Dr Louise Roberts
Research Associate, CASCADE
- robertsl18@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44(0) 29 2087 4983
- 2.21, Adeilad Morgannwg, Rhodfa’r Brenin Edward VII, Caerdydd, CF10 3WA
- Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig
Trosolwg
I am a research associate based in the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE). My research interests include family support services, foster care and qualitative approaches with social care service users.Currently, I have NISCHR fellowship funding to investigate the outcomes and experiences of children of looked after children and care leavers.
Prior
to this I was a postgraduate student at Cardiff University and completed the M.A. Social Work, M.Sc. Social Science Research Methods and Doctor of Philosophy. My PhD research was concerned with Support Care, a preventative family support service for families at risk of breakdown.
Cyhoeddiadau
2024
- Westlake, D. et al. 2024. The basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: Protocol of a quasi-experimental evaluation. PLoS ONE 19(10), article number: e0303837. (10.1371/journal.pone.0303837)
- Rees, A., Roberts, L. and Taussig, H. 2024. ‘Family doesn’t have to be mom and dad’: An exploration of the meaning of family for care-experienced young people. Families, Relationships and Societies 13(3), pp. 461-477. (10.1332/20467435Y2023D000000002)
- Evans, L., Fitz-Symonds, S., Long, F., Roberts, L., Diaz, C. and Powell, S. 2024. “They seem to listen more now I have an advocate”: a study into the implementation of parental advocacy in Wales. Journal of Children's Services 19(2), pp. 89-104. (10.1108/JCS-05-2023-0027)
- Schroeder, E. et al. 2024. The cost-effectiveness and cost-consequences of a school-based social worker intervention: a within-trial economic evaluation. [Online]. SSRN. (10.2139/ssrn.4776734)
- Holland, S. et al. 2024. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: annual report, 2023 to 2024. Welsh Government. Available at: https://www.gov.wales/basic-income-care-leavers-wales-pilot-evaluation-annual-report-2023-2024
- Bennett, V. et al. 2024. Student perspectives on school-based social workers: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Children's Services (10.1108/JCS-04-2023-0021)
2023
- Taussig, H. N., Roberts, L., Scourfield, J. and Franz, C. 2023. “I'm glad that I was given a second chance to live”: The buffering impact of turning points in the lives of young people with foster care experience. International Journal on Child Maltreatment 6, pp. 233-254. (10.1007/s42448-022-00129-6)
2022
- Roberts, L., Scourfield, J. and Taussig, H. 2022. Insights into turning points from the perspective of young people with out-of-home care experience: events, impact and facilitators of change. Developmental Child Welfare 4(4), pp. 72-76. (10.1177/25161032221118910)
- Taussig, H. and Roberts, L. 2022. Early parenthood for males and females with foster care experience: an exploratory study of predictive factors at entry to care during preadolescence. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 39, pp. 657-668. (10.1007/s10560-022-00852-6)
- Rees, A., Roberts, L., Mannay, D., Evans, R., Staples, E. and Hallett, S. 2022. Listening to the experts: Learning about relationships and their impact on educational experiences from children and young people in state care. Relational Social Work 6(2), pp. 36-57. (10.14605/RSW622202)
2021
- Roberts, L., Rees, A., Mannay, D., Bayfield, H., Corliss, C., Diaz, C. and Vaughan, R. 2021. Corporate parenting in a pandemic: Considering the delivery and receipt of support to care leavers in Wales during Covid-19. Children and Youth Services Review 128, article number: 106155. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106155)
- Roberts, L., Mannay, D., Rees, A., Bayfield, H., Corliss, C., Diaz, C. and Vaughan, R. 2021. ‘It’s been a massive struggle’: Exploring the experiences of young people leaving care during COVID-19. Young 29(4S), pp. S81-S99. (10.1177/11033088211025949)
- Roberts, L. 2021. The children of looked after children: outcomes, experiences and ensuring meaningful support to young parents in and leaving care. Bristol: Policy Press.
2020
- Roberts, L., Rees, A., Bayfield, H., Corliss, C., Diaz, C., Mannay, D. and Vaughan, R. 2020. Young people leaving care, practitioners and the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic: experiences, support, and lessons for the future. Project Report. CASCADE/Cardiff University.
2019
- Roberts, L., Maxwell, N. and Elliott, M. 2019. When young people in and leaving state care become parents: What happens and why?. Children and Youth Services Review 104, pp. 104387. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104387)
- Roberts, L. and Maxwell, N. 2019. Supporting women at risk of repeat care proceedings: The development of Reflect services in Wales. Presented at: 27th European Social Services Conference, Milan, Italy, 5-7 June 2019.
- Mannay, D., Staples, E., Hallett, S., Roberts, L., Rees, A., Evans, R. and Andrews, D. 2019. Enabling talk and reframing messages: working creatively with care experienced children and young people to recount and re-represent their everyday experiences. Child Care in Practice 25(1), pp. 51-63. (10.1080/13575279.2018.1521375)
- Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. 2019. Children and young people 'looked after'? Education, intervention and the everyday culture of care in Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
- Rees, A. 2019. The daily lived experience of foster care. In: Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. Children and young people 'looked after'? Education, intervention and the everyday culture of care in Wales. University of Wales Press, pp. 85-99.
- Staples, E., Roberts, L., Lyttleton-Smith, J. and Hallett, S. 2019. Enabling care-experienced young people’s participation in research: CASCADE Voices. In: Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. Children and Young People 'Looked After’? Education, Intervention and the Everyday Culture of Care in Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press
- Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. 2019. Introduction. In: Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. Children and young people 'looked after'? Education, intervention and the everyday culture of care in Wales.. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, pp. 1-12.
- Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. 2019. Conclusion. In: Mannay, D., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. eds. Children and young people 'looked after'? Education, intervention and the everyday culture of care in Wales.. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, pp. 228-240.
2018
- Roberts, L., Maxwell, N., Messenger, R. and Palmer, C. 2018. Evaluation of Reflect in Gwent: Final Report. Cardiff: CASCADE. Available at: https://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cascade/our-projects/reflect/
- Roberts, L., Long, S., Young, H., Hewitt, G., Murphy, S. and Moore, G. 2018. Sexual health outcomes for young people in state care: Cross-sectional analysis of a national survey and views of social care professionals in Wales. Children and Youth Services Review 89, pp. 281-288. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.044)
2017
- Mannay, D., Evans, R., Staples, E., Hallett, S., Roberts, L., Rees, A. and Andrews, D. 2017. The consequences of being labelled ‘looked-after’: Exploring the educational experiences of looked-after children and young people in Wales. British Educational Research Journal 43(4), pp. 683-699. (10.1002/berj.3283)
- Roberts, L., Meakings, S., Smith, A., Forrester, D. and Shelton, K. 2017. Care-leavers and their children placed for adoption. Children and Youth Services Review 79, pp. 355-361. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.030)
- Roberts, L. 2017. A small-scale qualitative scoping study into the experiences of looked after children and care leavers who are parents in Wales. Child & Family Social Work 22(3), pp. 1274-1282. (10.1111/cfs.12344)
- Roberts, L. 2017. Time to change? Exploring the impact of time-limited service provision in a family support service. Child and Family Social Work 22(S3), pp. 21-30. (10.1111/cfs.12229)
2016
- Roberts, L., Maxwell, N., Rees, P., Holland, S. and Forbes, N. 2016. Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales: A context sensitive review of interventions. Adoption and Fostering 40(4), pp. 309-324. (10.1177/0308575916675563)
- Evans, R., Hallett, S., Rees, A. and Roberts, L. 2016. The acceptability of educational interventions: Qualitative evidence from children and young people in care. Children and Youth Services Review 71, pp. 68-76. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.10.030)
- Roberts, L. 2016. Using part-time fostering as a family support service: advantages, challenges and contradictions. British Journal of Social Work 46(7), pp. 2120-2136. (10.1093/bjsw/bcv075)
- Mannay, D., Staples, E., Hallett, S., Roberts, L., Rees, A., Evans, R. and Andrews, D. 2016. Exploring the educational experiences and aspirations of Looked After Children and Young People (LACYP) in Wales. Project Report. Cardiff: Children's Social Care and Research and Development Centre (CASCADE).
- Mannay, D. and Roberts, L. 2016. What have we learnt from looked after children in Wales? Reflecting on their views about educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations. Presented at: Workshop with Designated Teachers, Christchurch Centre, Newport, UK, 16 March 2016.
2015
- Mannay, D., Staples, E., Hallett, S., Roberts, L., Rees, A., Evans, R. E. and Andrews, D. 2015. Executive summary: Understanding the educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations of looked after children in Wales.. Technical Report.
- Mannay, D., Staples, E., Hallett, S., Roberts, L., Rees, A., Evans, R. E. and Andrews, D. 2015. Understanding the educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations of looked after children in Wales. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Welsh Government. Available at: http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/understanding-educational-experiences-opinions-attainment-achievement-aspirations-looked-after-children-wales/?lang=en
- Roberts, L. 2015. Meeting children's needs within a family focussed agenda: The case of support care. Children and Youth Services Review 53, pp. 105-112. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.03.024)
2013
- Roberts, L. 2013. Supporting families in need: a qualitative case study of the support care intervention. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
My current research is entitled: The children of looked after children:
care outcomes and experiences.
Young people who have lived in foster residential or kinship care are more likely to become parents at a young age. Over the next four years I will:
*conduct a systematic review of research and information related to care experienced parents.
*survey local authorities in Wales to find present numbers of care experienced parents together with details of the support services offered to their families.
*follow a group of care experienced parents who are expecting babies over a 12-18 month period. Several interviews will be conducted with parents and the professionals involved in supporting them, to track families' experiences and progress.
Young people who have lived in foster residential or kinship care are more likely to become parents at a young age. Over the next four years I will:
*conduct a systematic review of research and information related to care experienced parents.
*survey local authorities in Wales to find present numbers of care experienced parents together with details of the support services offered to their families.
*follow a group of care experienced parents who are expecting babies over a 12-18 month period. Several interviews will be conducted with parents and the professionals involved in supporting them, to track families' experiences and progress.
