Laura Steckley

Laura Steckley, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Strathclyde, affiliated with the School of Social Work & Social Policy and CELCIS (the Centre of Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland). Her research focuses on improving outcomes for children and young people in residential care, particularly through understanding threshold concepts in practice, reducing physical restraint, and integrating care ethics into care environments. She leads the MSc in Advanced Residential Child Care and serves on the University’s research ethics committee.

Education: Doctor of Philosophy (2013), University of Strathclyde, specializing in physical restraint in residential care and care ethics.

Research Interests: Residential child care practice, care ethics, trauma-informed care, threshold concepts in education, and participatory research with youth. Her work emphasizes ethical decision-making frameworks, reducing reliance on physical restraint, and amplifying young people’s voices in policy and practice.

Recent Trends in Articles: Focus on action learning forums (RALF), reflexive ethical models, participatory methodologies, and Scotland-specific policy analysis. Her work bridges academic research and practical implementation, with an emphasis on systemic change and professional development.

• Awards: Kay McDougall British Journal of Social Work Prize (2019).

Grants & Advising: Principal Investigator on projects like ‘Threshold Concepts in Crisis Intervention’ and ‘Physical Restraint in Residential Settings’, with funding from Redress Scotland. Supervised 1 doctoral student and engaged in over 90 academic activities, including conferences, editorial roles, and public talks.

Labs/Teams: CELCIS collaboration drives national and international impact in child welfare policy. Active in interdisciplinary networks focusing on trauma, ethics, and youth advocacy.