Abigail Knight

  • Qualifications and position:
    • B.A (Hons) History
      M.A Sociology and Social Policy
      MSc Social Policy and Social Work Studies
      CQSW
    • Research Officer
  • Faculty:
    • Faculty of Children and Learning
  • Department:
    • Childhood, Families and Health
  • Centre:
    • Thomas Coram Research Unit
  • Summary:
    • I am a qualitative researcher with an academic background in history, social work, social policy and sociology. I have 15 years experience of carrying out social research with children and young people of all ages and their families. I have worked on a number of projects including teenage pregnancy among young people in care, advocacy for children in need, emotional wellbeing of unaccompanied young people seeking asylum, services for disabled children, food practices for working families and evaluations of Sing Up for looked after children and of secure children's homes. I am currently working on an ESRC funded project, as part of the National Centre for Research Methods entitled: 'Families and Food: Methodological Innovations for Studying Habitual Practices' as part of NOVELLA (Narratives of Varied Everyday Lives and Linked Approaches).
  • Teaching:
    • Foundation Degree: Working with Children
  • Research Projects:
  • Postgraduate Research:
    • I am studying for a PhD in Childhood Sociology. Thesis entitled: Young people travelling to school, social lives and local connections: contraints or opportunities? Supervised by Professor Berry Mayall, SSRU.
  • Professional Activities:
    • I am a member of the Faculty of Children and Learning Research Ethics Committee
  • Conferences/presentations:
    • 'Intergenerational influences on family food practices' at TCRU conference, 'Food and families who work: implications for policy makers and practitioners', held at the London Canal Museum on October 3rd 2011.

      'Evaluation of Sing Up for looked after children' with Professor Pat Petrie, Sing Up Beyond the Mainstream Gathering. Birmingham, February 2011.

      Workshop on the emotional wellbeing of unaccompanied asylum seeking young people. Health in Schools Conference: Participation and Partnerships, Institute of Education, University of London, May 2008.

      Emerging themes from the On Holiday! study at 'Life out-of-school: new duties and new responsibilities for supporting disabled children and their families' conference, Institute of Education, December 2006.

      Is early pregnancy such a bad thing? In Care and Beyond Conference, Institute of Education, June 2006.

 

Contact details

Contact details

  • Email:

  • Address:
  • Childhood, Families and Health
    Institute of Education University of London
    20 Bedford Way
    London
    WC1H 0AL

Publications

  • Petrie, P. and Knight, A. (2011) 'I Want to Sing' Sing Up National Children's Bureau Looked After Children Programme Evaluation.. Centre for Understanding Pedagogy, Institute of Education, University of London.
  • Knight, A. and Petrie, P. (2009) ''Mingling Together': promoting the social inclusion of disabled children and young people during the school holidays', Child and Family Social Work 14, 15-24.
  • Chase, E., Warwick, I., Knight, A. and Aggleton, P. (2009) Supporting Young Parents. Pregnancy and Parenthood among Young People from Care. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
  • Knight, A. and Oliver, C (2008) 'Providing advocacy for disabled children, including children without speech' In: Oliver, C. and Dalrymple, J. (eds), Developing Advocacy for Children and Young People. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
  • Knight, A. and Oliver, C. (2007) 'Advocacy for disabled children and young people: benefits and dilemmas', Child and Family Social Work 12, 417-425.
  • Knight, A., Chase, E. and Aggleton, P. ''Someone of your own to love': Experiences of being looked after as influences on teenage pregnancy' Children and Society. Vol. 20, pp. 391-403.
  • Knight, A., Chase, E., and Aggleton, P (2006) 'Teenage pregnancy among young people in and leaving care: message and implications for foster care', Adoption and Fostering 30 (1), 58-69.
  • Chase, E. and Knight, A (2006) 'Is Early Pregnancy Such a Bad Thing?' In: Chase, E., Simon, A. and Jackson, S. (eds), In Care and After: A positive perspective. London: Routledge.
  • Mooney, A., Knight, A., Moss, P. & Owen, C. (2001) Who Cares? Childminding in the1990s. Family Policy Studies Centre/ Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Knight, A (1998) Valued or Forgotten? Independent visitors for disabled young people. London: National Children's Bureau/Joseph Rowntree Foundation.