Professor Karen Broadhurst

Professor of Social Work

Research 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 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) a role which involves raising awareness of the value of large-scale public services data for understanding the impact of social care, education and justice services. I am also Co-Lead for the national ESRC Community Catalyst with Prof Lucy Griffiths at Swansea University, which has set out a national children's data strategy and supports a community of researchers and analysts (2024-2026). I am Principal investigator of the ESRC funded study COMFT (Child Outcomes for Mothers Facing Trial). This study will, for the first time, link records across the family and criminal justice systems to understand the impact of dual system invovlement on the lives of mothers and children.

I Chair the Board of Trustees for the organisation HER CIRCLE 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.