About Me
I have a background in social work practice, with a focus on supporting children and young people in alternative care settings. I've worked in both local authority and non-profit fostering and adoption teams in the United Kingdom, and I've also managed a secure unit that supported young people in contact with the criminal justice system.
I have worked in leadership roles with a care reform charity both as the Director of Programmes and subsequently as the Chief Executive Officer. Previously, I held the position of Assistant Professor in Social Work at the University of Bath, and I continue to maintain an affiliation as a visiting researcher at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy.
Presently, I am a social work academic at The Open University, I lead the Youth and Transitions hub in the Centre for the Study of Global Development, and I am the Pathway Lead for Health and Wellbeing PhD Students in the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership between the Open University, Brunel University and The University of Oxford. I also serve on the editorial board of the journal Social Work Education. My research interests focus predominantly on child welfare and care reform. I am committed to understanding the experiences of children and young people in alternative care and advocating for their voices to play a pivotal role in shaping policy and practice.
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