Dr Leanne McIver
Research Associate
Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection
Personal statement
I have been a Research Associate at CELCIS since 2015, working in evaluation, research, and research support. My background is in education and health services research and evaluation. Projects I have been involved in at CELCIS include evaluations of the We Are Citizens! Care Experienced Theatre Company, and the 'Parents in Partnership' schools programme, as well as research with the Virtual School Head Teachers' Network, and the Children's Services Reform Research programme.
I graduated from the University of Glasgow, with a M.A. (Hons) in Psychology, and later completed a M.Res in Educational Research at the University of Stirling. My PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (Glasgow, 2016) explored educational farm visits for primary school children in Scotland, and how these can be used as part of outdoor learning and Curriculum for Excellence. More recently, I was awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Attachment, Trauma and Mental Health by the University of Chester.
Previously I've worked as a Research Assistant in outdoor learning (University of Stirling), Auditory Processing Disorder (MRC Institute of Hearing Research), and children's oral health (Childsmile Programme). I've also worked in retail, and in NHS admin/clerical roles.
Publications
- Book review : Somebody Else's Kids by Torey Hayden
- McIver Leanne
- Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 25, pp. 162-165 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00096126
- Meeting of minds : imagining the future of child and youth mental health research from an early career perspective
- Knight Ruth, Demkowicz Ola, Sprecher Eva, Gomez Bergin Aislinn, Marzetti Hazel, Petersen Kimberly, Kara Buket, Sawrikar Vilas, White Hannah, Parsonage-Harrison Jackie, Wolstencroft Jeanne, Reardon Tessa, March Anna, McIver Leanne, Jones Hannah, Clarke Tim, Breedvelt Josefien, Chatburn Eleanor
- BJPsych Bulletin Vol 50, pp. 49-55 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2025.26
- Book review : The trauma recovery handbook: a model for navigating recovery for professionals, parents and carers by Betsy de Thierry
- McIver Leanne
- Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 24, pp. 92-94 (2025)
- Barriers in transitioning from children’s to adult services for young people leaving care : Learning from research in Scotland
- Manole Mihaela, Fowler Nadine, Porter Robert Benjamin, McTier Alexander, Scott Jane, Young Emma, McIver Leanne, Anderson Carol Ann, Ottaway Heather
- European Scientific Association on residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF) (2025)
- Towards Modernising Adoption in Scotland : A Focused Mapping Review
- Ottaway Heather, Fowler Nadine, McIver Leanne, Davidson Linda
- (2024)
- Virtual schools for care-experienced learners in Scotland : reflections on an emerging concept in a new context
- McIver Leanne, Bettencourt Michael
- British Educational Research Journal Vol 50, pp. 1495-1513 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3988
Research Interests
Education of care experienced learners
Children's services
Scottish education system
Professional Activities
- Barriers in transitioning from children’s to adult services for young people leaving care: Learning from research in Scotland
- Contributor
- 10/9/2025
- Routledge (Publisher)
- Peer reviewer
- 1/8/2025
- Critical Publishing (Publisher)
- Peer reviewer
- 1/7/2023
- Children and Society (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 1/4/2023
- Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 10/2021
- Finding the 'invisible' adopters
- Recipient
- 18/8/2020
Projects
- Independent Review of Scotland's Legislative Framework for Children's Care
- Norrie, Kenneth (Principal Investigator) Doyle, Kathleen Isobel (Principal Investigator) McTier, Alexander (Co-investigator) McCreadie, Craig (Co-investigator) Quinn, Laura (Co-investigator) Porter, Robert Benjamin (Co-investigator) Thomson, Vivien (Co-investigator) Young, Emma (Co-investigator) Doull, Kirsty (Co-investigator) McIver, Leanne (Co-investigator) Fowler, Nadine (Co-investigator) Orr, Rosanna (Co-investigator) McGregor, Sharon (Co-investigator) Thomson, Elizabeth (Researcher) Ottaway, Heather (Researcher) Mackinnon, Kate (Researcher) Anderson, Katherine (Researcher) Sillars, Lorraine (Researcher)
- A research project commissioned by Scottish Government with the aim of gathering evidence to provide Scottish Ministers with clear, evidence-based and practical recommendations, focused on the structure, coherence, and accessibility of the existing legislative framework, that aim to improve outcomes and experiences for children and families, and support those who work with and alongside them.
- 01-Jan-2026 - 28-Jan-2027
- Children's Services Reform Research study
- Ottaway, Heather (Principal Investigator) Porter, Robert Benjamin (Co-investigator) McTier, Alexander (Co-investigator) Anderson, Micky (Co-investigator) Young, Emma (Co-investigator) McIver, Leanne (Co-investigator) Fowler, Nadine (Co-investigator) Mackinnon, Kate (Co-investigator) Soraghan, Joanna (Co-investigator) Manole, Mihaela (Co-investigator)
- A research project commissioned by Scottish Government with the aim of gathering evidence to inform decision-making about how best to deliver children's services in Scotland in light of the proposed introduction of the National Care Service
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
- Safe Places, Thriving Children. Embedding Trauma-Informed Practices into Alternative Care Settings
- Giraldi, Miriana (Principal Investigator) Delaney, Lynsey (Co-investigator) Flynn, Marian (Co-investigator) Fowler, Nadine (Co-investigator) Hume-Anthony, Sarah (Co-investigator) Moyes, Sandy (Co-investigator) McIver, Leanne (Research Co-investigator)
- 16-Jan-2020 - 15-Jan-2022
- Virtual School Head Teachers in Scotland
- McIver, Leanne (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2025
- Farm visits and the Scottish primary school curriculum
- McIver, Leanne (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2012 - 31-Jan-2015
Contact
Dr
Leanne
McIver
Research Associate
Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection
Email: leanne.mciver@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 0141 950 3683