Lauren Bailey

Biography

Lauren qualified as a Social Worker from the University of Manchester in 2010 and has 15 years’ experience across children’s and adult social care. Lauren began her career in Gibraltar, working with cared-for and care-experienced children and young people from 2011 to 2014, before moving into adult social care. Over the following years, Lauren progressed through practice and management roles to Team Manager and Interim Head of Service for Adult Social Care, gaining experience across learning disability, hospital pathways, community social work, safeguarding and complex multi-agency practice.

During her time in Gibraltar, Lauren also contributed to social policy and legislative development, including work around Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the implementation of capacity legislation. Her safeguarding experience included MAPPA practice with annual specialist training delivered by Marcella Leonard OBE.

Lauren completed a MSc in Social Work Leadership and Justice with Distinction in 2023, with research focusing on the retention of social workers and the factors that support a sustainable social work workforce.

After returning to the UK in 2022, Lauren continued to work across social work practice, leadership and service development. In 2023, she undertook the Responsible Individual role within Ofsted-regulated children’s residential care. More recently, her practice has focused on learning disability transformation and supported living, with interests in strengths-based practice, enablement and least-restrictive approaches.

Lauren has developed her career in social work education, guest lecturing at the University of Salford from 2023, including on the Step Up to Social Work MA programme, before joining Keele University in June 2026.

Lauren is co-author with Steve Myers of the chapter ‘Signs of Safety’ in Applying Strengths-Based Approaches in Social Work (Edwards and Parkinson, 2023). Her academic interests include strengths-based social work, social justice and ethics, learning disability, social worker wellbeing and retention, and social care transformation.

In 2026, Lauren received a Cheshire East Council New Year Honour for Services to Integrity, recognising honesty and accountability. She was also recognised for Services to Cross-Team Collaboration as part of the Care Review Team within Cheshire East Council’s Transforming Care programme.

Teaching

• BA1- Introduction to Professional Learning and Development
• BA1- Social Justice, Ethics and Values
• P/G- Developing Knowledge- Module Lead