Beth Neil is a Professor of Social Work, Director of Research and Chair of the Research Ethics Committee for the School of Social Work. Before joining the Department as a Ph.D. student in 1996 (progressing to lecturer in 1999 and senior lecturer in 2007) she worked for several years in social care in social work. She teaches on qualifying and post-qualifying social work programmes and supervises Ph.D. students. Her research interests are in the field of adoption including post-adoption contact, birth relatives’ perspectives on adoption, post adoption support, and adoptive parent recruitment.

Beth Neil has directed a number of funded research projects in the field of adoption. These have included two major studies: the longitudinal “Contact after Adoption” study which has followed a group of adoptive birth families over 18 years from 1996 to 2013, and the “Researching Adoption Support” study which explored support services for birth relatives, and agency support for direct contact arrangements (2005-2010). She is currently directing an ESRC project "From care to adoption to parenting" exploring the experiences of adoptees who become parents, and adoptive parents who become grandparents. Key themes in her research have been around the management of psychological issues for adopted children and young people, birth relatives and adoptive parents. Her research has contributed to policy and practice affecting adopted children and their birth and adoptive families.

Current and recent research research projects:

Success factors in adopter recruitment: Insights from adoption agency social work managers and marketing offices (2013)

Contact after adoption (Three phases 1996-2000, 2002-2004, 2012-13)

Researching Adoption Support (2005-10)