![Lorna Stabler BA (Hons), MA, MSc](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/3225?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Overview
I am currently working within CASCADE as a Research Associate. I am Chief Investigator on an NIHR study focused on understanding how Family Group Conferences can be embedded in statuory child and family social work. I am also Principal Investigator for a Nuffield Foundation funded study focused on Special Guardianship Orders in Wales.
I began my work with CASCADE on a programme of work for the What Work's Centre for Children's Social Care. I previously worked for the Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care as an embedded researcher within an inner London Local Authority. Prior to working in social work rsearch, I was a researcher at Cambridge University's exam board, and much of my experience to date has involved conceptualisation, measurement and development of complex skills and interventions within education and social work.
I am particularly motivated by understanding what can make a difference for families and young people involved in children's social care, and links between what social worker do and wider family outcomes. With that aim in mind, I have worked on a number of realist informed projects exploring what works well, for whom, under what circumstances in reducing the need for children to be in care.
I engage widely with the academic community. For example, I am member of a Health and Social Care Wales Research Ethics Committee.
Publication
2024
- Bernheim, B., Fisher, T., Marquez, L. and Stabler, L. 2024. The power and potential of space and place in family group conferencing: Reimagining the role of the venue in child protection practice. Qualitative Social Work (10.1177/14733250241301829)
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2024. How might shared decision-making meetings reduce the need for children to be in care? A rapid realist review. Journal of Social Work (10.1177/14680173241258891)
- Stabler, L. 2024. “They finally see me, they trust me, my brother’s coming home” Recognising the motivations and role of siblings who become kinship carers. Societies 14(2), article number: 24. (10.3390/soc14020024)
2023
- 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)
- Fitz-Symonds, S., Stabler, L. and Diaz, C. 2023. Understanding how advocacy services support care-experienced young people to participate in decision-making. Cardiff: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/CASCADE-Spark-advocacy-services-trial-protocol.pdf
2022
- Wood, S., Scourfield, J., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. L. 2022. How might changes to family income affect the likelihood of children being in out-of-home care? Evidence from a realist and qualitative rapid evidence assessment of interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 143, article number: 106685. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106685)
- Mannay, D. et al. 2022. The strengths and challenges of online services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people: A study exploring the views of young people, carers, and social care professionals in Wales during the Coronavirus pandemic. Project Report. Cardiff: The Fostering Network in Wales.
2021
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A rapid realist review of effective mental health interventions for individuals with chronic physical health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic using a systems-level mental health promotion framework. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(23), article number: 12292. (10.3390/ijerph182312292)
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A scoping review of system-level mechanisms to prevent children being in out-of-home care. British Journal of Social Work 52(5), pp. 2515-2536., article number: bcab213. (10.1093/bjsw/bcab213)
2020
- Stabler, L., Wilkins, D. and Carro, H. 2020. What do children think about their social worker? A Q-method study of children's services. Child and Family Social Work 25(1), pp. 118-126. (10.1111/cfs.12665)
2019
- Brand, S., Wood, S., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Scourfield, J., Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. How family budget change interventions affect children being in care: a rapid evidence assessment. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff, Wales: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: http://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Full_Report_Aug2019.pdf
- Brand, S. et al. 2019. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026967. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026967)
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2019. Shared decision-making: What is good practice in delivering meetings? Involving families meaningfully in decision-making to keep children safely at home: A rapid realist review. Technical Report.
- Meindl, M., Stabler, L., Mayhew Manistre, L., Sheehan, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. 2019. How do family drug and alcohol courts work with parents to safely reduce the number of children in care? A rapid realist review. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_FDAC_rapid_realist_review_Oct2019.pdf
2018
- Wilkins, D., Khan, M., Stabler, L., Newlands, F. and Mcdonnell, J. 2018. Evaluating the quality of social work supervision in UK children's services: comparing self-report and independent observations. Clinical Social Work Journal 46(4), pp. 350-360. (10.1007/s10615-018-0680-7)
- Brand, S. et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
Articles
- Bernheim, B., Fisher, T., Marquez, L. and Stabler, L. 2024. The power and potential of space and place in family group conferencing: Reimagining the role of the venue in child protection practice. Qualitative Social Work (10.1177/14733250241301829)
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2024. How might shared decision-making meetings reduce the need for children to be in care? A rapid realist review. Journal of Social Work (10.1177/14680173241258891)
- Stabler, L. 2024. “They finally see me, they trust me, my brother’s coming home” Recognising the motivations and role of siblings who become kinship carers. Societies 14(2), article number: 24. (10.3390/soc14020024)
- 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)
- Wood, S., Scourfield, J., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Wilkins, D., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. L. 2022. How might changes to family income affect the likelihood of children being in out-of-home care? Evidence from a realist and qualitative rapid evidence assessment of interventions. Children and Youth Services Review 143, article number: 106685. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106685)
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A rapid realist review of effective mental health interventions for individuals with chronic physical health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic using a systems-level mental health promotion framework. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(23), article number: 12292. (10.3390/ijerph182312292)
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A scoping review of system-level mechanisms to prevent children being in out-of-home care. British Journal of Social Work 52(5), pp. 2515-2536., article number: bcab213. (10.1093/bjsw/bcab213)
- Stabler, L., Wilkins, D. and Carro, H. 2020. What do children think about their social worker? A Q-method study of children's services. Child and Family Social Work 25(1), pp. 118-126. (10.1111/cfs.12665)
- Brand, S. et al. 2019. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026967. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026967)
- Wilkins, D., Khan, M., Stabler, L., Newlands, F. and Mcdonnell, J. 2018. Evaluating the quality of social work supervision in UK children's services: comparing self-report and independent observations. Clinical Social Work Journal 46(4), pp. 350-360. (10.1007/s10615-018-0680-7)
Monographs
- Fitz-Symonds, S., Stabler, L. and Diaz, C. 2023. Understanding how advocacy services support care-experienced young people to participate in decision-making. Cardiff: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/CASCADE-Spark-advocacy-services-trial-protocol.pdf
- Mannay, D. et al. 2022. The strengths and challenges of online services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people: A study exploring the views of young people, carers, and social care professionals in Wales during the Coronavirus pandemic. Project Report. Cardiff: The Fostering Network in Wales.
- Brand, S., Wood, S., Stabler, L., Addis, S., Scourfield, J., Wilkins, D. and Forrester, D. 2019. How family budget change interventions affect children being in care: a rapid evidence assessment. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff, Wales: What Works for Children's Social Care. Available at: http://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Family_Budget_Change_rapid_evidence_assessment_Full_Report_Aug2019.pdf
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2019. Shared decision-making: What is good practice in delivering meetings? Involving families meaningfully in decision-making to keep children safely at home: A rapid realist review. Technical Report.
- Meindl, M., Stabler, L., Mayhew Manistre, L., Sheehan, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D. and Brand, S. 2019. How do family drug and alcohol courts work with parents to safely reduce the number of children in care? A rapid realist review. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_FDAC_rapid_realist_review_Oct2019.pdf
- Brand, S. et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
- Wilkins, D., Khan, M., Stabler, L., Newlands, F. and Mcdonnell, J. 2018. Evaluating the quality of social work supervision in UK children's services: comparing self-report and independent observations. Clinical Social Work Journal 46(4), pp. 350-360. (10.1007/s10615-018-0680-7)
Research
I work in partnership with staff across different diciplines. I lead a collaborative NIHR funded project drawing on children's social care expertise in CASCADE, Implementation Science expertise in University of Exeter Medical School and social work practice experience with partner local authorities. I have recently worked on a TRIUMPH (Transdisciplinary Research for the Improvement of Youth Mental Public Health) funded project with DECIPHER on adapting online tools to support young people's mental health. In addition, I have worked on a number of bids and projects with researchers across the UK and in Canada.
I am keen to develop a programme of work related to kinship care. I am currently working on an ESRC funded PhD programme exploring sibling kinship carers' experiences and support needs. In addition, I have been awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship in 2019 to travel to countries in Asia (Cambodia, India and Japan) to explore approaches to foster and kinship care.
Teaching
Support lecturing on MA Social Work (years 1 and 2)
Student dissertation supervision (undergraduate and masters)
Biography
- November 2023 - Ongoing, Research Fellow, CASCADE
- October 2020 - Ongoing, PhD researcher, DECIPHER
- June 2018 - Novemeber 2023, Research Associate, CASCADE
- November 2016 - June 2018, Research Assistant, Tilda Goldberg Centre
- September 2015 - November 2016, Research Assistant, Cambridge Internation Examinations
Honours and awards
Winston Churchill Memorial Fellow (2019).
Professional memberships
Member of European Social Work Research Association
Committees and reviewing
- Journal reviewer, Qualitative Social Work
- Journal reviewer, Social Work Education
- Project reviewer, NSPCC
Contact Details
StablerL@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29225 10937
sbarc|spark, Floor CASCADE, First Floor, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
+44 29225 10937
sbarc|spark, Floor CASCADE, First Floor, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Research themes
Specialisms
- Kinship Care
- Social work
- Care experience
- Foster care
- Family support