Women’s health

One in four birth mothers who have a child taken into care in England will re-appear in further care proceedings within seven years. Our research in ‘recurrent care’ comprises theoretical innovation and the development of evaluation methodology to establishing the field of Recurrent Care Proceedings which has influenced national policy, practice and thinking.

Our research is helping to improve services across the UK for mothers who have experienced repeated child removals. We have developed an enhanced theoretical and clinical understanding of, and ability to, meet birth parents’ previously unmet needs.

We have been involved in establishing a Community of Practice supporting key workers and service managers and Essex evaluation methods have enabled services in the East of England, London, North West and Midlands to demonstrate significant initial one-off savings plus recurring annual savings, enabling them to secure new or ongoing commissioning.

Professor Neil Kellard and Dr Anna Sarkisyan at the Essex Business School use advanced modelling to analyse the effects of women’s empowerment on children’s health across countries and over time, contributing to our understanding how individuals’ rights are translated into better welfare.

This series of four one-day events entitled ‘The Body of Work’ combined seminars and workshops to advance knowledge and give visibility to topics related to the body which are under-represented in the field of organisation studies, and in organisations.

By bringing together academics and practitioners in the third sector, it fostered the development of an online and offline network to explore topics linking peoples' professional and personal experiences.