Laura Cook

Laura Cook is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and Director of the Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF) at the University of East Anglia. She holds a first-class degree in Philosophy and Literature from UEA, an MA in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis from the University of Essex, and an MA in Social Work from UEA. Her research focuses on decision-making in child safeguarding, workforce retention in social work, and the role of emotion and intuition in risk assessment.

Key projects include leading a national review of social work practice education for Social Work England and developing interventions to support social worker retention. She collaborates with the Emotions at Work Research Group and has contributed to high-profile analyses of Serious Case Reviews and Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews for the Department for Education.

Recent publications (2025) explore emotional labor in social work teams, practice education scoping reviews, and reflective interventions for social workers, reflecting her commitment to enhancing professional practice and workforce sustainability.