Sophie Wood
Research Associate, CASCADE
- woods16@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2068 7202
- sbarc|spark, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Overview
I am a research associate in the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre. I am currently working on a large evaluation of family group conferences in the UK. The study aims to understand not only if family group conferences are effective at reducing the number of children in care, but also how they work, for whom and under what circumstances. For more information please see this video.
I am also leading a project about the use of multi-agency data to inform services for children and families and I am co-investigator on a project exploring the referral pathways and outcomes of criminally exploited children.
My main research interests are the mental health of children in care, secure care, unseen children, child exploitaion, care leavers, and understanding how social care systems, culture, and decision making influence child outcomes.
I am a mixed-methods researcher, with experience in the analysis and linkage of large administrative data and evaluating complex systems.
Biography
Education
- University of Exeter (2013- 2014) - MSc Environment and Human Health: Distinction
- University of Liverpool (2010- 2013) - BA Geography: First- Class Honours
Academic Positions
- Research Associate- CASCADE, Cardiff University (present)
- Research Assistant - Population Psychiatry, Suicide and Informatics, Swansea University (2018)
- Research Assistant - Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University (2015 – 2018)
- Research Assistant- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter (2015)
Publications
2024
- Roberts, L. M., Rees, A., Elliott, D. and Wood, S. 2024. ‘The worst day of my life’: Foster carers’ experiences of allegations. Adoption & Fostering 48(1), pp. 7-29. (10.1177/03085759231212501)
- Wood, S. et al. 2024. Family group conference provision in UK local authorities and associations with children looked after rates. The British Journal of Social Work (10.1093/bjsw/bcae019)
2023
- Roberts, L. M., Wood, S., Corliss, C. and Anthony, R. 2023. Exploring online experiences, cyberbullying and wellbeing for young people looked after in Wales: An analysis of the school health research network 2017/18 survey. Developmental Child Welfare 5(4), pp. 204-222. (10.1177/25161032231204967)
- Wood, S. and Forrester, D. 2023. Comparing local authority rates of children in care: A survey of the children’s social care workforce in Wales. The British Journal of Social Work 53(6), pp. 3089-3109. (10.1093/bjsw/bcad097)
2022
- Wood, S., Scourfield, J., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. L. 2022. How might changes to family income affect the likelihood of children being in out-of-home care? Evidence from a realist and qualitative rapid evidence assessment of interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 143, article number: 106685. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106685)
- Williams, A., Cummings, A., Forrester, D., Hodges, H., Warner, N. and Wood, S. 2022. Even secure children’s homes won’t take me. Children placed in alternative accommodation. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth 39(4), pp. 370-386. (10.1080/0886571X.2022.2044431)
2021
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A scoping review of system-level mechanisms to prevent children being in out-of-home care. British Journal of Social Work 52(5), pp. 2515-2536., article number: bcab213. (10.1093/bjsw/bcab213)
2020
- Freeth, H., Wood, S., Allsopp, M. and Wilkinson, K. 2020. Improving the quality of hospital care provided to people aged 11-25 years with a mental health condition. British Journal of Hospital Medicine 81(8) (10.12968/hmed.2020.0244)
- Williams, A., Wood, S., Warner, N., Cummings, A., Hodges, H., El-Banna, A. and Daher, S. 2020. Unlocking the facts: young people referred to secure children's homes. What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research-report/unlocking-the-facts-young-people-referred-to-secure-childrens-homes/
2019
- Brand, S., Wood, S., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Scourfield, J., Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. How family budget change interventions affect children being in care: a rapid evidence assessment. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff, Wales: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: http://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Full_Report_Aug2019.pdf
- John, A. et al. 2019. Mental healthcare in young people and young adults. Report 2. National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death. Available at: https://www.hqip.org.uk/resource/mental-healthcare-in-young-people-and-young-adults/#.X4RQ5WhKjIU
- Wood, S., Marchant, A., Allsopp, M., Wilkinson, K., Bethel, J., Jones, H. and John, A. 2019. Epidemiology of eating disorders in primary care in children and young people: a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study in England. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026691. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026691)
2018
- Brand, S. et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
- John, A., Akbari, A., Marchant, A., Wang, T., Rees, S. and Wood, S. 2018. Child health clinical outcome review programme: the mental healthcare of young people and young adults. International Journal of Population Data Science 3(4), pp. 114. (10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.705)
- John, A. et al. 2018. What is an admission? a standardised approach to classifying inpatient episode data from multiple jurisdictions. International Journal of Population Data Science 3(4) (10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.775)
- John, A. et al. 2018. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 20(4), article number: e129. (10.2196/jmir.9044)
2017
- Wright, M., Carter, B., Kemp, A., John, A. and Wood, S. 2017. Child health clinical outcome review programme: Health care utilisation, care pathways and educational status in children and young people with adolescent mental health problems with a focus on self harm, eating disorders and anxiety and depression. International Journal of Population Data Science 1(1), article number: 111. (10.23889/ijpds.v1i1.130)
2016
- Wood, S., Demougin, P. R., Higgins, S., Husk, K., Wheeler, B. W. and White, M. 2016. Exploring the relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast: a rural/urban perspective. Health & Place 40, pp. 129-136. (10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.05.010)
My research to date has focused on children’s health and social care. I have used a range of quantitative and qualitative methods including the analysis of administrative data records, surveys, interviews, focus groups, systematic reviews and realist reviews.
Current project:
I am currently working on a large evaluation of family group conferences in the UK. I am also leading a project about how and what multi-agency data local authorities could use to inform services for children and families and I am co-investigator on a project exploring the referral pathways and outcomes of criminally exploited children.
Previous projects:
Children's social services and care rates in Wales: A survey of the sector. Survey of individuals who work in children’s social care to explore variation in rates of looked after children among local authorities in Wales. The study explored the variation in rates of looked after children among local authorities in Wales, in terms of why some local authorities’ rates are increasing, some are decreasing, and some are remaining steady. We found that differences in organisational culture, values, attitudes, decision making and practice could be contributing to these differences in rates of care. Funded by the Welsh Government. Report available here: https://www.wcpp.org.uk/publication/children-looked-after-in-wales-survey/
What happens to young people referred to secure accommodation? Data linkage project using routinely collected administrative data records held in England: Child Looked After Returns, Child in Need Census, and Secure Welfare Coordination Unit. The research explored the outcomes for young people referred to secure accommodation in England. Commissioned by What Works for Children’s Social Care and funded by the Department for Education. Report available here: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research-report/unlocking-the-facts-young-people-referred-to-secure-childrens-homes/
Rapid Realist Review: Family Budget Change Interventions. Rapid realist evidence assessment to develop a programme theory - using the EMMIE framework (effect, mediators, moderators, implementation and economics) - for how, whom and under what circumstance interventions which increase or decrease a family’s budget work and how these interventions effect the number of children in care. Commissioned by What Works for Children’s Social Care and funded by the Department for Education. Report available here: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Summary_Report_Aug2019-1.pdf
Child Health Outcome Review Programme: Mental Healthcare in Young People and Young Adults. Four nation study in the UK using routinely collected administrative healthcare data to explore patterns of healthcare for children and young people with mental health disorders. Multiple data sets used, including data from: CPRD (UK), SAIL (Wales), NHS Digital (England), ISD (Scotland), and HBS (Northern Ireland). Commissioned by the Health Quality Improvement Partnership and funded by the NHS. Report available here: https://www.hqip.org.uk/resource/mental-healthcare-in-young-people-and-young-adults/#.X4RQ5WhKjIU (report 2)
The relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast. Using publicly available area level data (National Child Measurement Programme, ONS, Department for Communities and Local Government, Data and Statistics Infrastructure Division) and spatial analysis, the association between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast was tested. The study was based on my MSc research which was supported in part by the European Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (11200NCO5). Paper available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.05.010
Supervision
Past projects
Primary supervisor for Alicia Evans (MA Social Work)- ‘The familiar names are just heart-breaking.’ Who are the women at-risk of experiencing repeat pregnancy, recurrent care proceedings and loss of a child to adoption? A multi-faceted profile (awarded 2020).
Co- supervisor for Emina Tuzovic (MSc Data Science and Analytics) - 'Detecting the Magnitude of Social Worker Stress Through Twitter (awarded 2021).