award Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence Flinders University Australia -
    2012 Research Award Flinders University Best Research Student Paper Flinders University Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2013 Flinders University Australia PhD
    2005 University of Manchester United Kingdom Post-Graduate Diploma Family and Individual Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy of Psychosis
    2004 University of Manchester United Kingdom Advanced Mental Health Social Worker Award
    1996 University of Leicester United Kingdom MA/Diploma Social Work
    1992 Durham University United Kingdom BA (Hons) Economics & Politics

  • Research Interests
    Social Policy Social Program Evaluation Indigenous studies Housing policy People with disability Ageing and older people

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Isherwood, L. (2023). The gendered experience of social resources in the transition to late-life widowhood. Ageing and Society, 43(3), 689-705.
    DOI Scopus5
    2022 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Dockery, M., Baker, E., & Pham, A. (2022). ‘What works’ to sustain Indigenous tenancies in Australia. AHURI Final Report, (374).
    DOI Scopus7
    2022 Dockery, A. M., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., & Harris, M. (2022). How many in a crowd? Assessing overcrowding measures in Australian housing. AHURI Final Report, (382), 1-130.
    DOI Scopus3
    2022 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Sutton, Z. (2022). Mapping gender-bias in the Australian health and care industry: A case study. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 25(2), 171-192.
    2022 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Sutton, Z. (2022). Mapping gender-bias in the Australian health and care industry: A case study. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 25(2), 171-192.
    2022 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Sutton, Z. (2022). Mapping gender-bias in the Australian health and care industry: A case study. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 25(2), 171-192.
    Scopus200 WoS128
    2021 Xiao, L., Harrington, A., Mavromaras, K., Ratcliffe, J., Mahuteau, S., Isherwood, L. M., & Gregoric, C. (2021). Care workers' perspectives of factors affecting a sustainable aged care workforce. International Nursing Review, 68(1), 49-58.
    DOI Scopus19 WoS10 Europe PMC8
    2020 Charlesworth, S., & Isherwood, L. (2020). Migrant aged-care workers in Australia: do they have poorer-quality jobs than their locally born counterparts?. Ageing and Society, 41(12), 2702-2722.
    DOI Scopus22
    2019 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2019). 460023_Individualised funding and its implications for the skills and competencies required by disability support workers in Australia. Labour and Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work, 29(1), 34-51.
    DOI
    2019 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. M. (2019). ‘The wrong sex’? Understanding men’s representation in the Australian aged care sector. Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(1), 105-128.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS1
    2017 Brown, L., Osborne, K., Walker, R., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L. M., Patel, K., . . . King, D. (2017). The benefits of a life-first employment program for Indigenous Australian families: Implications for ‘Closing the Gap’. Journal of Social Issues, 8(1), 78-95.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS1
    2017 Isherwood, L., & King, D. (2017). Targeting workforce strategies: understanding intra-group differences between Asian migrants in the Australian aged care workforce. International Journal of Care and Caring, 1(2), 191-207.
    DOI Scopus14
    2017 Isherwood, L., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2017). Widowhood in the fourth age: support exchange, relationships and social participation. Ageing and Society, 37(1), 188-212.
    DOI Scopus31 WoS24
    2017 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., King, D., Walker, R., & Brown, L. (2017). Multiple disadvantage, service delivery and client outcomes in a strengths-based employment program. Australian Bulletin of Labour, 43(1), 1-20.
    2016 Isherwood, L., Luszcz, M., & King, D. (2016). Reciprocity in material and time support within parent-child relationships during late-life widowhood. Ageing and Society, 36(8), 1668-1689.
    DOI Scopus14 WoS13
    2016 Walker, R., Brown, L., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L. M., Osbourne, K., Patel, K., & King, D. (2016). 'They really get you motivated': Experiences of a life-first employment program from the perspective of long-term unemployed individuals. Journal of Social Policy, 45(3), 507-526.
    DOI Scopus11 WoS8
    2015 Reed, R., Isherwood, L., & Ben-Tovim, D. (2015). Why do older people with multi-morbidity experience unplanned hospital admissions from the community: a root cause analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1), 525-1-525-6.
    DOI Scopus29 WoS22 Europe PMC16
    2014 Allison, S., Roeger, L., Smith, B., & Isherwood, L. (2014). Family histories of school bullying: Implications for parent-child psychotherapy. Australasian Psychiatry, 22(2), 149-153.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS5 Europe PMC2
    2013 Reed, R., Barton, C., Isherwood, L., Oliver-Baxter, J., & Roeger, L. (2013). Recruitment for a clinical trial of chronic disease self-management for older adults with multimorbidity: a successful approach within general practice. BMC Family Practice, 14(1), 125-1-125-7.
    DOI Scopus20 WoS19 Europe PMC9
    2013 Walker, R., Isherwood, L., Burton, C., Kitwe-Magambo, K., & Luszcz, M. (2013). Marital satisfaction among older couples: The role of satisfaction with social networks and psychological well-being. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 76(2), 123-139.
    DOI Scopus29 WoS25 Europe PMC9
    2012 Isherwood, L., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of social engagement in late-life widowhood. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 74(3), 211-229.
    DOI Scopus36 WoS33 Europe PMC14

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2019 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2019). Individualised funding and its implications for the skills and competencies required by disability support workers in Australia. In Labour and Industry Vol. 29 (pp. 34-51). ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD.
    DOI Scopus23 WoS18
    2019 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2019). “The tyranny of distance is ever present”: The disability sector and its workforce in rural and remote Australia. In AIRAANZ. Melbourne.
    2019 Isherwood, L., & Moskos, M. (2019). Attraction and retention of aged care nurses and care workers in the Australian aged care workforce. In AIRAANZ. Melbourne.
    2018 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Mavromaras, K. (2018). individualisation and marketisation of disability care in Australia: Implications for the demand and provision of training. In The Association of Industrial Relations Academics in Australia and New Zealand (AIRAANZ) Conference. Adelaide.
    2018 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. M. (2018). 'The Wrong Sex'? Understanding men's representation in the Australian aged care sector. In The Association of Industrial Relations Academics in Australia and New Zealand (AIRAANZ) Conference. Adelaide.
    2018 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2018). ‘The wrong sex’? Understanding men’s representation in the Australian aged care sector. In GWO. Sydney.
    2018 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2018). “The tyranny of distance is ever present”: The disability sector and its workforce in rural and remote Australia. In GWO. Sydney.
    2018 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2018). Attraction and retention of aged care nurses and care workers. In AAG. Melbourne.
    2018 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2018). Older people with disability and the NDIS. In AAG. Melbourne.
    2018 Isherwood, L. (2018). Post-doctoral opportunities: Academia and beyond. In AIRAANZ. Adelaide.
    2018 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., & Mavromaras, K. (2018). Individualised funding and its implications for the skills and competencies required by disability support workers in Australia. In Gender, Work and Organisation International Interdisciplinary Conference. Sydney.
    2018 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Mavromaras, K. (2018). Individualisation and marketisation of disability care in Australia: implications for the demand and provision of training. In Gender, Work and Organisation International Interdisciplinary Conference. Sydney.
    2017 Walton, H., Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2017). Anticipating and addressing the impeding shortages of disability support workers: insights from the sector. In The Annual Conference of the Australian Sociological Association. Perth.
    2017 Isherwood, L., & Moskos, M. (2017). ‘The wrong sex’? Men’s representation in the Australian aged care sector. In Australian Association of Gerontology Conference. Perth.
    2017 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2017). Anticipating and addressing the impending shortages of disability support workers: Insights from the sector. In NCVER 26th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference ‘No Frills’. Hobart.
    2017 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2017). ‘The wrong sex’? Understanding men’s representation in the Australian aged care sector. In TASA. Perth.
    2017 Isherwood, L. (2017). Recruitment and retention: Perspectives from the aged care workforce. In LASA. Sydney.
    2013 Osborne, K., Patel, K., Walker, R., King, D., Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2013). Reducing intergenerational disadvantage through a life-first employment program: Individual and systems approaches.. In Public Health Association of Australia: Social Inclusion and Complex needs conference. Canberra.
    2013 Isherwood, L. M., Moskos, M., King, D., Osbourne, K., & Walker, R. (2013). The impact of complex disadvantage in a strengths-based employment program. In Australian Social Policy Conference. Sydney.

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2018 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2018). Individualised funding and its implications for work and employment in the disability sector in Australia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Gender, Work and Organisation International Interdisciplinary Conference. Sydney.
    2016 Isherwood, L. M. (2016). Occupational health and safety in the provision of care. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Association of Gerontology Conference. Canberra.
    2015 Isherwood, L. M., & King, D. (2015). Targeting workforce strategies: Asian migrants in the Australian aged care workforce. Poster session presented at the meeting of International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Regional Congress. Chiang Mai, Thailand.
    2014 Isherwood, L. M. (2014). Reciprocity in social support exchange in parent-child relationships during late-life widowhood. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Association of Gerontology Conference. Adelaide.
    2014 Isherwood, L. M. (2014). Support exchange in parent-child relationships in late-life widowhood. Poster session presented at the meeting of 12th Global Conference on Ageing. Hyderabad, India.
    2013 Isherwood, L. M., & King, D. (2013). The experience of Asian migrants in the aged care workforce. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Association of Gerontology Conference. Sydney.
    2013 Isherwood, L. M., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2013). I'm still here, I'm still living, I've got a life to live: The transition to widowhood in later life. Poster session presented at the meeting of 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Seoul, Korea.
    2012 Isherwood, L. M., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2012). Proximity to adult children in late-life widowhood. Poster session presented at the meeting of South Australian Gerontology Conference. Adelaide.
    2012 Isherwood, L., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2012). Widowhood in the fourth age: loss, ageing and resilience. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 45th National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, as published in Australasian Journal on Ageing. Brisbane: Wiley-Blackwell.
    DOI
    2011 Isherwood, L. M., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2011). A longitudinal analysis of social activity in late-life widowhood. Poster session presented at the meeting of International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Regional Congress. Melbourne.
    2011 Isherwood, L. M., King, D., & Luszcz, M. (2011). Social activity in late-life widowhood. Poster session presented at the meeting of South Australian Gerontology Conference.
    2009 Isherwood, L. M., & Reed, R. (2009). A root cause analysis of emergency admissions at Flinders Medical Centre: a pilot study. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Redesigning Health Care Summit. Brisbane.

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2024 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Mahuteau, S., Lester, L., & Wei, Z. (2024). Review of the Impact of the Cessation of the Cashless Debit Card: Final Report. Department of Social Services.
    2024 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Dockery, M., Habibis, D., Grealy, L., Benedict, R., . . . Lea, T. (2024). Indigenous people's mobility and its impact on remote infrastructural needs: an exploratory study. Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
    DOI
    2023 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Dockery, M. (2023). Footprints in Time: Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) Housing Research Report - Literature Review.
    2023 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2023). Review of the Impact of the CDC Transition: Interim Report – Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.
    2023 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2023). Review of the Impact of the CDC Transition: Interim Report – Ceduna.
    2023 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2023). Review of the Impact of the CDC Transition: Interim Report – East Kimberley.
    2023 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2023). Review of the Impact of the CDC Transition: Interim Report – Goldfields.
    2022 Dockery, M., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., & Harris, M. (2022). How many in a crowd? Assessing overcrowding measures in Australian housing (374).
    2022 Moskos, M., Mahuteau, S., & Isherwood, L. (2022). ARAS Unmet Need Study: High Level Findings – 2021 to 2031 South Australian Population projections and APY Lands Case Study.
    2021 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., & Mahuteau, S. (2021). NDDA Education to Employment SA test case: Integrated qualitative and quantitative findings.
    2021 Isherwood, L., Moskos, M., & Smith, L. (2021). NDDA Education to Employment SA test case: qualitative research into lived experience to support quantitative analysis.
    2021 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Smith, L., Sutton, Z., Walton, H., & Mavromaras, K. (2021). NDIS Utilisation Project: understanding drivers of plan utilisation from the point of view of participants.
    2021 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., Mahuteau, S., & Isherwood, L. (2021). Evaluation of the Cashless Debit Card in Ceduna, East Kimberley and the Goldfields - Consolidated report.
    2021 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2021). Evaluation of the Cashless Debit Card in Ceduna, East Kimberley and the Goldfields Region: Qualitative Supplementary Report.
    2020 Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2020). Insight Paper: Male Workers in the Female-dominated Health Care Industry.
    2020 Isherwood, L., & Moskos, M. (2020). Employer Guide: Male Workers in the Female-dominated Health Care Industry.
    2019 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Mavromaras, K., & Mahuteau, S. M. (2019). Cashless Debit Card Baseline Data Collection in the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay Region: Qualitative Findings.
    2019 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L. M., & Mahuteau, S. (2019). Cashless Debit Card Baseline Data Collection in the Goldfields Region: Qualitative Findings.
    2019 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., & Wei, Z. (2019). Anticipating and addressing the impending shortage of skilled disability support workers.
    2018 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., Mahuteau, S., Isherwood, L., Goode, A., Walton, H., . . . Flavel, J. (2018). Evaluation of the NDIS.
    2018 Isherwood, L. M., Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., & Wei, Z. (2018). Attraction, Retention and Utilisation of the Aged Care Workforce.
    2017 Mavromaras, K., Knight, G., Isherwood, L. M., Crettenden, A., Flavel, J., Karmel, T., . . . Wei, Z. (2017). The Aged Care Workforce, 2016.
    2016 Mavromaras, K., Moskos, M., & Mahuteau, S. (2016). Evaluation of the NDIS: Intermediate Report.
    2015 National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS). (2015). Evaluation of the NDIS: Initial Report. Adelaide.
    2015 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L. M., Walker, R., & Brown, L. (2015). Building Family Opportunities: Program Evaluation: Summary Report.
    2014 Moskos, M., Isherwood, L., Walker, R., & Brown, L. (2014). Building Family Opportunities: Program Evaluation Final Report.

  • Theses
    Year Citation
    2013 Isherwood, L. M. (2013). The Role of Social Resources in Late-Life Widowhood: A Mixed Methods Study. (PhD Thesis).

  • Working Paper
    Year Citation
    2009 Isherwood, L. M., & Kalucy, L. (2009). Evaluation of chronic disease management in primary health care. Primary Health Care Research and Information Service.
    2009 Isherwood, L. M., Kalucy, L., Katterl, R., & Reinfeld-Kirkman, N. (2009). Health promotion of physical activity. Primary Health Care Research and Information Service.

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2020 - ongoing Senior Group Member - Research Trust Grant Committee Australian Association of Gerontology Australia
    2016 - ongoing Co-convenor Australian Association of Geronotlogy Ageing, Workforce and Education Special Interest Group -
    2014 - ongoing Treasurer Australian Association of Gerontology SA Division -
  • Position: Grant-Funded Researcher (C)
  • Phone: 83136242
  • Email: linda.isherwood@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Nexus 10, floor 5
  • Org Unit: Future of Employment and Skills Research Centre
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