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 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.

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

Invited presentation to National Funders from ADR England: A national research agenda for children at risk of poor outcomes,
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

Learning from the Nuffield Family Justice Data Partnership: The rates of children in compulsory s31 court care proceedings in Wales – relationships with deprivation
Invited talk

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 Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities
  • Centre for Child and Family Justice Research
  • DSI - Society