Autumn Roesch-Marsh

Dr. Autumn Roesch-Marsh is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science. She holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Edinburgh (2011) and has extensive experience in social work education, practice, and research. Her research focuses on children and families social work, care experience, decision-making processes, and participatory arts-based methodologies. She co-directs The Binks Hub, an interdisciplinary research hub using creative methods to engage communities.

Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, emphasizing experiential learning and practice-based approaches. She currently supervises seven PhD students researching topics such as care leaver outcomes, kinship care, and digital exclusion. Key projects include the Poetry for Wellbeing initiative with the Scottish Poetry Library and studies on kinship carers’ challenges in digital environments.

Her research interests include:

• Children and families social work practice
• Social work decision-making frameworks
• Care-experienced individuals’ mental health and relationships
• Participatory and arts-based research methods

Recent work examines the digital divide’s impact on care leavers’ rights and the role of friendship in safeguarding vulnerable youth. She collaborates with organizations such as the Who Cares? Trust and AFKA Scotland to translate research into policy and practice.