Sarah Dennis

I am a qualified social worker, registered with Social Work England, with over 16 years’ practice experience in Greater Manchester. I began my career working in a local authority children and families team, and then spent over ten years working for Cafcass (the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service) as a children’s guardian  and practice supervisor. I also spent several years as an independent social worker, completing assessments within court cases as well as assessing prospective foster carers.

I have written several hundred reports within some of the most complex family court cases in Greater Manchester. I’m proud of the moments of trust and connection that I’ve been able to build with families in life-changing circumstances.

Alongside lecturing, I am completing a part-time PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University, and the title of my research project is ‘How can the wellbeing of families involved in child protection court cases be improved?’ This research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, under a White Rose studentship. The aim of this research is to help improve the culture of the family court, which is an environment that families commonly experience as alienating and confusing. 

I have co-authored a book chapter on child protection work in the family court, which will be published in The Child Protection Handbook (04th Edition) in April 2024. I am currently writing about the complexities of seeking ethical approval for family court research as well as the use of arts-based methodologies in social work research.