Safeguarding: Policy and Practice

Safeguarding is a central concern in governance at local, national and international levels. This research group evidences and analyses how safeguarding policies work in practice, shaping policy development and advancing academic understanding. 

Our group

The group brings together scholars primarily from SPS whose work on safeguarding-related policy is embedded in collaborative partnerships with practitioners and communities. We work with those affected by policy, those who implement policy and those who develop policy. We have well established links with civil society organisations, public health practitioners, local councils and government agencies in Bristol and beyond, including national and international reach. 

Our aims and objectives 

Our research aims to highlight and address the uneven application of safeguarding policies in relation to protected and/or intersecting characteristics including ethnicity, migrancy, gender and age. We seek to work with affected communities and policymakers to consider potential inadvertent harms arising from well-intended safeguarding interventions. We are keen to support PhD and early-career researchers who are developing research related to this topic. 

Group research themes 

  • Female genital modifications 
  • Forced marriage 
  • Gender based violence 
  • Migrant and minoritised families 
  • Refugee and asylum-seeker welfare and accommodation 

Group members 

  • Natasha Carver (Lead) (SPS)
  • Aisha K. Gill (SPS)
  • Dan Godshaw (SPS)
  • Christina Pantazis (SPS)
  • Jessica Roy (SPS)
  • Jo Staines (SPS)
  • Saffron Karlsen (SPAIS)