People
The centre is an inter-disciplinary home to staff and students with interests and expertise in children, young people and families. Our network of academics is vast – nearly 100 specialists and growing.
Our distinctiveness is in our multi-disciplinary approach, with members representing a wide range of subject areas including:
- Psychology
- Education
- Criminology and Youth Justice
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Health
- Law
- Childhood and Youth Studies
We will put co-production at the heart of the centre's ambitions and activities, ensuring that children, young people and families play a central role in shaping our work.
Centre staff
Professor Carrie Paechter is the Director of the Nottingham Centre for Children, Young People and Families. Carrie began her career as a mathematics teacher and worked in various London comprehensive schools before moving to King’s College London to research interdisciplinary coursework. She subsequently taught at King’s and the Open University, before moving to Goldmsiths, University of London. At Goldsmiths, her roles included being the inaugural Dean of Goldsmiths Graduate School and then Head of Educational Studies. She joined Nottingham Trent University in July 2017.
Rachel Harding is a Research Fellow in the Nottingham Centre for Children, Young People and Families. Rachel has extensive experience of working with the voluntary sector and brings expertise in qualitative research including with vulnerable groups and peer research interviewing. She has particular interests in homeless families and young people, service provision and children’s experiences of street harassment.
Members
Name: Phil Banyard
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Digital technologies and learning
Name: Adam Barnard
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Child protection, drug awareness
Name: David Barrett
School / Department: Nottingham Law School
Area of expertise: Socio-economic inequality (economic inequality, class and poverty); Equality law and human rights; Regulation; Pupil premium; Schools; Anti-radicalisation; Prevent duty
Name: Matthew Belmonte
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Cognitive neuroscience of autism spectrum conditions, therapeutic methods for developing communication in autism by remediating motor skills
Name: Jill Berrisford
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Fostering, adoption and post adoption; Bereavement; Child development
Name: Lucy Betts
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Social developmental psychology; Young people's experiences/perceptions of cyberbullying; Aspects of children’s social relationships with regard to psychosocial and school adjustment; Role of technology in secondary schools for enhancing students’ engagement and performance
Name: Rachael Blazewicz-Bell
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: How technology can support inclusion in primary and secondary for SEN pupils
Name: Mhairi Bowe
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Social groups, identity and transition, well-being and mental health, motherhood, communities, and family groups
Name: Mark Bower
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Children's rights; social exclusion; Effective practice in probation and youth justice; Risk in probation and youth justice; Child protection; Restorative justice; The secure estate
Name: Graham Bowpitt
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Evaluation of local Sure Start and Children's Fund programmes
Name: Simon Cauvain
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Recruitment, retention of social workers; Children and family social work practice experiences; Managerialism; Task-centred practice; Social work education and practice in both Hong Kong and Malawi
Name: Carol Chambers
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Music Therapy; SEND; identity and consciousness.
Name: Karen Chantrey Wood
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Childhood, History of Childhood, Primary Education, Creative Education
Name: Janine Coates
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Special educational needs; Disability; Disability sport; Physical education; Inclusion; ADHD; Childhood interventions; Child development; Childhood disorders
Name: Chris Crowther-Dowey
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Policing and the police; Gendered violence; Crime and social exclusion; Criminological theory
Name: Sarah Davies
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Teaching and learning within the secondary sector; Supporting learners with the theoretical knowledge required to help prepare them for adult life; Design and technology education
Name: Jonathan Doak
School / Department: Law School
Area of expertise: Young people in the criminal justice system; especially restorative justice, court proceedings, protections for young and vulnerable witnesses
Name: Helen Edwards
School / Department: Law School
Area of expertise: Criminal and Family Law - especially regarding private and public proceedings under the Children Act
Name: Kate Ellis-Davies
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Assisted reproduction technologies, parent-child relationships, parent and child development and well-being
Name: Graham Ferris
School / Department: Law School
Area of expertise: Wellbeing of undergraduates, especially law students; values and wellbeing in HE
Name: Gayle Dillon
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Autism Spectrum Disorder, School adjustment, inclusion and transitions
Name: Robert Dingwall
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: child protection, divorce mediation, professions
Name: Barry Fearnley
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Young parents (16-19 years of age); Young families; Social work practice/evidence based practice
Name: Paul Fenton
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Youth and Community Work; Young People and Political Literacy; Faith and Young People; Informal Education
Name: Jennie Fleming
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Children and young people's human rights participation; Young people's voices
Name: Nick Foard
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: young people's political engagement and participation. Young people and digital participation
Name: Robert Francis
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Science/Education outreach
Name: Linda Gibson
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Community development; Health promotion and public health within the UK and internationally
Name: Jonathan Gorry
School / Department: Politics and International Relations
Area of expertise: How popular music can encourage 'teenage flourishing' and progressive identity formation
Name: Andrew Grayson
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Communication disabilities, learning disabilities and inclusion
Name: Cath Gripton
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Early years education within school settings; Social justice
Name: Alison Hardy
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Curriculum development in secondary schools; Purpose and value of school education; School subject (focus on design and technology)
Name: Natalie Harrison
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: aggression between siblings, family violence
Name: Cyndy Hawkins
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Children as consumers; Children risk and society; Children's geographies
Name: Matt Henn
School / Department: Politics and International Relations
Area of expertise: Young people; Political engagement and civic engagement
Name: Rowena Hill
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Family structures, communication and dynamics relate to resilience and well-being
Name: Roger Hopkins-Burke
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Youth Justice, young people and crime; Anti-social behaviour; Criminological theory
Name: Michael Keenan
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Young people and religious identity; Young People and sexuality/inclusion
Name: Blerina Kellezi
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Mental health, identities, families, relationship impact of trauma, social identities, human rights.
Name: Julie Kent
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Speech, language and communication; widening participation agenda
Name: Fraenze Kibowski
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Psychosis development during childhood and adolescence
Name: Rebecca Larkin
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Children's language and literacy development, causes and cognitive profiles associated with specific language impairment and developmental dyslexia
Name: Chris Lawton
School / Department: Business School
Area of expertise: Work and employment, migration, skills and adult education and training
Name: Matt Long
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology, Youth
Area of expertise: Vandalism and anti-social behaviour
Name: Tracie Manterfield
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Early years curriculum; Leadership and management; Child participation - child's voice; Partnership working
Name: Mike Marriott
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Eating disorders, mental health
Name: Niamh McNamara
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: social identities, health and well-being; eating disorder recovery; Group-based coping responses in families and children
Name: Philip Mignot
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Young people as consumers of education; Young people and labour markets; Young people and career development
Name: Moira Moran
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Early Years; Outdoor learning/forest schools
Name: Pete Murphy
School / Department: Business School
Area of expertise: Public sector policy and management at central and local government levels particularly in locally delivered public services
Name: Andrea Nicholson
School / Department: Law School
Area of expertise: International human rights, child labour in Burma, the law on contemporary slavery including forced child labour, trafficking in human beings
Name: Anne O’Grady
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education,
Area of expertise: Social justice; marginalised groups; adults and educational opportunities, including family literacy, unemployed adults, prisoner learners
Name: Vicky Palmer
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Mental disorder within youth justice; Learning disability within youth justice; Autism within the youth justice system; Impact of managerialism on youth justice services; Professionalisation of youth justice personnel
Name: Sheine Peart
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Experience of young Black people in education, Young offenders experience of education, informal education for young women
Name: Robert Perry
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Peace education
Name: Preethi Premkumar
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Family conflict and it's relation to psychiatric disorder. Expressed emotion, rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. The neuroscience of social conflict in individuals vulnerable for psychosis
Name: Zena Jayne Rashid
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Early Years, Equality & Diversity, BME Communities
Name: Helen Reed
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Transitions from primary school to secondary school
Name: Elaine Regan
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Students’ experiences of schooling, students' attitudes, choice and participation in STEM
Name: Emma Reith-Hall
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Child and Adolescent Mental Health, therapeutic interventions with children and young people
Name: Mike Rennoldson
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: family therapy
Name: Gill Richards
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Young people's 'voice' - understanding their perspectives to enable schools to better meet their needs. Inclusive education and work with 'disadvantaged' groups
Name: Ruth Richards
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Science teaching; Geology; Autism; Special needs
Name: Will Rossiter
School / Department: Business School
Area of expertise: Local and regional economic development, regeneration, industrial policy, skills and public policy evaluation, guidance/performance metrics
Name: Rachel Rowley
School / Department: Law School
Area of expertise: Family Court's intervention in the lives of children and parents in the Public Law area, and also in Private Law
Name: Jatinder Sandhu
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: adoption, parenting, mentoring of youth offenders, BME communities
Name: Steven Sharp
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education, Primary Teacher Education
Area of expertise: The education of complex children; Attachment disorder; Foetal alcohol disorder
Name: James Stiller
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Technology use in the classrooms; children’s strategies for learning to read and early maths instruction; Friendship networks and bullying in children/ adolescents; Changing peoples (primarily children) attitudes towards conservation/nature
Name: Alex Sumich
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Nutrition for healthy brain development; Brain function in ADHD and Conduct Disorder
Name: Andromachi Tseloni
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Victimisation divides; Victimisation risk; Fear of crime; ASB; Overlap between offending & victimisation; Social capital/community cohesion; Crime drop; Crime measurement; Crime prevention
Name: Angela Vesey
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: Educational achievement and disparities; Career transition; Social inclusion and young people; Students experiences of part-time working
Name: Kerry Vincent
School / Department: Nottingham Institute of Education
Area of expertise: Special educational needs and disability; School exclusion/inclusion; Education related gender issues; Counselling and mentoring; Teenage pregnancy
Name: Juliet Wakefield
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Social identity processes; Relevance of group memberships to everyday life; Intergroup and intragroup helping and help-seeking; Impact of groups on health and wellbeing, gender identity and national identity
Name: Jo Ward
School / Department: Social Work and Health
Area of expertise: Children in care; Adoption; Permanence; Infertility as it relates to adoption
Name: Mark Weinstein
School / Department: Sociology, Criminology and Youth
Area of expertise: youth, youth cultures, youth social exclusion and young people and politics, homelessness
Name: Gareth Williams
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Children’s reading development; Children’s spelling and writing development; parenting education
Name: Belinda Winder
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Child sexual abuse, paedophilia, incest, exploitation, cybergrooming, cyberstalking, abuse prevention
Name: David Wright
School / Department: Arts and Humanities
Area of expertise: Forensic linguistics, language of the law and the legal process, language in evidence, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics and language and communication
Name: Eva Zysk
School / Department: Psychology
Area of expertise: Childhood mental health especially anxiety disorders, OCD & related disorders, childhood stress
