Our themes are guided by Working Groups of subject specialists. They are led by members of our Advisory Council and supported by Fellows, and partner organisations. Each Working Group identifies a topical issue around which to focus an annual theme, and then supports its delivery and promotion. Members are available to help Fellows in that theme with advice and networking.
Emmanuel is the Director of Lighthouse, a charity focused on improving outcomes for looked after children by setting up education focused children's homes. His 2018 Fellowship focused on social pedagogy - a relationship based way of working with children in children's homes.
Laurelle Brown is Founder and Principal Consultant of Laurelle Brown Training and Consultancy. The multi-disciplinary team work with organisations across the UK to support the delivery of high quality, intersectional practice and services for children and families. Her Fellowship in 2018 focused on foster care for adolescents with 'complex needs'.
Geneva Ellis is a Director at St Christopher's Fellowship, a charity which cares for and supports children and young people in care. Her Fellowship in 2012 focused on learning from international children's home models.
Dr Carlene Firmin is a Churchill Fellow and a Professor of Social Work at Durham University. In 2016 she published the Contextual Safeguarding framework, a term coined by Carlene in 2014. This framework has been used to advance policy and research concerned with safeguarding adolescents in the UK and internationally, and has led to changes in social care responses to extra-familial abuse. In 2011 Carlene became the youngest Black woman to receive an MBE, for her seminal work on gang-affected young women in the UK.
Sophie Gross is a foster carer looking after babies and supporting mothers. Her Fellowship in 2017 focused on supporting care experienced mothers when they had their babies.
Kate Hulme is a Trustee at the Hadley Trust, our funding partners for this theme. The Hadley Trust is a grant making charity with a focus on improving the lives of disadvantaged people, mainly in the UK. Kate has a particular interest in working with young people.
Callum Lynch is a care experienced public affairs worker based in Scotland. His Fellowship in 2018 focused on giving a voice to young people in care.
Juliet Lyon is a member of our Advisory Council. She chairs the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and is a visiting professor in the School of Law at Birkbeck, University of London. She was formerly director of the Prison Reform Trust, director general of Penal Reform International and a Women’s National Commissioner. Working across mental health and education, she has headed a school psychiatric unit, directed community education in a comprehensive school and managed therapeutic communities. Juliet was a founding advisor to ChildLine.
Lorna Stabler is a researcher with CASCADE, Cardiff University, focusing on children's social care research across the UK. She is also care experienced and was a kinship carer. Her 2019 Fellowship focussed on support for kinship carers in policy.
Emmanuel is the Director of Lighthouse, a charity focused on improving outcomes for looked after children by setting up education focused children's homes. His 2018 Fellowship focused on social pedagogy - a relationship based way of working with children in children's homes.
Laurelle Brown is Founder and Principal Consultant of Laurelle Brown Training and Consultancy. The multi-disciplinary team work with organisations across the UK to support the delivery of high quality, intersectional practice and services for children and families. Her Fellowship in 2018 focused on foster care for adolescents with 'complex needs'.
Geneva Ellis is a Director at St Christopher's Fellowship, a charity which cares for and supports children and young people in care. Her Fellowship in 2012 focused on learning from international children's home models.
Dr Carlene Firmin is a Churchill Fellow and a Professor of Social Work at Durham University. In 2016 she published the Contextual Safeguarding framework, a term coined by Carlene in 2014. This framework has been used to advance policy and research concerned with safeguarding adolescents in the UK and internationally, and has led to changes in social care responses to extra-familial abuse. In 2011 Carlene became the youngest Black woman to receive an MBE, for her seminal work on gang-affected young women in the UK.
Sophie Gross is a foster carer looking after babies and supporting mothers. Her Fellowship in 2017 focused on supporting care experienced mothers when they had their babies.
Kate Hulme is a Trustee at the Hadley Trust, our funding partners for this theme. The Hadley Trust is a grant making charity with a focus on improving the lives of disadvantaged people, mainly in the UK. Kate has a particular interest in working with young people.
Callum Lynch is a care experienced public affairs worker based in Scotland. His Fellowship in 2018 focused on giving a voice to young people in care.
Juliet Lyon is a member of our Advisory Council. She chairs the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and is a visiting professor in the School of Law at Birkbeck, University of London. She was formerly director of the Prison Reform Trust, director general of Penal Reform International and a Women’s National Commissioner. Working across mental health and education, she has headed a school psychiatric unit, directed community education in a comprehensive school and managed therapeutic communities. Juliet was a founding advisor to ChildLine.
Lorna Stabler is a researcher with CASCADE, Cardiff University, focusing on children's social care research across the UK. She is also care experienced and was a kinship carer. Her 2019 Fellowship focussed on support for kinship carers in policy.
