The CAFADA project team is a group of interdisciplinary researchers, who bring expertise and skills related to domestic abuse, childhood studies, legal and policy issues, social work, policing, psychology and mental health, and participatory research. The team is drawn from experts at the University of Stirling, University of Edinburgh, University of East London, University of Gloucestershire and University of Central Lancashire.
The project is led by Jane Callaghan. Jane is Professor and Director of the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection (CCWP) at the University of Stirling. A psychologist and interdisciplinary researcher, she is particularly interested in experiences of violence, childhood, family life and relationships, gender and mental health.
Workstream 1 Safe and Together
The Safe and Together workstream (workstream 1) is led by John Devaney, Professor and Head of Social Work at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests are child protection, child welfare, domestic and gender based violence, and social work interventions.
Dr Kelly Bracewell is a researcher in the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm, based in the School of Social Work, Care and Community at the University of Central Lancashire.
Her research interests include Gender-Based violence and working with vulnerable young people. Recent projects include researching innovations in social care in relation to DVA, a stalking support service, and learning from domestic homicides.
Laura Bellussi is a researcher with the CCWP at the University of Stirling. Laura studied for her undergraduate and Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Pavia in Italy. She previously worked in childcare and education and cooperated with associations providing support to families with jailed parents, asylum-seekers, and people hosted in a rehabilitation centre, getting to know approaches that draw inspiration from the literary and performing arts to support personal and community growth. Her research work at the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection focusses on the evaluation of interventions to improve the quality of life and safety of children and families, with the use of qualitative and mixed methods.
Workstream 2 Interventions
Dr Fiona Morrison is the deputy project lead, and lead of the Interventions Workstream (Workstream 2). Fiona is a Lecturer at Lecturer in Childhood Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests are in the areas of children’s rights, child welfare, domestic abuse and research with children.
Dr Alexandra Jundler is Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh as part of the CAFADA project in workstreams 2 and 3. Alexandra completed her PhD in Social Work from the University of Edinburgh in 2023, focussing on the presence and absence of children and young people’s participation in Scottish legislation for looked after children. Her research interests include children and young people’s participation and protection, policy analysis and children’s rights.
Workstream 3 Criminal Justice
The criminal justice workstream (Workstream 3) is led by Margaret Malloch, Professor of Criminology with the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. She is interested in the construction of ‘problematic’ identities, policy responses, and recovery communities.
Dr Daniel Ash is a Forensic Criminologist and Associate Professor of Practice, working with the University of Gloucestershire. Daniel is an Honorary Associate Professor with the University of Stirling. He specialises in domestic abuse policing, adverse childhood experiences, and criminal justice process and policy. Daniel works with the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, and Police Forces across England and Wales evaluating partnership interventions, and publishes in the areas of domestic abuse, police practice, the impact of emotion recognition on the behaviour of children, and the efficacy and impact of police processes.
Laura Reid is a registered social worker and research fellow at at the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection (CCWP), University of Stirling. Laura is undertaking a PhD exploring children’s involvement in Domestic Homicide Reviews. She has research interests in child welfare and wellbeing, domestic abuse, and children’s participation rights.
Workstream 4 Co-production and Involvement
Kay Tisdall and Claire Houghton co-lead the Co-production and Involvement workstream (workstream 4). Kay is a Professor of Childhood Policy at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests are in childhood studies and particularly children’s human rights. She works within and across a number of policy areas, from education to family law to child protection, on such topics as children affected by domestic abuse, children with disabilities and additional support needs, and child marriage.
Dr Claire Houghton is co-lead on Co-production and Involvement (workstream 4) with Kay Tisdall. Claire is a Lecturer in Social Policy and Quantitative Research at the University of Edinburgh. Her expertise is in young people’s involvement in the development of policy on domestic abuse.
Dr Camille Warrington has worked on CAFADA as a Senior Researcher Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. She has expertise in participatory research with children and young people impacted by violence and abuse and young people’s experiences of welfare and justice interventions after abuse.
Dr Nadine Fowler is a researcher in the CCWP. Her research focuses on the experiences of care and relationships in residential care settings.
Workstream 5 Integration
Alasdair Rutherford leads on the cost-consequence analysis of the interventions. He is Professor of Social Statistics at the University of Stirling. His research focus is the analysis of administrative and survey data in the fields of health, social care and the third sector. He has also been involved in a number of initiatives to build data analysis skills amongst third sector practitioners.
Dr Hannah Graham supports the research team in the integration of the insights around how innovation works in social care contexts. She is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR). She works with governments and parliaments, practitioners, individuals, communities and civic society to help inform real world change and collaboratively build more just societies.
Previous Team Members
Dr Rachel Robbins from the University of Central Lancashire co-lead the Interventions Workstream (Workstream 2), with Fiona Morrison and Lisa Fellin. Rachel’s research is focused on domestic abuse and adult social care, inequality and welfare.
Dr Lisa Fellin from The University of East London co-lead the Interventions Workstream (Workstream 2) with Fiona Morrison and Rachel Robbins. Lisa’s expertise is in the area of systemic and family psychotherapy, critical perspectives on mental health. Rachel’s research is focused on domestic abuse and adult social care, inequality and welfare.
Joanne Alexander is a researcher at the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection (CCWP), University of Stirling. Her research explores women’s accounts of the intergenerational transmission of family violence. She has also published on children’s experiences of domestic abuse, and interventions to support children and young people recovering from domestic abuse.
Dr Tanya Beetham is a researcher at CCWP. Her research focuses on young adults’ experiences of childhood domestic abuse, with a particular focus on those who did not receive formal support related to domestic abuse in childhood. She has also published on interventions to support children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
Dr Hannah Hale is a research fellow at CCWP. Hannah has expertise in police and military mental health, cultural psychology, identities and transitions.