Dr Katie Ellis

Profile

Dr Katie Ellis is a Senior Lecturer in Child Welfare at the University of Sheffield. With over two decades of dedicated research experience, she stands as a prominent advocate for children in care and young people transitioning from care, consistently prioritising their unique perspectives and lived experiences in her work.

Katie's groundbreaking research into successful pathways from care to university has had a profound and lasting impact on policy frameworks for care leavers in higher education. Her significant contributions are further underscored by successful funding acquisitions from prestigious bodies including The Leverhulme Trust, Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. Her published research challenges and redefines conventional understandings of vulnerability and resilience, offering fresh insights into these critical concepts.

Research

Publications

Ellis, K., & Johnston, C. (2024). Care and education: Instability, stigma and the responsibilisation of educational achievement. Children and Youth Services Review, 156, 107319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107319

Ellis, K., & Sen, R. (2024). Meeting the challenges of participation? Care experienced people’s involvement in social work practice and policy development. European Journal of Social Work, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2024.2418874

Ellis, K., Hickle, K., & Warrington, C. (2023). Researching Sensitive Topics With Children and Young People: Ethical Practice and Blurry Boundaries. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231207011

Ellis, K (2020), “Blame and Culpability Children’s Narratives of Child Sexual Abuse” Child Abuse Review. 28, 405-417. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2590

Ellis, K. (2018), "Contested vulnerability: A case study of girls in secure care." Children and Youth Services Review. Vol: 88, Page: 156-163. ISSN: 0190-7409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.047

Expertise