Staff profile

I have been a qualified Social Worker for twenty-five years, qualifying with an MA (Honours) in Social Work from University of Dundee then subsequent postgraduate training in Child Protection (University of Dundee), PG Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (University of Stirling) and an MSc with distinction in Psychoanalytic Observation and Reflective Practice (University of Strathclyde). I  practiced as a Social Worker in residential and secure childcare settings and then as Senior Practitioner for over thirteen years working with children, young people and families who had experienced abuse and/or presented Harmful Sexual Behaviours (HSB). 

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate within Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University, working on the From Capacity to Context research project exploring cultural and systemic barriers preventing safeguarding systems working collaboratively with parents of adolescents.

My PhD thesis ‘The pickle in the jar & other stories: social and spatial dimensions of safety, risk and rights of boys who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours’ explored everyday experiences of boys aged 13-18 who have displayed Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) to consider social and spatial dynamics of safety, risk and children’s rights. This challenges gaps in research and practice that neglect social, physical and relational worlds of young people and the profound influence of social and systemic contexts. Drawing from Narrative Inquiry, I conceptualised ‘lifescapes’, as landscapes of life, to present storied experiences of everyday life, safety and risk. ‘Lifescape’ spaces include ‘public’ spaces, bedrooms, digital realms, past and future lives, schools and the ‘care system’. My thesis reimagines responses to HSB, shifting from fixing behaviour to flourishing futures, through a commitment to children’s rights with systems becoming like orchestras of duty bearers, conducted by the UNCRC, informing new approaches to prevention and intervention. 

I’m especially interested in interdisciplinary, collaborative, participatory, rights-based and contextual approaches to prevent harm including how systems and structures can help or hinder safety and wellbeing. I am a founding member of an international, interdisciplinary working group on Child-Focused Cities reflecting my commitment to building safer, more inclusive environments for children around the world. Together we have undertaken impact projects, presented internationally, published several research reports and journal.  We have also developed Our Childhood toolbox to foster long-term, cross-sectoral collaboration for inclusion of children and youth in localising Sustainable Development Goals and support to local governments and engaged practitioners in recognising available resources and establishing localised working plans for this endeavour.

 

Interest Areas

• Child abuse including child and young people who display Harmful Sexual Behaviours
• Contextual Safeguarding
• Children's Right
• Place-based, contextual prevention
• Participatory methods 

Journal Article

• The Balancing Act: Reflections From Three Projects on Negotiating Participation and Protection in Doing Research With Children and Young People on Violence and Abuse
  
  Rabe, J., Jobson, C., & Cairns, L. O. (2025). The Balancing Act: Reflections From Three Projects on Negotiating Participation and Protection in Doing Research With Children and Young People on Violence and Abuse. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251323626
• Participation, protection and the porcupine’s dilemma: towards the inclusion of lesser heard young voices
  
  Cairns, L. O., Cilliers, E. J., & Hackett, S. (2025). Participation, protection and the porcupine’s dilemma: towards the inclusion of lesser heard young voices. Cities & Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2025.2502197
• Laying the Foundations for a Child-Focused Cities Analytical Framework: Reflections From an International, Interdisciplinary Collaboration
  
  Cairns, L. O., Fambasayi, R., Katsidzira, R. S., Milić, P., Cilliers, J., & Barros, P. (2024). Laying the Foundations for a Child-Focused Cities Analytical Framework: Reflections From an International, Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Urban Planning, 9, Article 8264. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.8264
• Social work beyond the pandemic: Exploring social work values for a new eco-social world
  
  Banks, S., Bertotti, T., Cairns, L., Shears, J., Shum, M., Sobočan, A. M., Strom, K., & Úriz, M. J. (2024). Social work beyond the pandemic: Exploring social work values for a new eco-social world. International Social Work, 67(4), 890-904. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728241227062

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• Our Childhood: A toolbox for local governments fostering child/youth inclusion
  
  Cilliers, J., Cairns, L., Barros, P., Milić, P., Katsidzira, R. S., & Fambasayi, R. (2025, April 29). Our Childhood: A toolbox for local governments fostering child/youth inclusion [ICLD: Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy].

Report

• Beyond the Pandemic: Exploring Social Work Ethics and Values as a Contribution to a New Eco-social World
  
  Banks, S., Cairns, L., Bertotti, T., Shears, J., Shum, S., Sobočan, A., Strom, K., & Úriz, M. (2022). Beyond the Pandemic: Exploring Social Work Ethics and Values as a Contribution to a New Eco-social World. International Federation of Social Workers.

Working Paper

• Let’s get together and make change: Towards a Child-Focused Cities Analytical Framework
  
  Brown, C., Cilliers, J., Cairns, L., Barros, P., Milić, P., Katsidzira, R. S., & Fambasayi, R. (2023). Let’s get together and make change: Towards a Child-Focused Cities Analytical Framework. ICLD.