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Aoife O'Higgins
BSc, MSc, MA, DPhil
Postdoctoral Research Associate
oRANGE Lab
My research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors for poor psycho-social outcomes for people who experience adversity in childhood, in particular those with care experience and refugees. My aim is to inform the development of social interventions for children who experience adversity and improve their long-term educational and psychological outcomes. My work draws on methods from social epidemiology, developmental psychology, evaluation and social work.
Current research:
- Investigating life course psychological, social and health outcomes for people exposed to adversity in childhood (collaboration with the history department and funded by the Calleva Foundation, Magdalen College) .
- Educational trajectories of children in care and children in need in England (with the Rees Centre, University of Oxford and funded by the Nuffield Foundation).
- Carers’ involvement in education and outcomes of children in care (collaboration with Oxfordshire Virtual School and funded by TORCH).
I am also committed to knowledge exchange to bridge the gap between research, policy and practice in the local community. I am vice-chair of governors in a local primary school, I lead a project on maternal mental health in Oxfordshire and I support the Oxford Refugee Health Initiative.
Recent publications
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The education of children in care and children in need: who falls behind and when?
Journal article
Sinclair I. et al, (2019), Child and Family Social Work
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Conceptualising Educational Provision for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in England
Journal article
OTT EM. and O'Higgins A., (2019), Oxford Review of Education
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What is the Impact of Placement Type on Educational and Health Outcomes of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors? A Systematic Review of the Evidence.
Journal article
O'Higgins A. et al, (2018), Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 21, 354 - 365
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Analysis of care and education pathways of refugee and asylum-seeking children in care in England: Implications for social work
Journal article
O'Higgins AA., (2018), International Journal of Social Welfare
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Neglect, educational success, and young people in out-of-home care: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
Journal article
Tessier NG. et al, (2018), Child Abuse Negl, 75, 115 - 129