Tess McGirr is a Sir Roland Wilson PhD scholar at Crawford School researching how social services can complement welfare reform to improve employment outcomes.

Tess has a long-held passion for social policy. In her most recent role in the Department of Social Services, Tess provided advice on children’s policy, family policy and programs, homelessness policy, family safety, gambling and financial wellbeing (including welfare quarantining measures such as income management and the cashless debit card trial). Tess also has experience overseeing delivery of various social service and infrastructure initiatives in communities and town camps in the Northern Territory, and has worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Tess is a presenter on the Policy Forum Pod series.