Michelle Nattrass

My professional background is leadership roles in the field of adult social care. I managed services for adults with autism spectrum condition and learning disabilities. I have a BA in Health and Social Care. For personal reasons I had to leave my role in 2017. This led me to return to education. I had personal experience of family support services and childrens social care, so I decided to complete my MA in Family Support at Leeds Trinity University, receiving a distinction and the programme prize award for my empirical research dissertation. To support my study I volunteered as a Family Support Worker for Family Action and a drop in SEND advisor for Leeds SENDIASS, this involved completing IPSEA legal training. 

During my MA research I was invited to be a member of the KInship Research Network, who host quarterly meetings and conferences with leading academics and professionals in the field of kinship care, both nationally and internationally.

My MA emperical disserstation researched the area of birth parent contact in special guardianship. The findings of this research have led me to continue my research journey as a PhD student.

My research aims to explore the experiences of special guardians when facillitating contact with birth parents and the impact this has for policy and practice.