About Chris
I am an independent researcher with an MSc in Psychology and extensive professional experience across NHS and public-sector settings.
My work is focused on understanding the issues that affect children, young people and families, particularly where psychological, educational, social and systemic factors intersect.
I have a particular interest in SEND and inclusion, safeguarding and vulnerability, education and attendance, mental health and wellbeing, adoption, trauma and resilience, and health and social care.
My Research & Professional perspectives
My academic and independent research has developed from a common interest: understanding complex real-world problems through evidence.
My MSc research explored resilience among adoptive parents, examining the relationships between optimism, self-compassion and perceived social support. The project involved original quantitative research with 85 adoptive parents and developed my experience in research design, participant recruitment, statistical analysis and interpretation.
More recently, I undertook an independent policy research project examining delays in SEND provision and their potential relationship with educational absence, vulnerability and safeguarding. What began with a real-world question developed into a broader mixed-methods investigation incorporating academic and professional literature, policy analysis, national evidence and Freedom of Information research across local authorities in England.
These projects reflect the approach I bring to my work: asking meaningful questions, examining the evidence critically and translating complex findings into clear, useful insight.
My professional background within the NHS and public sector has given me experience of working in complex environments where different needs, perspectives and professional systems intersect.
This provides a practice-informed perspective alongside my academic research training. I am particularly interested in the gap that can sometimes exist between evidence, policy and lived experience — and in exploring how research can help improve understanding, decision-making and practice.
Why I research
I am interested in the questions that sit between evidence, policy and lived experience.
Much of my research begins with a real-world question: something that doesn’t quite make sense, an apparent gap between policy and practice, or an issue where the available evidence deserves closer examination.
I am particularly drawn to research involving children, young people and families, where individual experiences are often shaped by much wider psychological, social and organisations systems.
For me, good research is not simply about finding an answer. It is about asking better questions, examining the evidence carefully and understanding what the findings mean in practice.
My interests & How I work
I believe good research should be rigorous without becoming inaccessible.
My approach combines:
Evidence — grounding work in credible academic, professional and policy sources.
Critical thinking — considering methodology, limitations, competing explanations and the strength of the available evidence.
Clarity — communicating findings in a way that is understandable and useful to the intended audience.
Practical relevance — considering what research findings may mean for professionals, organisations, children and families.
My aim is not simply to produce more information. It is to help make complex issues clearer, more evidence-informed and more meaningful.
Areas of Interest
SEND & Inclusion
Children & Families
Education & Attendance
Safeguarding & Vulnerability
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Adoption & Family Support
Trauma & Resilience
Health & Social Care
Independent Researcher
I am developing an independent research practice alongside my professional career, with a growing portfolio of original research, policy analysis and evidence-led writing.
I am particularly interested in collaborating with organisations and professionals who want to explore important questions, better understand available evidence or communicate complex issues more effectively.
Evidence. Insight. Impact.