Dr Helen Richardson Foster
Research Fellow
School of Social Work, Care and Community
Helen Richardson Foster is a Research Fellow in the Connect Centre For International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm. Her research interests are domestic violence, children’s social care and family support.
Helen currently works on the Dahlia-19 study (‘Domestic Abuse Harnessing Learning Internationally under Covid-19’), funded by the ESRC with Professor Nicky Stanley (PI) and colleagues from UCLan and other universities. She has previously worked on the SafeLives and Women’s Aid ‘Roadmap’ evaluation of domestic violence services, funded by the Big Lottery Fund from 2018-2021. She also works on evaluation and research projects concerning domestic violence and abuse, support for families, child abuse and neglect. She supervises PhD students and MA dissertations.
Helen has over 20 years’ experience working as a researcher working in primary research and programme evaluation in social work, health, educational and community settings. She has worked as a researcher in universities, the voluntary and private sector. She currently is involved in the ‘Roadmap’ evaluation, which is a large evaluation of domestic abuse support services running from 2018-2021. Helen has experience of conducting systematic literature reviews, working with colleagues in the Connect Centre including a review of response to child sexual abuse for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and of early childhood and domestic abuse (funded by the NSPCC). She first worked at the University of Central Lancashire from 2007-2010 on a multi-site research project funded by the NSPCC exploring the response of children's services and the police to children experiencing domestic abuse. Helen completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield. The study was funded through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) CASE studentship scheme and was a collaboration with two local safeguarding children boards. Her thesis titled ‘Achieving a child focus? A Study of Child protection conferences in cases of neglect’ was a qualitative exploration of professional practice in child protection conferences. Whilst at the University of Sheffield she also worked on research projects including an evaluation of methods and materials to promote the voice of the child in child protection conference and a project for the Nuffield Foundation examining the judiciary's use of child welfare research. Helen is a member and former trustee of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (formerly BASPCAN). She was the Scientific Committee Administrator for the 2015 and 2012 BASPCAN congress events.
- PhD, University of Sheffield 2016
- MSc, Social Research, University of Surrey 2002
- BSocSc, Public Policy Making and Administration, University of Birmingham, 1995
- Domestic violence and abuse
- Family support
- Children’s social work
- Child neglect
- Multi-agency work
- Association of Child Protection Professionals (member)
Helen has worked on a number of research projects regarding domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect, and support for children and families. She has experience of a range of research methodologies and has an MSc in Social Research. Her PhD study used a multi-method qualitative approach to analysis child protection conferences in cases of neglect. The study gathered data from audio recordings, documentary analysis, and individual interviews and focus groups with a range of child protection practitioners.
Helen has experience of conducting systematic literature reviews, such as a review of responses to child sexual abuse for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and of early childhood and domestic abuse (funded by the NSPCC). She has worked on research studies that combined qualitative and quantitative data, for example a randomised control trial of multi-dimensional foster care treatment (Social Work Research and Development Unit, University of York) and a study of the early labour care (Mother and Infant Research Unit, University of York).
Use the links below to view their profiles:
- View their unique and persistent identifier on the ORCiD registry
- Full list of publications and articles on CLoK
- The Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm
- Helen currently works on the Dahlia-19 study (‘Domestic Abuse Harnessing Learning Internationally under Covid-19’), funded by the ESRC with Professor Nicky Stanley (PI) and colleagues from UCLan and other universities. She has previously worked on the SafeLives and Women’s Aid ‘Roadmap’ evaluation of domestic violence services, funded by the Big Lottery Fund from 2018-2021. She also works on evaluation and research projects concerning domestic violence and abuse, support for families, child abuse and neglect. She supervises PhD students and MA dissertations.
- SafeLives and Women’s Aid Roadmap evaluation of domestic violence services, funded by Big Lottery Fund, with Professor Nicky Stanley (PI), Dr Christine Barter, and Dr Kelly Bracewell and colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University, Bangor University and University of East London.
- ESRC 2020
- NSPCC 2018
- Interpersonal Violence Interventions - Social and Cultural Perspectives Conference in Jyväskylä, June 2021(online)
- 4th European Conference on Domestic Violence, 2021 (online)
- BASPCAN congress Edinburgh, 2015
- ISPCAN, Dublin 2013
- Baspcan congress, Belfast 2012
Telephone:+44 (0)1772 895121
Email: Email:Dr Helen Richardson Foster
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