Karen Roscoe

Biography

Dr Karen D. Roscoe is a Lecturer in Social Work but has a particular interested in cross disciplinary and inter-agency working and is published in a variety of academic journals that reflect this including the British Journal of Social Work, Social Work Practice and Child and family social work, Critical Social Work and Social Work and Social Science Review, Probation Journal and Criminology and Criminal Justice. Karen is particularly interested in social policy initiatives in Wales, taking a pro-active approach to listening to the voices of key stakeholders, service users, carer’s and families.

Karen is particularly interested in partnership work with local authorities, health, education and criminology and has mentored consultants in Wales to carry out research into new policy and practice areas such as the intensive family support services (based on ‘Troubled Families’ initiatives and the ‘toxic trio’ (domestic violence, mental health, drugs and alcohol) (see Roscoe and Marlow, 2013) as well as services in Wales such as the role of the IDVA (see Madoc-Jones and Roscoe 2011). Karen’s PhD focused on how practitioners, within the organisational context, implement and interpret policy initiatives and services on the ground floor. Here, her work concentrated upon how social work practitioners mediate and make sense of their professional identities under policy initiatives in Wales such as person-centered care (see Roscoe and Pithouse 2018). She is currently working with Wolverhampton Council exploring the implementation of Restorative Practice in Children and Families social work in four service areas and has undertaken focus groups and interviews with social work practitioners to explore the impact that this approach has had upon the quality of relationships and outcomes for young children and families. Karen has also conducted research studies with older women and vulnerable women subjected to experiences of domestic abuse (see Madoc Jones and Roscoe, (2009), Roscoe, Morgan and Lavender, 2017).

Karen is particularly interested in taking an activist approach to research that is purposeful and has a practical orientation. This is referred to in critical theory as problem-orientated research and action. Her publication list and income generation (research), alongside her project management skills demonstrates effective leadership and management of programmes/strategies across a variety of disciplines.

Karen started in September 2019 as a lecturer Senior Lecturer in Social Work. Karen is responsible for the overview of the BA Hons in Social Work at Keele. Alongside this Karen will continue to undertake funded research projects and income generation in her areas of expertise.

Research and scholarship

Membership of Professional, Quality, Reviewing and Editorial Bodies

• Social Work England
• Case Council Wales
• Keele Research Unity for Social InclusionPeer reviewer for Qualitative Social Work
• Peer reviewer for Social Work Practice
• Peer Reviewer for Social Work and Society
• Peer Reviewer for the British Journal of Social work
• Peer Reviewer for Social Policy and Society

Further information

Academic Qualifications

• PhD Philosophy, 2014
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, 2007
• BA Hons in Social Work, 2002
• Diploma in Social Work, 2001
• HND in Art and Design 1993

Professional Qualifications

• Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy 2018
• Higher Education Academy Teaching Fellow 2014
• Post Qualification in Social Work 1 (Wales) 2004

Enterprise, knowledge transfer & consultancy

• Roscoe, K and Hurd, A (2018) A Local Evaluation of Restorative Practice, City of Wolverhampton University of Wolverhampton- Internal funding
• Roscoe K (2015) co-ordinator and organiser of 5th International Sociology and Social Work Conference. University of Chester.
• Dubberley, S., Madoc-Jones, I., Parry, O., Graham, K, and Roscoe, K.D. (2015) Wake-up call: Achieving compliance with Youth Justice Orders – External funding
• Carey, M., and Roscoe, K.D. (2014) Older People and the use of IT to combat loneliness (12) -External
• Social Work Education Research Award (SWERSA) – scholarship to complete PhD studies. – External
• Roscoe K, Livingston, W. and Carson A. (2011) A local evaluation of the Integrated Family Support Services. Report for Wrexham Social Services. – External (10k)
• Bakes,S., Madoc-Jones,I. Parry,O., Warren,E., Perry,K., Roscoe, K., Anderson,M., Mottershead,R (2010) A Local Evaluation of perceptions of crime of European and migrant communities, Report to North Wales Police
• Roscoe,K and Madoc-Jones ,I (2010) Providing services to high risk victims of domestic violence: Report into the IDVA service in Powys and Ceredigion. Report for Tai Hafan Cymru –Internal
• Madoc-Jones,I and Roscoe, K (2009) Evaluation of women’s safety service within the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme. Report for Tai Hafan Cymru- External