Child development, attachment and child placement; permanence and long-term foster care; the Secure Base model of therapeutic caregiving.

Gillian Schofield OBE is Emeritus Professor of Child and Family Social Work. She was an experienced Social Worker and Guardian ad Litem before joining UEA in 1990 and was appointed to a Chair in Child and Family Social Work in 2006.   The main focus of her teaching (1990 -2020) was child development and child placement Her main focus of research (1997-2021) has been in long-term foster care. Other areas of funded research have included looked after children and offending; care planning and the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer; leaving residential care; LGBTQ young people in care; transitions from foster care to adoption. 

With Dr Mary Beek, she developed the Secure Base model, an attachment and resilience-based framework relevant to foster care, adoption, residential care, schools, professional teams and a range of other settings. The Secure Base model has been implemented widely in the UK and internationally.

In 2020 she was appointed Emeritus Professor in Child and Family Social Work and was awarded an OBE for services to children and families.  Although formally retired from UEA, she continues to be involved in working with research, policy and practice colleagues, primarily in relation to long-term foster care as a permanence option and developments in applications of the Secure Base model in the UK and internationally.

Gillian Schofield has had a continuous series of funded research projects since 1997, all of which have contributed to policy and practice affecting children in care and their birth, foster and adoptive families. Key themes have been around planning systems and the nature of foster and adoptive family relationships, in particular the use of attachment theory to promote security and resilience. Research topics have included looked after children and offending and care planning the role of the IRO – both of which include issues concerning risk and protective factors for children’s development and the role of professional systems and practice. Her recent research with children in care includes projects concerning LGBT young people in care, supporting long-term foster care and transitions from foster care to adoption.

Research Projects:

An investigation of the implementation in England of the first regulatory framework for long-term foster care as a permanence option (2018-21)

Transitions from foster care to adoption (2016-18)

Supporting long-term foster care- Match Inovations project funded by DfE (2015-16)

Investigation of the experiences & identity development of LGBT young people in care & the support they receive (2014-2016)

Evaluation of the Norfolk Edge of Care Team (2014-2015)

Mentalisation and social work education, with the Anne Freud Centre (2013-2015)

Evaluation of the transitions and mentoring service at Break (2013-15)

Investigation of care planning and the role of the IRO (2012-14)

Looked after children and offending (2010-12)

Evaluation of Fosternets (2009-10)

Care Planning for permanence in foster care (2008-10)

Understanding and working with birth parents in long-term foster care (2007-08)

Permanence in foster care (2006-07)

Promoting Security: Attachment for foster care and adoption (2004-06)

Looked after children partnership project (2000-03)

Foster carers' perspectives on permanence (2001)

Growing up in foster care (Three phases 1997-1999, 2001-03, 2005-07)

Part of the Family: experiences of growing up in foster care (1999-2002)