Maria Boffey
(she/her)
Teams and roles for Maria Boffey
SHRN Knowledge Exchange and External Affairs Manager
Publication
2024
- Trubey, R. et al. 2024. Effectiveness of mental health and wellbeing interventions for children and young people in foster, kinship, and residential care: systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse 25(4), pp. 2829-2844. (10.1177/15248380241227987)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people: Mixed-methods systematic review with stakeholder consultation to inform transportability and adaptability to UK context. The British Journal of Social Work, article number: bcae061. (10.1093/bjsw/bcae061)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. Acceptability, feasibility and perceived effectiveness of online and remote mental health and wellbeing interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study with care-experienced young people, carers and professionals. Children and Youth Services Review 156, article number: 107321. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107321)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. What mental health and wellbeing interventions work for which children and young people in care? Systematic review of potential outcome inequities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (10.1007/s10560-023-00956-7)
2023
- Mannay, D., Vaughan, R., Boffey, M. and Wooders, C. 2023. 'A little bit of advice': Working creatively with children and their foster carers to explore how they would like to share their experiences. In: Kara, H. ed. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Creative Research Methods. Bloomsbury Handbooks London: Bloomsbury, pp. 251-261.
- Stabler, L. et al. 2023. ‘I probably wouldn’t want to talk about anything too personal’: A qualitative exploration of how issues of privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home impact on access and engagement with online services and spaces for care-experienced young people. Adoption & Fostering 47(3), pp. 277-294. (10.1177/03085759231203019)
Adrannau llyfrau
- Mannay, D., Vaughan, R., Boffey, M. and Wooders, C. 2023. 'A little bit of advice': Working creatively with children and their foster carers to explore how they would like to share their experiences. In: Kara, H. ed. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Creative Research Methods. Bloomsbury Handbooks London: Bloomsbury, pp. 251-261.
Erthyglau
- Trubey, R. et al. 2024. Effectiveness of mental health and wellbeing interventions for children and young people in foster, kinship, and residential care: systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse 25(4), pp. 2829-2844. (10.1177/15248380241227987)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people: Mixed-methods systematic review with stakeholder consultation to inform transportability and adaptability to UK context. The British Journal of Social Work, article number: bcae061. (10.1093/bjsw/bcae061)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. Acceptability, feasibility and perceived effectiveness of online and remote mental health and wellbeing interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study with care-experienced young people, carers and professionals. Children and Youth Services Review 156, article number: 107321. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107321)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. What mental health and wellbeing interventions work for which children and young people in care? Systematic review of potential outcome inequities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (10.1007/s10560-023-00956-7)
- Stabler, L. et al. 2023. ‘I probably wouldn’t want to talk about anything too personal’: A qualitative exploration of how issues of privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home impact on access and engagement with online services and spaces for care-experienced young people. Adoption & Fostering 47(3), pp. 277-294. (10.1177/03085759231203019)
Biography
I am the School Health Research Network (SHRN) Knowledge Exchange and External Affairs Manager. I am responsible for fostering strategic research, policy, and practice relationships with key partners, including Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, Local Government, and schools across Wales. My primary focus is on advancing SHRN's development through effective Knowledge Exchange, External Affairs, and Communications.
Previously, I was Head of Operations for a UK Third Sector Organisation, leading national improvement programmes that focused on evidence-based practice, safeguarding, and co-production. I played a significant role in developing the Welsh Government's When I Am Ready scheme and The National Fostering Framework. I was also a member of numerous Welsh Government advisory groups. This role included lobbying the government and creating well-researched policies and position statements to secure funding and drive change for vulnerable children, particularly in education. I have been instrumental in implementing co-production principles in social care, ensuring that children and carers are actively involved in developing and delivering services.
I am a published author in the field of fostering, contributing significantly to the academic and practical understanding of these areas. My publications include Men Who Care (2014), Fostering in a Digital World (2021), and Building Relationships Through Storytelling (2012). I also contributed a chapter to The Fostering Network’s sector-leading publication, Safer Caring: A New Approach (2013), and co-authored a chapter in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Creative Research Methods (2024). I created and served as editor for the The Fostering Network's long-standing Thrive magazine for young people (2006-22), covering all aspects of its developemnt and publication. I was also was a key contributor to The Skills to Foster ,the UK's leading pre-approval course for foster carers.
I have a proven track record in writing successful funding applications, securing high-value grants by identifying prospects, building solid proposals, and convincing commissioners with expert insights and a strong commitment to organisational goals. I excel in developing and implementing strategic plans, designing pilot work programmes, and establishing processes, delivery, and action plans for development and testing, with a particular focus on regional and national commissioning. Research, learning, and evidence inform all aspects of my work.
I am an integral part of multiple research studies conducted by SHRN, DECIPHer and CASCADE, contributing to advancement of the field of children and young people's mental health and well-being.
I am committed to co-production principles, where researchers, practitioners and policymakers, and the public work together to ground research in reality and maintain a person-centred perspective.
Since 2009, I have been a School Governor, and Vice Chair, in special, primary and secondary school settings.