Graham Connelly

Graham Connelly holds an honorary appointment as Senior Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Social Work and Social Policy and CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care and Guest Editor (2022–25) of Youth journal’s special issue on residential care. His research focuses on care-experienced children’s education, residential care systems, and historical analyses like the Training Ship Mars. Connelly has served as a trustee for Who Cares? Scotland and Kibble Education and Care Centre and organizes the Kilbrandon Lecture/Webinar series.

• Expertise: Child welfare, residential care history, education equity, youth mentoring
• Key Contributions: Over 124 publications, including seminal works on looked-after children’s voting rights and sexual exploitation risks

His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals addressing quality education and reduced inequalities. He has secured grants for projects like the Survey of Care Experienced Students in Scotland’s Colleges and Universities (2018–2019) and School-Based Mentoring for Looked-After Pupils (2014).

• Awards: 2016 Strathclyde Medal for outstanding contributions to the university
• Impact: Influences policy reforms and professional practice in child welfare systems