Anita has a background in children’s social work and policy, and her research has mainly focused on disabled children’s voice, rights, participation and protection. Specifically, Anita has contributed unique insight into the abuses and protection of children and young people with SEND ensuring that their voices and experiences inform the development of policy and practice in this area. Her work has highlighted specific risks to exploitation and abuse of young people with learning disabilities, and neuro-diverse young people, and sought to explore appropriate multi-agency responses. She has published studies on the interplay of disability and child exploitation and abuse, domestic violence, and child trafficking. Current studies are exploring support for families of neuro-diverse young people who have experienced extra-familial harm, and on internal trafficking and exploitation of children and young people with SEND within England and Wales to inform effective policy and practice under the terms of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
