Senior Research Fellow
I joined the University in 2004, having previously worked at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London. My early career was in the health service, where my experience in nursing and health visiting sparked my ongoing interest in child development and the myriad factors that can impact on the life-chances of children and young people. My major research interests relate to the well-being of looked-after children and how to best to facilitate this and support those who care for or work with them.
A substantial amount of my work to date, although not all of it, has been aimed at informing practice and policy when working with children who need permanent placement away from their family of origin - most frequently through adoption.
I am Assistant Director of the Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care, with a lead role in the centre’s children and families work and work closely with colleagues from Centre for Young People, Poverty and Social Disadvantage
I am a member of the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) Research Group which seeks to identify research priorities for child care and facilitate dissemination of research findings particularly to practitioners and policy makers.
Qualifications
Professional
- SRN (The Royal London Hospital), DipHV (University of Surrey)
Academic
- Academic: BA(Hons) 2:1 Developmental Psychology, University of Sussex
- PhD Permanent placement in middle childhood, outcomes and support. University of Luton
Teaching Role
- Research methods teaching at undergraduate, masters and doctoral level.
- Subject specific teaching in child welfare, fostering and adoption
Research Interests
- Looked after children (education, planning and placement options)
- Adoption and fostering
- Safeguarding
- Parental substance use and prenatal exposure to substances
Recent Research Projects
- An evaluation of a parental substance use project (current)
- Building capacity and bridging the gaps: Alcohol and other drugs in social care practice, education and employment-based training (current)
- From the front line: alcohol, drugs and social care practice
- Family Finding and Matching in Adoption
- An evaluation of integrated services for children and families
- A feasibility study on recruitment of Black and Minority Ethnic adoptive families
- Educating Difficult Adolescents
Research Student Co-ordinator
Within the faculty’s Institute for Applied Social Research, I am also responsible for processing applications for doctoral study, monitoring the progress of research students and the coordinating of resources for them. The Institute is able to offer post-graduate study opportunities in a number of applied social research topics. (See here for details). If you are interested in finding out more about these opportunities I would be pleased to hear from you.
Recent Conference Presentations
- March 2012:- From the front line: alcohol, drugs and social work practice - a national study. Regional Launch Conference, London.
- Nov 2011:- From the front line: alcohol, drugs and social work practice - a national study. Regional Launch Conference, Manchester.
- July 2011:- From the front line: alcohol, drugs and social work practice - a national study. 13th Joint Social Work Education Conference. University of Manchester.
- Nov 2010:- Invited speaker, Family Finding and Matching in Adoption. Essex Adoption Panel Conference: Chelmsford
- Sept 2010:- Family Finding and Matching in Adoption. London: Making Research Count Seminar.
- July 2010:- Invited speaker Finding families for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic children. Stepping up to excellence. London: BAAF
- July 2010:- Family finding and matching in adoption Paper presented at the 3rd International conference on adoption research. University of Leiden, Netherlands
- Nov 2009:- Invited speaker Findings from a survey of linking and matching in adoption. Birmingham: Midlands Family Placement Group
- May 2009:- Invited speaker. Linking and Matching in Adoption. London: Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies Annual Conference
- Nov 2008:- Invited speaker Sibling Issues in Adoption: Luton Adoption Panel Training
- July 2008:- Educating Troubled Adolescents: Oxford, Care Matters: Transforming Lives (8th International Looking After Children Conference)
Recent Publications
- Farmer, E. and Dance, C. with Beecham, J. Bonin, E. and Ouwejan, D. (2010) An Investigation of Family Finding and Matching in Adoption. Report to the Dept for Children Schools and Families. Centre for Family Policy and Child Welfare: University of Bristol.
- Dance, C. Ouwejan, D., Beecham, J. and Farmer, E. (2010) Linking and Matching: A survey of Adoption Agency Practice in England and Wales London: BAAF
- Farmer, E, and Dance, C, with Beecham, J. Bonin, E. and Ouwejan, D (forthcoming) Family finding and matching in Adoption London: BAAF
- Berridge, D., Dance, C., Beecham, J. and Field, S. (2008) Educating Difficult Adolescents: Effective Education for Children in Public Care or with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C (2006) The Adoption of Children from Public Care: A Prospective Study of Outcome in Adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 45(7):877-883.
- Dance, C. and Rushton, A. (2005) "Predictors of outcome for unrelated adoptive placements made during middle childhood." Child and Family Social Work 10 (4) pp..269-280
- Dance, C. and Rushton, A. (2005) "Joining a new family: the views and experiences of adopted and fostered young people." Adoption and Fostering 29 (2) pp 18-28
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2005) "Negative parental treatment of the singled out child: Responses to the problem by Health Visitors, Social Services Departments and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services". Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10 (3) pp.413-428.
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2004). “Outcomes of late permanent placement: The adolescent years.” Adoption & Fostering 28 (1) 49-58.
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2003). “Preferentially rejected children and their development in permanent family placements.” Child and Family Social Work 8(4): 257-267.
- Rushton, A., Mayes, D. and Dance, C. (2003). “Parenting late-placed children: The development of new relationships and the challenge of behavioural problems.” Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 8(3): 389-400.
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2003). “Preferential rejection: research findings and practice implications.” Adoption & Fostering 27(1): 68-70.
- Dance, C., Rushton, A. and Quinton, D. (2002). “Emotional abuse in early childhood: Relationships with progress in subsequent family placement.” Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry 43(3): 395-407
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2002). “Quality Protects: a commentary on the government's agenda and the evidence base.” Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 7 (2) 60-65
- Rushton, A. and Dance, C. (2002). Adoption support services for families in difficulty: A literature review and survey of UK practice.London, BAAF.
- Rushton, A., Dance, C., Quinton, D and Mayes, D. (2001). Siblings in late permanent placement. London, BAAF.
Contact Details
Luton campus
Park Square
Luton, LU1 3JU
T: +44 (0)1582 743050
E: cherilyn.dance@beds.ac.uk
