معرفی
Professor Karen Broadhurst is a Professor of Social Work at Lancaster University's Sociology Department, part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on family preservation, particularly the position of women in family justice systems and prevention of care entry for children. She was awarded an OBE (2025) and became a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (2020). She leads the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, established in 2015, and has held leadership roles in Lancaster University's Data Science Institute (2019–2024). Current roles include ADR UK Ambassador (ESRC), Co-Lead of the ESRC Community Catalyst (2024–2026), and Principal Investigator of the ESRC-funded COMFT study, linking family and criminal justice data to assess impacts on mothers and children.
Her research has driven policy changes, such as the Born into Care Series improving child protection practices globally. She collaborates internationally on projects like the SIB (State Intervention with Babies) funded by the Australian Research Council. Her work emphasizes ethical use of public services data to inform legislative and policy reforms. She chairs HER CIRCLE, supporting mothers separated from children, and advises bodies like the Independent Review of Children's Social Care.
Teaching focuses on social work, child welfare, and policy, with an intersectional approach. She supervises ESRC-funded PhD students, including Sara Bellamio and Lily Golding. Key grants include £2.2M for Nuffield Family Justice Observatory analyses. Awards include OBE and Academy of Social Sciences Fellowship.
