Profile
Areas of expertise
- Young people leaving care including empirical, comparative and historical research
- Neglected and maltreated teenagers
- The history and rights of young people living in and leaving care
Academic biography
Mike joined the University in 1995 as Professor and Head of Social Work, and co-Director of the Social Work Research and Development Unit, having previously been a lecturer and senior lecturer at Leeds University (1975-1995). A qualified social worker, between 1968 and 1975, he worked as a probation officer, senior child care officer and an area manager in a social services department.
Mike has substantial experience of directing, supervising and carrying out research and evaluation. Awards from Research Councils, Government Departments, Local Authorities and National and International Charities have funded pioneering research on: care leavers in the UK and internationally; neglected and maltreated adolescents; through-care and after care in Scotland; young people missing from home and care; mentoring for care leavers, and; comparative research on leaving care.
Advisory and Professional activities
During his academic career Mike has been a member of the DFE Research Liaison Group (England); acted as the academic adviser to the Governments Quality Protects Research programme and was a member of the Laming Review on ‘Keeping Children in Care out of Trouble’. He has been involved in the preparation of Guidance for Leaving Care legislation, including the Children Act 1989; the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and Planning Transitions to Adulthood for Care Leavers (2010).
Research
Research Consultancies
Since 2014 Mike has been an Emeritus Professor within the Department and has been a research consultant to: Focus Ireland, leaving care outcomes project; the Springboard Leaving Care project; the Children’s Society on their Adolescent Neglect Research programme; Local Authority Children’s Services in improving pathway planning, and; the Leaving Well project on the development of digital pathway planning. He is currently a consultant to research funded under the DFE innovation programme and by the Nuffield Foundation. He is also consulted by UK and international Governments on leaving care research, policy and practice issues.
Research, scholarship and research networks
Mike was a founder member and joint co-ordinator of the Transitions from Care to Adulthood International Research group (INTRAC). He remains an active member, jointly co-ordinating the international history group.
He is currently developing further historical and comparative work on young people’s transitions from care to adulthood; the history of the rights movement of young people in care, and; theorising transitions. He has and continues to contribute to national and international conferences.
Recent activities
2020: Keynote address: Supporting Young People from Care to Adulthood: policy and practice in European Countries; Carepath online European Conference, Brussels, Aftercare support for children ageing out of care: Learning the lessons from across Europe; organised by Eurochild, funded by the European Union, 13th October, 2020
2019: Jersey: Chairing workshop with the Children’s Commissioner, the Children’s Rights Service and Jersey Cares, to co-ordinate the integration of children’s rights services, 28th August 2019
2019: Promoting the resilience of young people from care to adulthood: messages from research for policy and practice, Keynote lecture, Keep on Caring Conference, South Tyneside 5th February, 2019
2018: Porto, EUSARF, Invited Symposium, Transitions from care to adulthood, exploring historical narratives: young people leaving care in England, a history from below (1973-2011), 3rd October 2018
2018 Interviewed by Kakul Hai for Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, An International Journal on Alternative Care, Vol, 4, 2, pp: 136-146
Publications
New publications (2018-2020)
Stein, M (2020) How young black people in care made their voices heard, The Conversation, 25th June pp1-4.
Stein M (2019) Supporting young people from care to adulthood: international practice, Child and Family Social Work, 24; 400-405.
Dixon, J, Ward, J, Stein M (2018) Brighter Future for Care Leavers, a consultation on Outcomes and Aftercare for Young People Leaving Care in Ireland, Focus, Ireland.
Leaving care
Stein M (forthcoming, 2017) Supporting young people from care to adulthood: international practice, Child and Family Social work.
Rees G and Stein M (2016) Children and young people in and leaving care in Bradshaw J (Ed) The Well-being of children in the UK, Bristol, Fourth Edition Policy Press, Bristol.
Stein M (2015) Supportive Pathways for Young People Leaving Care, Lessons from four decades of research, in Whittaker, J, Del Valle J and Holmes, L (eds) Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth, London, JKP.
Stein M (2014) Young people’s transitions from Care to Adulthood in European and Post-communist Eastern European and Central Asian Societies, Australian Social Work, Vol. 67. 1.
Stein M (2012) Young People Leaving Care, Supporting pathways to adulthood, London, Jessica Kingsley.
Stein M and Verweijen-Slamnescu R (2012) When Care Ends, Lessons from Peer Research, insights from young people on leaving care in Albania, the Czech Republic, Finland and Poland, Innsbruk, SOS Children’s Villages International.
Stein, M and Dumaret, A-C (2011) The mental health of young people ageing out of care and entering adulthood: Exploring the evidence from England and France, Children and Youth Services Review, V33,12.
Stein, M, Ward H, Courtney M (2011) Editorial: International perspectives on young people’s transitions from care to adulthood, Children and Youth Services Review, V33,12.
Stein (2011) Care Less Lives, the story of the rights movement of young people in care, London, Catch 22.
Stein M and Morris (2010) Knowledge Review 3, Increasing the numbers of care leavers in ‘settled, safe’ accommodation, www.c4eo.org.uk.
Neglected and maltreated teenagers
Stein M (2015) Why is adolescent neglect and important issue? in Too old, too young? London, The Children’s Society, London.
Hicks L and Stein M (2015), Understanding and working with adolescent neglect: perspectives from research, young people and professionals, Child and Family Social Work, 20, 2.
Rees G, Stein M, Hicks L, and Gorin S (2011). Adolescent Neglect, Research Policy and Practice, London, Jessica Kingsley.
Rees, G., Gorin, S., Jobe, A., Stein, M., Medforth, R. and Goswami. H. (2010) Safeguarding Young People: Responding to Young People Aged 11–17 who are Maltreated, Executive summary. London: The Children’s Society.
Hicks L and Stein M (2010) Neglect Matters: A multi-agency guide for professional working together on behalf of teenagers, London; DCSF.
Stein, M, Rees G, Hicks, L, Gorin S, (2009) Neglected Adolescents: Literature Review Research Brief; London; DSCF.
