Professor Karen Broadhurst
Professor of Social WorkResearch Interests
I have over 20 years experience in research focused on child and family justice. I am an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (since 2020). I have been awarded funding from the Nuffield Foundation, ESRC, NIHR, the Australian Research Council, British Academy, and national and local government. My research has improved the lives of parents and children at the sharp-edge of children's services by providing the first estimates of parents' vulnerability to repeat involvement in the family courts and thereby, catalysing new bespoke prevention programmes. I led the development team which supported the Nuffield Foundation to establish the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (2016-2019). I designed and led the high-profile Born into Care Series which is driving/informing more humane and compassionate practice in child protection at birth among family justice systems of the Global North.
I am currently serving as ADR UK Ambassador (ESRC), championing the use of large-scale organisational data for applied policy and practice focused research. I am also Co-Lead for the national ESRC Community Catalyst with Prof Lucy Griffiths at Swansea University, which will provide advice and guidance on a national children's data strategy as well as supporting a community of researchers and analysts.
I Chair the Board of Trustees for the organisation REFORM which aims to improve the lives of mothers living apart from their children. I also serve as trustee for Positive Action in the Community (PAC) Lancashire. I recently served as expert advisor to the Independent Review of Children's Social Care and advisor to the President of the Family Division's Public Law Working Group.
Teaching and Postgraduate Supervision
I bring a wealth of experience to my teaching and lead both curriculum development and delivery regarding social work and children and families, including law and policy.
I bring an intersectional lens to my teaching and place central the experience of children, youth and families involved with services.
I have extensive experience of PhD supervision, and supported multiple students to secure funding for their research and completion of their studies. I have also supported a number of students to secure competitive post-doc funding.
Data Science
I served on the Leadership team of Lancaster University's interdisciplinary Data Science Intitute for a period of 5 years (2019-2024), first as Society Lead and then as Co-Director. My specialist interest in data science lies in the safe, ethical and innovative use of public services data for legislative, policy and practice change.
I recently completed, as Principal Investigator (in partnership with the SAIL Databank, Swansea University) a large-scale programme of novel data analysis (grant of £2.2M), for the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, breaking new ground in the production of insights in public and private law. I am member of the Academic Advisory Group for the UKRI ESRC funded Data First Programme, led by the Ministry of Justice. I have served as funding panel chair for successive ESRC fellowship schemes linked to this programme. I am a member of the Research Committee for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
Centre for Child and Family Justice Research
In 2015, and following my return to Lancaster I established the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, which is an interdisciplinary research centre working in close collaboration with policy and practice partners, families and communities. The Centre is home to researchers, national and international doctoral students and visitors.
Open Access Articles and Reports
Urgent Care Proceedings at Birth: Time for a Fundamental Review. International Journal of Law Policy and the Family. https://academic.oup.com/lawfam/article/36/1/ebac008/6540595
"Born into Care" - read our statistics on newborn babies in care proceedings in England.
Listen to Radio 4 Today Programme coverage of this issue
Current Research Projects
With colleagues in Australia and the US, I am collaborating in the SIB (State Intervention with Babies) project funded by the Australian Research Council.
Birth Mothers in Recurrent Care Proceedings
Project articles and reports are available from the Nuffield Foundation funded study of birth mothers and recurrent care proceedings - many are free to download
Watch our Turning Points film here - what helps women to turn their lives around?
Final conference slides and papers are also free to download
PhD Supervision
I have extensive experience of doctoral research and currently supervise a cohort of students funded by the ESRC. I welcome applications from students interested in pursuing studies broadly relating to state support for families, child protection, the family courts, therapeutic court models; children and young people in and leaving care.
PhD Supervision Interests
DSI: ADR England Community Catalyst: Children at risk of poor outcomes
31/01/2024 → 30/01/2026
Research
International Perspectives on the removal of infants at birth
18/10/2023 → 30/09/2025
Research
DSI: The complex mental health needs of mothers who have had their children removed through the Family Court System: A qualitative study.
01/07/2023 → 31/12/2024
Research
PHIRST @ LiLaC (Liverpool & Lancaster Universities Collaboration for Public Health Research)
01/03/2022 → 28/02/2027
Research
DSI: Returning to Court. Who are the defendants at risk of repeated cases in the Magistrates' and Crown Court?
15/05/2021 → 30/09/2022
Research
Born into Care: infants becoming looked after in Scotland – proposal for a feasibility study into recurrence
01/11/2020 → 31/03/2021
Research
Born into Care: infants becoming looked after in Scotland – proposal for a feasibility study into recurrence
01/11/2020 → 31/03/2021
Research
DSI: Children in households with substance misuse, domestic violence or mental health problems: Who is at risk of entering care?
01/10/2020 → 30/09/2023
Research
Building Trauma-informed Responses in Supporting Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Community of Practice Approach
01/03/2020 → 30/04/2022
Research
The Illumination of the Child Protection Framework in the United Kingdom to Chinese Child Protection Policies and Practices
01/12/2019 → 30/11/2020
Research
Improving safe, ethical and effective practice when the State Intervenes to protect newborn babies at birth: co-designing and testing an evidence informed guideline
01/09/2019 → 28/02/2023
Research
DSI: SafePod
26/08/2019 → 30/09/2021
Research
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory Transition Phase
01/03/2019 → 31/08/2019
Research
DSI: Establishment of a Data Platform and Analytics Service for the Family Justice Observatory and the provision of research and results to the FJO and general public.
01/01/2019 → 30/04/2024
Research
Time Bound Project 2 - Rural Social Work
01/04/2018 → 30/06/2019
Research
Family Justice Observatory - Development Phase
01/03/2018 → 31/03/2020
Research
Specialist Family Law and Prison Law Advice and Advocacy Service for Mothers in Prison: Evaluation of implementation and effectiveness of pilot project to meet needs of those at risk of losing children to adoption or other Family Law interventions
01/07/2016 → 30/06/2019
Research
A Review of Cases of Contested Adoption
01/05/2012 → 30/09/2012
Research
Evaluation of the peer support for the senior social work managers pilot programme
01/02/2010 → 31/03/2011
Research
Children missing from education in Blackpool
01/01/2002 → 31/12/2004
Other
Cross-government roundtable, hosted by DFE and DHSC: policy and system change, safeguarding at birth
Invited talk
Workshop - Capability Building
Invited talk
Office for National Statistics Annual Conference:
Invited talk
ONS Conference: Building Capability and Community
Invited talk
RoundtableADR UK Community CatalystConsulting on a draft data strategy for children's social care research
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Children in Care Evidence Session: APPG House of Lords- Lead on Children in Care for N8
Invited talk
Born into Care: Invited Keynote Speech, National Conference
Invited talk
Born into Care: Opening Keynote Speech for National Conference
Invited talk
ESRC ADR UK (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Born into Care: A Practice and Research Update in partnership with the Local Family Justice Boards of Wales
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Born into Care: Research and Practice update for Wales
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Keddell Emily
Hosting an academic visitor
What kind of justice is family justice: Symposium Lead; International conference
Invited talk
REFORM (Charity) (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Valuing administrative data for family justice reform: invited speech: Institute for Government
Invited talk
Keynote: Mothers in Recurrent Care Proceedings. New Evidence for England and Wales
Invited talk
Aalborg University (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Office for National Statistics (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Aalborg University (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
ESRC Fellowships Workshop: Invited talk: Recorded for ADR UK library
Invited talk
ESRC (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
HOSTING ADR UK ROADSHOW AT LANCASTER WITH DSI
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Fellows funding panel (Event)
Membership of committee
ESRC ADR UK (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Maternal Mental Health Alliance (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
Born into Care: End of Project Event
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Fellowships Funding Panel Induction (Event)
Member of Advisory Panel
Invited Keynote
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Keynote - Recurrent Care Proceedings
Invited talk
Steering Group. Nurture 1 (Event)
Member of Advisory Panel
Regional Consultation - Trusted Research Environment NHS
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Research collaboration workshop = Ministry of Justice
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
North East Designated Family Judges and partner agencies
Invited talk
North East Research Update - Recurrent Care Proceedings
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
ESRC Fellows Workshop
Invited talk
ESRC (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Independent Review of Children's Social Care (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
Elsevier (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Ministry of Justice (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
Sociology (Organisational unit)
Membership of committee
Recurrent Care Proceedings - Understanding Parents' Needs
Invited talk
PhD external examiner
Examination
Family Justice Council Annual Debate, Central Hall, Westminster
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
NAGALRO
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Leicestershire and Rutland Family Justice Board: Annual conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Role of the Children's Guardian in light of court modernisation programme
Invited talk
Child and Family Court Advisory Service: Annual Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
New Horizons in Safeguarding Children
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
BASPCAN International Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
2nd European Social Work Research Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Families, Relationships and Societies (Journal)
Editorial activity
European Social Work Research Conference (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Child and Family Social Work (Journal)
Editorial activity
Centre for Child and Family Justice Research
- Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities
- Centre for Child and Family Justice Research
- DSI - Society