Professional Activities
Helen is co-editor of the International Journal of Children's Rights. She is also a founding member of the International PhD Symposium on Children's Rights (now organised under the auspices of the Children's Rights European Academic Network), which provides early career and more established children's rights scholars from across Europe with the opportunity to network, present work-in progress and offer feedback and support on methodological, theoretical and substantive topics of mutual interest.
Through her research and impact work, Helen has forged links with a range of children's rights charities, schools and practitioners across the UK and Europe, including Investing in Children, Save the Children, The Children's Society, Coram Children's Legal Centre, The Children's Rights Alliance England, Together Scotland, Barnardos, Eurochild and UNICEF. She has worked with many of these as part of the Brexit and Children Coalition which raises awareness among the public, policy makers and parliamentarians as to the impact of Brexit on different aspects of children's rights.
Helen is passionate about supporting young people to enforce their rights in a local context too. She sits on the Liverpool City Council's Governance Group to support Liverpool's preparations towards becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly City, and regularly offers training and support to local schools, legal and healthcare practitioners on the practical enforcement of children's rights.
Editorships
- International Journal of Children's Rights (Invited Co-Editor in Chief (with Prof Laura Lundy), 2018 - present)
- Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law (Co-Editor, 2008 - present)
Examination Roles
- University College Cork (National University of Ireland), LLD (2013)
- University of Durham, LLB (2011)
Organisations I have been associated with
- Member of Brussels-based network NGO, Eurochild (2012 - present)
- Member of Investing in Children, UK (2011 - present)
Professional Body Memberships
- Socio-Legal Studies Association (Convenor, Children's Rights Stream, 2015 - present)
- International Family Law Committee (Member, 2007 - present)
Other Administrative or Committee Roles
- Helen is founding Director of the European Children's Rights Unit (ECRU), an interdisciplinary research unit based in the School of Law and Social Justice. She also leads the Children and Childhood research theme for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences