Jane Dodsworth

Dr Jane Dodsworth is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the UEA.  She worked previously as the Inter-Agency Development Officer for Norfolk ACPC and is a former Social Worker with experience in generic and children and family teams and the residential field.  She teaches on the BA and MA in Social Work Programmes and is the current Director of the BA and MA Programme.  Her doctoral research was on the pathways of women involved in sex work. Her current research interests are in child sexual exploitation, risk and protective factors and issues of agency for those involved in sexual exploitation and sex work, particularly those who have experience of going missing from home or the care system, and sex workers as mothers. She has also undertaken research for Norfolk Police and Norfolk Safeguarding Children Board on professionals' experiences of working with children and young people at risk of experiencing CSE.

Jane Dodsworth main area of interest is in child sexual exploitation. This interest developed during her involvement in social work practice working with young people involved in, and at risk of involvement in, commercial sexual exploitation. Jane was also involved in policy development and awareness-raising at ACPC (now LCSB) level and became interested in exploring issues and preventative strategies for this vulnerable group further.  Her doctoral research was a qualitative study exploring the narratives of young and adult women involved in sex work in the UK to determine whether it was possible to identify key risk and protective factors influencing involvement and how the meaning ascribed by women to key experiences influenced their ability to manage involvement in sex work and simultaneously 'manage' other life experiences.  Findings suggest that there is a need to facilitate the provision of 'secure base' interventions for women involved in sex work, whatever their age which has meaning for them.

Current and recent research projects

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

Routes into sexual exploitation: going missing, agency and victimhood (2013–2014)

Looked after children and offending (2010-12)

Evaluation of Fosternets (2009-10)

Understanding Serious Case Reviews and their Impact: A Biennial Analysis of Serious Case Reviews 2005-7 (2007-2009)

Analysing child deaths and serious injury through abuse and neglect: what can we learn? A Biennial Analysis of Serious Case Reviews 2003-2005 (2006- 2008)

Preparation for Practice module BA year 1 

Preparation for Placement module MA year 1

The Children & Families unit on the Working with Service Users module MA2 & BA3

MRes – Grounded theory