PhD Social Work: School-Based Mentoring of Looked After Children in Scotland: examining the attitudes and experiences of key actors in the mentoring relationship

A three-year doctoral studentship is available for candidates who wish to explore school-based mentoring of looked after children in Glasgow. It is one of two studentships in collaboration with the Strathclyde Business School (SBS) and MCR Pathways (http://mcrpathways.org).

The study will examine the attitudes and experiences of key actors in the mentoring relationship (looked after children, mentors, school staff, placement staff and carers, parents, MCR Pathways staff, and staff in sponsoring organisations). It will also explore the benefits and barriers to the mentee and mentor, and to their social environments (placement, school, MCR Pathways and sponsoring organisation). It will address issues in supporting looked after children and young people and will also explore the role of volunteering within sponsoring organisations and concepts of social capital and corporate social responsibility.

The studentship will be based in the School of Social Work and Social Policy under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Kendrick (PI) and Dr Katerina Nicolopoulou (SPS). The student will be a full member of the Graduate School in Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde (http://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/graduateschool/), and will have access to the resources of the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures (http://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/inspiringchildrensfutures/) and the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (https://www.celcis.org/).