Dr Nadine Fowler

Research Associate

Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection

Contact

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Personal statement

Nadine is a Research Associate in the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS). She has conducted research with children who have experience of living in alternative care settings, their families, and the adults who care for them. Her overarching research interests include children, families, alternative care, social work, sociology and relationships.

Nadine's work at CELCIS has recently involved: a focused mapping review of adoption literature, focusing on what is known about adoption and what is needed to modernise adoption in Scotland; a longitudinal Evaluation of the Lifelong Links Project in Scotland, being trialled by Family Rights Group and exploring how children and young people 'in care' can be supported to stay in touch with people that are important to them, and; a multi-strand project that sought to understand how to achieve transformationl change in children's services, knwon as the Children Services Reform Research. She is also the current Book Review Editor of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, published twice per year in Spring and Autumn by CELCIS.

Nadine completed her PhD, titled 'An Ethnographic Exploration of Relationships in Residential Child Care', at the University of Stirling in 2019. She also has an MSc in Applied Social Research (2014) and a BA Hons in Psychology and Sociology (2013), both from the University of Stirling.

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Research Interests

Childhood, Families, Relationships, Care Experience, Foster Care, Kinship Care, Residential Care, Social Work

Projects

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)
16-Jan-2020 - 15-Jan-2022
Survey of care experienced students in Scotland's colleges and universities
O'Neill, Linda (Co-investigator) Connelly, Graham (Co-investigator) Fowler, Nadine (Researcher) Harrison, Neil (Visiting Academic)
CELCIS carried out, on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the first Scotland-wide survey of care experienced students in Scotland's colleges and universities. The research aimed to broaden and deepen understanding of the barriers and enablers that care experienced students encounter in going to, being at and staying at college and university in Scotland.

The research took the form of an online survey which was completed by students with care experience who are studying at Scottish colleges and universities. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was carried out which led to 8 key learning points and 18 recommendations being put forward.

These learning points aim to focus the attention of practitioners, leaders and policy makers on the challenges and enabling factors which students with care experience encounter before and during study. The recommendations aim to set forth practical, solution focused actions that organisations should take to strengthen existing provision and make improvements in areas that students have identified.
17-Jan-2018 - 06-Jan-2019
Lifelong Links
Hill, Louise (Principal Investigator) DEACON, Kirsty (Academic) Fowler, Nadine (Academic) Soraghan, Joanna (Academic) Porter, Robert Benjamin (Co-investigator)
Lifelong Links developed by Family Rights Group (FRG) is an innovative approach to supporting looked after children, young people, and their families. It addresses concerns about permanence and how the networks of children and young people in care become fragmented. This can lead to a lack of stability, identity and belonging, poor experiences and negative outcomes for the child and young person. Together with colleagues from the Rees Centre (Oxford University), CELCIS has been working with FRG as they develop the Lifelong Links model and consider how its effectiveness might be measured. The Lifelong Links approach aims to identify and engage relatives and other supportive adults, including those who have been estranged or not yet known. By identifying adults who are willing to make a life-long commitment to the looked-after child, it is hoped to increase their sense of permanence, security, and wellbeing. It is hoped the resulting continuity and permanence of relationships will provide ongoing support, provide an explanation of historical events and reinforce identity, belonging and a sense of self for the young person.

Lifelong Links is now being piloted across England using funding from Department for Education (DfE). Additional funding sources from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation have been secured by the Family Rights Group (FRG) to allow the model to be piloted in three Scottish sites. The longitudinal mixed-method evaluation is now underway in collaboration with Dr Lisa Holmes (Director, Rees Centre) responsible for the English sites and Dr Louise Hill (Policy Lead, CELCIS) working with the Scottish Sites. The evaluation will conclude in 2023.
01-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2023

More projects

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Contact

Dr Nadine Fowler
Research Associate
Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection

Email: nadine.fowler@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 8589