I am Professor of Residential Child Care and Head of the School of Applied Social Sciences in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde.  I am closely involved in the work of the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care  (SIRCC). I have particular research interests in: residential child care; decision-making in child care; inter-disciplinary work, particularly the relationship between education and social services; the rights of looked after children and the abuse of children in residential and foster care.