![Sally Holland](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/8679?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Professor Sally Holland
(she/her)
- Welsh speaking
Teams and roles for Sally Holland
Professor CASCADE Research Centre
Overview
I am a Professor of Social Work. I work part-time in the university, Tuesdays to Thursdays. My research interests include child and family social work, children’s rights and child, youth, parents and carers’ involvement in both research and policy-making. My research centre is CASCADE Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre where I lead on staff wellbeing and development.
From 2015 to 2022 I was Children’s Commissioner for Wales.
I am currently leading the evaluation of the Welsh Government's Basic Income Pilot for Care Leavers, alongside my colleagues David Westlake and Dr Louise Roberts.
I am also part of research teams evaluating The impact of Sure Start on health and social care – CASCADE, the impact of Flying Start in Wales, and a Horizon Europe-funded study on services for children who experienced maltreatment, focusing in particular on Wales, France, and Denmark (SERENA)
I teach on the MA Social Work programme and supervise Master’s dissertations and PhDs.
Current external roles are:
1. Member of the Welsh Government’s Innovating Democracy Advisory Group.
2. Independent Chair of Cyngor Gwynedd’s Programme Board for the Crime Response Plan related to a serious child abuse case.
3. Independent Chair of the Welsh Government’s Maternity and Neonatal Oversight Panel.
Publication
2025
- Havlicek, J. , Holland, S. and Taussig, H. 2025. Navigating relationships with birth family after aging out of foster care: experiences of young people. Families in Society (10.1177/10443894241303193)
- Holland, S. et al. 2025. Critical reflections on public involvement in research: involving involuntary recipients of social services to improve research quality. The British Journal of Social Work 55 (5), pp.2500-2518. bcaf058. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf058)
- Holland, S. , Taussig, H. and Havlicek, J. 2025. Hurt, loss, joy, and forgiveness: Foster care–experienced young adults' relationships with their birth parents. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science 74 (4), pp.2000-2016. (10.1111/fare.13184)
- Janes, E. et al. 2025. Adoptive parents' experiences of birth parent contact in the years after placement. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science 74 (5), pp.2487-2506. (10.1111/fare.70032)
- Mathur, V. et al. 2025. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: second annual report, 2024 to 2025. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: Cardiff University. Available at: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2025-03/basic-income-for-care-leavers-in-wales-pilot-evaluation-second-annual-report-2024-to-2025_0.pdf.
- Roberts, L. et al. 2025. Innovative and ambitious or unrealistic and risky? Initial professional perspectives on the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot. The British Journal of Social Work bcaf124. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf124)
2024
- Ablitt, J. , Jimenez Lugo, P. and Holland, S. 2024. Eliminating profit from children’s residential and foster care: evidence review. Technical Report.
- Holland, S. et al. 2024. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: annual report, 2023 to 2024.
- Westlake, D. et al. 2024. The basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: Protocol of a quasi-experimental evaluation. PLoS ONE 19 (10) e0303837. (10.1371/journal.pone.0303837)
2023
- Bailey, G. A. et al., 2023. Immunisation status of children receiving care and support in Wales: a national data linkage study. Frontiers in Public Health 11 1231264. (10.3389/fpubh.2023.1231264)
- Holland, S. 2023. Removing the “Reasonable Punishment” defence in Wales. Canadian Journal of Children's Rights / Revue canadienne des droits des enfants 10 (1), pp.142-163. (10.22215/cjcr.v10i1.4277)
2022
- Holland, S. 2022. Social work: A relationship-based profession. In: Cree, V. E. ed. Becoming a Social Worker. 3rd ed.. Routledge. , pp.93-98.
2019
- Barrance, R. and Holland, S. 2019. How well is Wales monitoring its fulfilment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child? A view from Dr Rhian Barrance and Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales. [Online].Cardiff: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/how-well-wales-monitoring-its-fulfilment-convention-rights-child-view-dr-rhian-barrance-and.
2017
- Karen, W. et al., 2017. Exploring communication between social workers, children and young people. British Journal of Social Work 47 (5), pp.1427-1444. (10.1093/bjsw/bcw083)
2016
- Anthony, R. et al. 2016. Factors affecting adoption in Wales: Predictors of variation in time between entry to care and adoptive placement. Children and Youth Services Review 60 , pp.184-190. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.06.010)
- Forrester, D. et al. 2016. Helping families where parents misuse drugs or alcohol? A mixed methods comparative evaluation of an intensive family preservation service. Child and Family Social Work 21 (1), pp.65-75. (10.1111/cfs.12111)
- Roberts, L. et al. 2016. Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales: A context sensitive review of interventions. Adoption and Fostering 40 (4), pp.309-324. (10.1177/0308575916675563)
2015
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2015. Social work: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2014
- Holland, S. , Williams, A. and Forrester, D. 2014. Navigating ethical moments when researching substance misuse with parents and their children. Qualitative Research 14 (4), pp.411-427. (10.1177/1468794112473495)
- O'Connor, L. et al., 2014. Perspectives on children's experiences in families with parental substance misuse and child protection interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 38 , pp.66-74. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.01.008)
- Shaw, I. and Holland, S. 2014. Doing qualitative research in social work. SAGE Publications.
- Williams, A. et al. 2014. The development of a designated dental pathway for looked after children. British Dental Journal 216 (3), pp.E6. (10.1038/sj.bdj.2014.51)
2013
- Holland, S. 2013. Trust in the community: understanding the relationship between formal, semi-formal and informal child safeguarding in a local neighbourhood. British Journal of Social Work n/a (10.1093/bjsw/bcs118)
- Holland, S. and Crowley, A. 2013. Looked-after children and their birth families: using sociology to explore changing relationships, hidden histories and nomadic childhoods. Child & Family Social Work 18 (1), pp.57-66. (10.1111/cfs.12032)
- Holland, S. et al. 2013. Parenting and substance misuse: understanding accounts and realities in child protection contexts. British Journal of Social Work n/a (10.1093/bjsw/bcs197)
2012
- Baynes, P. and Holland, S. 2012. Social work with violent men: a child protection file study in an English local authority. Child Abuse Review 21 (1), pp.53-65. (10.1002/car.1159)
- Evans, R. E. and Holland, S. 2012. Community parenting and the informal safeguarding of children at neighbourhood level. Families, Relationships and Societies 1 (2), pp.173-190. (10.1332/204674312X645501)
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2012. Engaging fathers in child welfare services: A narrative review of recent research evidence. Child and Family Social Work 17 (2), pp.160-169. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00827.x)
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2012. The benefits and challenges of training child protection social workers in father engagement. Child Abuse Review 21 (4), pp.299-310. (10.1002/car.2218)
- Rees, A. , Holland, S. and Pithouse, A. J. 2012. Food in foster families: care, communication and conflict. Children & Society 26 (2), pp.100-111. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00332.x)
2011
- Holland, S. 2011. Child and family assessment in social work practice. London: Sage.
- Holland, S. and O'Neill, S. 2011. 'We had to be there to make sure it was what we wanted': Enabling children's participation in family decision-making through the family group conference. In: Coffey, A. J. and Hall, T. A. eds. Researching Young People. Vol. 2, Fundamentals of Applied Research London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd. , pp.219-240.
- Holland, S. , Tannock, S. and Collicott, H. E. 2011. Everybody's business? A research review of the informal safeguarding of other people's children in the UK. Children & Society 25 (5), pp.406-416. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00389.x)
- Renold, E. et al. 2011. 'Becoming participant': problematising 'informed consent' in participatory research with young people in care. In: Atkinson, P. A. and Delamont, K. S. eds. SAGE Qualitative Research Methods. Vol. 4, London: Sage. , pp.55-74.
- Ross, N. et al., 2011. Meaningful meanderings: using mobile methods to research young people’s everyday lives. In: Heath, S. and Walker, C. eds. Innovations in youth research. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.37-57.
- Ross, N. J. et al. 2011. Moving stories: using mobile methods to explore the everyday lives of young people in public care. In: Coffey, A. J. and Hall, T. A. eds. Researching Young People. Vol. 1, Fundamentals of Applied Research London: Sage. , pp.123-140.
2010
- Byrne, E. , Holland, S. and Jerzembek, G. S. 2010. A pilot study on the impact of a home-based parenting intervention: Parents Plus. Childcare in Practice 16 (2), pp.111-127. (10.1080/13575270903563325)
- Holland, S. et al. 2010. Understanding neighbourhoods, communities and environments: new approaches for social work research. British Journal of Social Work 41 (4), pp.689-707. (10.1093/bjsw/bcq123)
- Holland, S. et al. 2010. Power, agency and participatory agendas: A critical exploration of young people's engagement in participative qualitative research. Childhood 17 (3), pp.360-375. (10.1177/0907568210369310)
- Thomas, J. R. and Holland, S. 2010. Representing children's identities in core assessments. British Journal of Social Work 40 (8), pp.2617-2633. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp154)
2009
- Drakeford, M. et al. 2009. Welsh children’s views on government and participation. Childhood 16 (2), pp.247-264. (10.1177/0907568209104404)
- Holland, S. 2009. Assessment in Social Work, 3rd edn, Judith Milner and Patrick O'Byrne [Book Review]. British Journal of Social Work 39 (7), pp.1412-1413. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp111)
- Holland, S. 2009. Engaging children and their parents in the assessment process. In: Horwath, J. ed. The child's World: the Comprehensive Guide to Assessing Children in Need, 2nd ed.. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. , pp.110-123.
- Holland, S. 2009. Kids today. Agenda: The Journal of the Institute of Welsh Affairs (Spring), pp.54-55.
- Holland, S. 2009. Listening to children in care: A review of methodological and theoretical approaches to understanding looked after children's perspectives. Children & Society 23 (3), pp.226-235. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2008.00213.x)
- Holland, S. 2009. Looked after children and the ethic of care. British Journal of Social Work 40 (6), pp.1664-1680. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp086)
- Holland, S. A. L. 2009. Diverse childhoods, participation and democracy: some reasons to be cheerful. In: Osmond, J. and Morris, N. eds. What Are We Doing To Our Kids?. Cardiff, UK: Institute of Welsh Affairs/ BBC Cymru Wales. , pp.64-66.
- Ross, N. J. et al. 2009. Moving stories: using mobile methods to explore the everyday lives of young people in public care. Qualitative Research 9 (5), pp.605-623. (10.1177/1468794109343629)
- Willis, R. and Holland, S. A. L. 2009. Life story work: Reflections on the experience by looked after young people. Adoption and Fostering 33 (4), pp.44-52.
2008
- Holland, S. et al. 2008. Rights, ‘right on’ or the right thing to do? A critical exploration of young people's engagement in participative social work research. Working paper. ERSC National Centre for Reseacrh Methods. Available at: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/460/1/0708%2520critical%2520exploration.pdf.
- Holland, S. et al. 2008. The everyday lives of children in care: using a sociological perspective to inform social work practice. In: Luckock, B. and Lefevre, M. eds. Direct work: social work with children and young people in care. London: British Association for Adoption & Fostering. , pp.77-94.
- Holland, S. and Rivett, M. 2008. 'Everyone started shouting': making connections between the process of family group conferences and family therapy practice. British Journal of Social Work 38 (1), pp.21-38. (10.1093/bjsw/bcl064)
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2008. Managing marginalised masculinities: men and probation. In: Tomsen, S. ed. Crime, criminal justice and masculinities. International Library of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Penology - Second series Aldershot: Ashgate. , pp.427-440.
- Renold, E. et al. 2008. 'Becoming participant': problematizing 'informed consent' in participatory research with young people in care. Qualitative Social Work 7 (4), pp.427-447. (10.1177/1473325008097139)
- Ross, N. et al., 2008. The multi-sensory experiences of mobile research encounters. Presented at: NCRM Research Methods Festival 2008 St Catherine's College, Oxford 30 June - 3 July 2008.
- Scourfield, J. B. , Holland, S. and Young, C. 2008. Social work in Wales since democratic devolution. Australian Social Work 61 (1), pp.42-56. (10.1080/03124070701818724)
- Wiles, R. et al., 2008. Visual ethics: ethical issues in visual research. Working paper. National Centre for Research Methods,. Available at: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/421/1/MethodsReviewPaperNCRM-011.pdf.
2006
- Holland, S. and O'Neill, S. 2006. ‘We had to be there to make sure it was what we wanted’: enabling children’s participation in family decision-making through the family group conference. Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research 13 (1), pp.91-111. (10.1177/0907568206059975)
- Scourfield, J. B. et al. 2006. The significance of place in middle childhood: qualitative research from Wales. British Journal of Sociology 57 (4), pp.577-595. (10.1111/j.1468-4446.2006.00126.x)
2005
- Holland, S. , Faulkner, A. and Perez-del-Aguila, V. R. 2005. Promoting stability and continuity of care for looked after children: a survey and critical review. Child & Family Social Work 10 (1), pp.29-41. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2004.00339.x)
- Holland, S. et al. 2005. Democratising the family and the state? The case of family group conferences in child welfare. Journal of Social Policy 34 (1), pp.59-78. (10.1017/S0047279404008268)
2004
- Holland, S. 2004. Child and family assessment in social work practice. London: Sage.
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2004. Liberty and respect in child protection. British Journal of Social Work 34 (1), pp.21-36. (10.1093/bjsw/bch003)
2001
- Holland, S. 2001. Representing children in child protection assessments. Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research 8 (3), pp.322-339. (10.1177/0907568201008003002)
2000
- Holland, S. 2000. The assessment relationship: interactions between social workers and parents in child protection assessments. The British Journal of Social Work 30 (2), pp.149–163. (10.1093/bjsw/30.2.149)
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2000. Managing marginalised masculinities: men and probation. Journal of Gender Studies 9 (2), pp.199-211. (10.1080/713677981)
1999
- Pithouse, A. and Holland, S. 1999. Family support and the early years centre: a case study of parent views. Child Care in Practice 5 (2), pp.140-150. (10.1080/13575279908413166)
Articles
- Anthony, R. et al. 2016. Factors affecting adoption in Wales: Predictors of variation in time between entry to care and adoptive placement. Children and Youth Services Review 60 , pp.184-190. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.06.010)
- Bailey, G. A. et al., 2023. Immunisation status of children receiving care and support in Wales: a national data linkage study. Frontiers in Public Health 11 1231264. (10.3389/fpubh.2023.1231264)
- Baynes, P. and Holland, S. 2012. Social work with violent men: a child protection file study in an English local authority. Child Abuse Review 21 (1), pp.53-65. (10.1002/car.1159)
- Byrne, E. , Holland, S. and Jerzembek, G. S. 2010. A pilot study on the impact of a home-based parenting intervention: Parents Plus. Childcare in Practice 16 (2), pp.111-127. (10.1080/13575270903563325)
- Drakeford, M. et al. 2009. Welsh children’s views on government and participation. Childhood 16 (2), pp.247-264. (10.1177/0907568209104404)
- Evans, R. E. and Holland, S. 2012. Community parenting and the informal safeguarding of children at neighbourhood level. Families, Relationships and Societies 1 (2), pp.173-190. (10.1332/204674312X645501)
- Forrester, D. et al. 2016. Helping families where parents misuse drugs or alcohol? A mixed methods comparative evaluation of an intensive family preservation service. Child and Family Social Work 21 (1), pp.65-75. (10.1111/cfs.12111)
- Havlicek, J. , Holland, S. and Taussig, H. 2025. Navigating relationships with birth family after aging out of foster care: experiences of young people. Families in Society (10.1177/10443894241303193)
- Holland, S. 2000. The assessment relationship: interactions between social workers and parents in child protection assessments. The British Journal of Social Work 30 (2), pp.149–163. (10.1093/bjsw/30.2.149)
- Holland, S. 2009. Assessment in Social Work, 3rd edn, Judith Milner and Patrick O'Byrne [Book Review]. British Journal of Social Work 39 (7), pp.1412-1413. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp111)
- Holland, S. 2009. Kids today. Agenda: The Journal of the Institute of Welsh Affairs (Spring), pp.54-55.
- Holland, S. 2009. Listening to children in care: A review of methodological and theoretical approaches to understanding looked after children's perspectives. Children & Society 23 (3), pp.226-235. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2008.00213.x)
- Holland, S. 2009. Looked after children and the ethic of care. British Journal of Social Work 40 (6), pp.1664-1680. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp086)
- Holland, S. 2023. Removing the “Reasonable Punishment” defence in Wales. Canadian Journal of Children's Rights / Revue canadienne des droits des enfants 10 (1), pp.142-163. (10.22215/cjcr.v10i1.4277)
- Holland, S. 2001. Representing children in child protection assessments. Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research 8 (3), pp.322-339. (10.1177/0907568201008003002)
- Holland, S. 2013. Trust in the community: understanding the relationship between formal, semi-formal and informal child safeguarding in a local neighbourhood. British Journal of Social Work n/a (10.1093/bjsw/bcs118)
- Holland, S. et al. 2010. Understanding neighbourhoods, communities and environments: new approaches for social work research. British Journal of Social Work 41 (4), pp.689-707. (10.1093/bjsw/bcq123)
- Holland, S. et al. 2025. Critical reflections on public involvement in research: involving involuntary recipients of social services to improve research quality. The British Journal of Social Work 55 (5), pp.2500-2518. bcaf058. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf058)
- Holland, S. and Crowley, A. 2013. Looked-after children and their birth families: using sociology to explore changing relationships, hidden histories and nomadic childhoods. Child & Family Social Work 18 (1), pp.57-66. (10.1111/cfs.12032)
- Holland, S. , Faulkner, A. and Perez-del-Aguila, V. R. 2005. Promoting stability and continuity of care for looked after children: a survey and critical review. Child & Family Social Work 10 (1), pp.29-41. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2004.00339.x)
- Holland, S. et al. 2013. Parenting and substance misuse: understanding accounts and realities in child protection contexts. British Journal of Social Work n/a (10.1093/bjsw/bcs197)
- Holland, S. and O'Neill, S. 2006. ‘We had to be there to make sure it was what we wanted’: enabling children’s participation in family decision-making through the family group conference. Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research 13 (1), pp.91-111. (10.1177/0907568206059975)
- Holland, S. et al. 2010. Power, agency and participatory agendas: A critical exploration of young people's engagement in participative qualitative research. Childhood 17 (3), pp.360-375. (10.1177/0907568210369310)
- Holland, S. and Rivett, M. 2008. 'Everyone started shouting': making connections between the process of family group conferences and family therapy practice. British Journal of Social Work 38 (1), pp.21-38. (10.1093/bjsw/bcl064)
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2004. Liberty and respect in child protection. British Journal of Social Work 34 (1), pp.21-36. (10.1093/bjsw/bch003)
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2000. Managing marginalised masculinities: men and probation. Journal of Gender Studies 9 (2), pp.199-211. (10.1080/713677981)
- Holland, S. et al. 2005. Democratising the family and the state? The case of family group conferences in child welfare. Journal of Social Policy 34 (1), pp.59-78. (10.1017/S0047279404008268)
- Holland, S. , Tannock, S. and Collicott, H. E. 2011. Everybody's business? A research review of the informal safeguarding of other people's children in the UK. Children & Society 25 (5), pp.406-416. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00389.x)
- Holland, S. , Taussig, H. and Havlicek, J. 2025. Hurt, loss, joy, and forgiveness: Foster care–experienced young adults' relationships with their birth parents. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science 74 (4), pp.2000-2016. (10.1111/fare.13184)
- Holland, S. , Williams, A. and Forrester, D. 2014. Navigating ethical moments when researching substance misuse with parents and their children. Qualitative Research 14 (4), pp.411-427. (10.1177/1468794112473495)
- Janes, E. et al. 2025. Adoptive parents' experiences of birth parent contact in the years after placement. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science 74 (5), pp.2487-2506. (10.1111/fare.70032)
- Karen, W. et al., 2017. Exploring communication between social workers, children and young people. British Journal of Social Work 47 (5), pp.1427-1444. (10.1093/bjsw/bcw083)
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2012. Engaging fathers in child welfare services: A narrative review of recent research evidence. Child and Family Social Work 17 (2), pp.160-169. (10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00827.x)
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2012. The benefits and challenges of training child protection social workers in father engagement. Child Abuse Review 21 (4), pp.299-310. (10.1002/car.2218)
- O'Connor, L. et al., 2014. Perspectives on children's experiences in families with parental substance misuse and child protection interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 38 , pp.66-74. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.01.008)
- Pithouse, A. and Holland, S. 1999. Family support and the early years centre: a case study of parent views. Child Care in Practice 5 (2), pp.140-150. (10.1080/13575279908413166)
- Rees, A. , Holland, S. and Pithouse, A. J. 2012. Food in foster families: care, communication and conflict. Children & Society 26 (2), pp.100-111. (10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00332.x)
- Renold, E. et al. 2008. 'Becoming participant': problematizing 'informed consent' in participatory research with young people in care. Qualitative Social Work 7 (4), pp.427-447. (10.1177/1473325008097139)
- Roberts, L. et al. 2025. Innovative and ambitious or unrealistic and risky? Initial professional perspectives on the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot. The British Journal of Social Work bcaf124. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf124)
- Roberts, L. et al. 2016. Improving well-being and outcomes for looked after children in Wales: A context sensitive review of interventions. Adoption and Fostering 40 (4), pp.309-324. (10.1177/0308575916675563)
- Ross, N. J. et al. 2009. Moving stories: using mobile methods to explore the everyday lives of young people in public care. Qualitative Research 9 (5), pp.605-623. (10.1177/1468794109343629)
- Scourfield, J. B. et al. 2006. The significance of place in middle childhood: qualitative research from Wales. British Journal of Sociology 57 (4), pp.577-595. (10.1111/j.1468-4446.2006.00126.x)
- Scourfield, J. B. , Holland, S. and Young, C. 2008. Social work in Wales since democratic devolution. Australian Social Work 61 (1), pp.42-56. (10.1080/03124070701818724)
- Thomas, J. R. and Holland, S. 2010. Representing children's identities in core assessments. British Journal of Social Work 40 (8), pp.2617-2633. (10.1093/bjsw/bcp154)
- Westlake, D. et al. 2024. The basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: Protocol of a quasi-experimental evaluation. PLoS ONE 19 (10) e0303837. (10.1371/journal.pone.0303837)
- Williams, A. et al. 2014. The development of a designated dental pathway for looked after children. British Dental Journal 216 (3), pp.E6. (10.1038/sj.bdj.2014.51)
- Willis, R. and Holland, S. A. L. 2009. Life story work: Reflections on the experience by looked after young people. Adoption and Fostering 33 (4), pp.44-52.
Book sections
- Holland, S. 2009. Engaging children and their parents in the assessment process. In: Horwath, J. ed. The child's World: the Comprehensive Guide to Assessing Children in Need, 2nd ed.. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. , pp.110-123.
- Holland, S. 2022. Social work: A relationship-based profession. In: Cree, V. E. ed. Becoming a Social Worker. 3rd ed.. Routledge. , pp.93-98.
- Holland, S. and O'Neill, S. 2011. 'We had to be there to make sure it was what we wanted': Enabling children's participation in family decision-making through the family group conference. In: Coffey, A. J. and Hall, T. A. eds. Researching Young People. Vol. 2, Fundamentals of Applied Research London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd. , pp.219-240.
- Holland, S. et al. 2008. The everyday lives of children in care: using a sociological perspective to inform social work practice. In: Luckock, B. and Lefevre, M. eds. Direct work: social work with children and young people in care. London: British Association for Adoption & Fostering. , pp.77-94.
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2008. Managing marginalised masculinities: men and probation. In: Tomsen, S. ed. Crime, criminal justice and masculinities. International Library of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Penology - Second series Aldershot: Ashgate. , pp.427-440.
- Holland, S. A. L. 2009. Diverse childhoods, participation and democracy: some reasons to be cheerful. In: Osmond, J. and Morris, N. eds. What Are We Doing To Our Kids?. Cardiff, UK: Institute of Welsh Affairs/ BBC Cymru Wales. , pp.64-66.
- Renold, E. et al. 2011. 'Becoming participant': problematising 'informed consent' in participatory research with young people in care. In: Atkinson, P. A. and Delamont, K. S. eds. SAGE Qualitative Research Methods. Vol. 4, London: Sage. , pp.55-74.
- Ross, N. et al., 2011. Meaningful meanderings: using mobile methods to research young people’s everyday lives. In: Heath, S. and Walker, C. eds. Innovations in youth research. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.37-57.
- Ross, N. J. et al. 2011. Moving stories: using mobile methods to explore the everyday lives of young people in public care. In: Coffey, A. J. and Hall, T. A. eds. Researching Young People. Vol. 1, Fundamentals of Applied Research London: Sage. , pp.123-140.
Books
- Holland, S. 2004. Child and family assessment in social work practice. London: Sage.
- Holland, S. 2011. Child and family assessment in social work practice. London: Sage.
- Holland, S. and Scourfield, J. B. 2015. Social work: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Shaw, I. and Holland, S. 2014. Doing qualitative research in social work. SAGE Publications.
Conferences
- Ross, N. et al., 2008. The multi-sensory experiences of mobile research encounters. Presented at: NCRM Research Methods Festival 2008 St Catherine's College, Oxford 30 June - 3 July 2008.
Monographs
- Ablitt, J. , Jimenez Lugo, P. and Holland, S. 2024. Eliminating profit from children’s residential and foster care: evidence review. Technical Report.
- Holland, S. et al. 2008. Rights, ‘right on’ or the right thing to do? A critical exploration of young people's engagement in participative social work research. Working paper. ERSC National Centre for Reseacrh Methods. Available at: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/460/1/0708%2520critical%2520exploration.pdf.
- Holland, S. et al. 2024. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: annual report, 2023 to 2024.
- Mathur, V. et al. 2025. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: second annual report, 2024 to 2025. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: Cardiff University. Available at: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2025-03/basic-income-for-care-leavers-in-wales-pilot-evaluation-second-annual-report-2024-to-2025_0.pdf.
- Wiles, R. et al., 2008. Visual ethics: ethical issues in visual research. Working paper. National Centre for Research Methods,. Available at: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/421/1/MethodsReviewPaperNCRM-011.pdf.
Websites
- Barrance, R. and Holland, S. 2019. How well is Wales monitoring its fulfilment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child? A view from Dr Rhian Barrance and Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales. [Online].Cardiff: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/how-well-wales-monitoring-its-fulfilment-convention-rights-child-view-dr-rhian-barrance-and.
Research
My research interests centre around children and families, particularly in the field of children's social care.
I am currently leading the evaluation of the Welsh Government's Basic Income Pilot for Care Leavers, alongside my colleague David Westlake.
My research projects have explored several aspects of children’s and families’ lives, including:
- A review of effective interventions to improve outcomes for looked after children for the Big Lottery. The charity then invested £5m in a trial of the intervention recommended by the study;
- a participative project with looked after children using creative methods;
- an observational study of social workers’ engagement with children;
- a community study of children’s safeguarding on a housing estate;
- life history interviews with care experienced young adults;
- an adoption cohort study;
- a study of children’s experiences of family group conferences.
Selected research grants:
2022-26 Evaluation of the Welsh Government's Basic Income Pilot for Care Leavers. Commissioned by Welsh Government. £800,000.
2013-2015 Holland, Ruch, Winter, Cree, Hadfield, ‘Communicating with Vulnerable Children: Understanding the Everyday Practices of Child and Family Social Workers’, ESRC, £415,000. ES/K006134/1
2013 (March-September) Holland. ‘Scoping and analysis of neglect tools, procedures and services responses in wales’, NSPCC/A4C/Welsh overnment, £20,000.
2013-16 Co-applicant (PI Robling, co-applicants Hood, Kemp, Butler, Sanders (Medicine), Holland, Segrott (SOCSI)) ‘Evaluating the long-term effectiveness, and the cost and consequences of the Family Nurse Partnership parenting support programme in reducing maltreatment in young children’ NIHR, £680,015.
September 2010-January 2011 Byrne and Holland, ‘Children at Risk: evaluating Early Years interventions with homeless families through photography’, Cymorth, £6,500.
Oct 2010-Oct 2011 Bateman, MacIntosh, Rushworth, Holland and Williams, ‘Dental Health and Looked After Children’, Northumbria Health Board, £15,000.
April 2010-April 2011 Scourfield, Bullock, Featherstone, Holland, Tolman, A feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial of a training intervention to improve the engagement of fathers in the child protection system, Wales Office of Research and Development in Health and Social Care (WORD), £124,000.
Oct 2009-Oct 2010 Forrester, Copello and Holland ‘An Evaluation of the “Option 2” Intensive Family Preservation Service’ AERC £60,000.
Teaching
I teach on the MA Social Work programme
I supervise undergraduate and Master's dissertation and Doctoral students
