Dr Lee Sobo-Allen

A qualified and registered social worker with practice experience in children and families, children with disabilities and adults with learning disabilities. My qualifications include a BA (Hons) Social Work and Social Policy, a Diploma in Social Work, a MA in Child Care Law and Practice and a MA in Social Research. I recently completed my PhD at Cardiff University where I explored the assessment of non-resident fathers by social workers in child protection as a resource, and alternative carer for their children.

Other research interests/methodology include fathers and alcohol and substance abuse, fathers and domestic abuse, strengths-based practice, trauma-informed practice and realist evaluation.

• Sobo-Allen L, Miller R., Bond L. (2026) An understanding of ‘strengths’ and ‘Strengths based approach’ within older people from ethnic minorities in the UK. A Qualitative Systematic Review NIHR Open Research 
• Sobo-Allen L., Ambrose P., Millward C., McGimpsey I., Crawford C., (2025) Research Evaluation of ICET Head Start into Higher Education Programme, The University of Birmingham
• Salonen D., McGovern R., Sobo-Allen L., E. Adams, C. Muir, J Bourne, J. Herlihy, F. Tasker, D. Hunter & E. Kaner (2023): Being and becoming a father in the context of heavy drinking and other substance use—a qualitative evidence synthesis, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
• Haworth S., Sobo-Allen L (2020) Social Work with single and non-resident fathers: How inclusive is our practice and where do we go from here? in Global Social Work-Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections 
• Storhaug A. & Sobo-Allen L. (2018) Fathers and child welfare services in Norway: self-concept and fathering practice Families, Relationships and Societies

• Father engagement in Child Protection practice
• Strengths-based practice
• Realist Evaluation

• Social Work Law
• Child protection and Safeguarding practice
• Research Methods

• PhD Social Sciences – Cardiff University
• MA Social Research – The University of Leeds
• Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Development (Teaching Qualification - HE) – The University of Huddersfield
• MA Child Care Law and Practice – Keele University
• Diploma in Social Work – University of Manchester
• BA (Hons) Social Work and Social Policy – University of Hull

• BA Social Work
• MA Social Work

• Registered Social Work - Social Work England
• Teaching Fellow (FHEA)

• Presentation at JUSWA Conference 2-3 July 2026 at Swansea University
  “An exploration of the factors that contribute to the wellbeing of older people from minority ethnic communities in the UK, and implications for Strengths-based Practice and Social Work.
• Presentation at the ICIC26 International Conference on Integrated Care 13-15 April 2026 Birmingham UK“How can integrated care build on the assets of importance to older people from minority ethnic communities?”
• Presentation at the Open University, WELS Research Day, The Open University. Milton Keynes 12th November 2025 “Improving Witness Experience in Fitness to Practise Proceedings: Healthalks resource evaluation.”
• Presentation at School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference 2024, University of Birmingham 9th July 2024“Supporting care experienced people with their journey into, and through higher education.” A research evaluation of ICET Head Start into Higher Education Programme.
• Oral presentation at the Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference 2023, University of Strathclyde, 15th & 16th June 2023‘When the invisible become visible’. Non-resident fathers as a resource in Child Protection Practice.
• Seminar at University College Dublin, 26th May 2023‘’When the Invisible become visible.’ An exploration of when non-resident fathers have been considered as a resource by social workers in Child Protection Practice.
  https://www.ucd.ie/socialpolicyworkjustice/latestandupcomingotherevents/schoolseminarleemay262023/
• Oral presentation and training provider at the 24th Annual Families and Fathers International Conference 24th-27th April 2023, Los Angeles Leeds Dads: How to Run a Dad’s group, Bonding Dads With Babies In Their Early Years
  https://fathersandfamiliescoalition.org/conferences/conference-agenda.html 
  https://leedsdads.org/leeds-dads-in-california/
• Oral Presentation at Leeds Beckett University in partnership with the Association of Child Protection Professionals 7th July 2022‘Challenges and Opportunities in the Engagement and Assessment of Fathers in Child Safeguarding’
  https://www.childprotectionprofessionals.org.uk/Event/challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-engagement-and-assessment-of-fathers-in-child-safeguarding
• Presentation at Parklane Plowden Barristers, Leeds. Family: Childcare Conference 24th June 2022 “A social work perspective on how to engage fathers in the family justice system.”
  https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/family-childcare-conference-24-june-2022/
• Seminar at the University of Edinburgh 5th May 2022 An exploratory study into the experiences and motivations of non-resident fathers and social workers during the engagement, and assessment of the father as the permanent carer for their child.
  https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events/event/exploratory-study-experiences-and-motivations-non-resident-fathers-and-social
• Oral presentation at the 23rd Annual Families and Fathers International Conference 2022 Los Angeles 10th March 2022‘Engaging with, and assessing non-resident fathers as alternative permanent carers for their children’
• Presentation at the Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference 2019 Manchester University 10th September 2019 ‘The last resort? Initial findings of a PhD study exploring the circumstances, and motivations, of non- resident fathers taking on the full time care of their children through the involvement of Social Services’.
  https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=44219
• BASPCAN Seminar Queens University Belfast 1st December 2016 ‘Child Protection, Children and Their Non-Resident Fathers: An Exploratory Study Into the Expectations and Motivations of Social Workers and Non-Resident Fathers in Seeking Alternative Family Placements’
  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/child-protection-children-and-their-non-resident-fathers-tickets-28482119787
• Presentation at the Engaging Dads in Assessment’ Conference The University of Huddersfield 15th January 2016. “Child Protection, Children and their non-resident fathers: A study into social worker’s expectations and motivations for considering non-resident fathers as potential alternative carers for their children”.
  https://news-archive.hud.ac.uk/news/2016/january/socialworkconferenceurgesgreaterfather-friendlyculture.php
• Oral presentation at the White Rose Doctoral Training Annual Conference at The University of Leeds 8th July 2015 “Child Protection, Children and their non-resident fathers: A narrative study of the experiences and motivations of non-resident fathers who have their children placed in their care by social services”.
• Oral presentation at the One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 10th June 2015 “Child Protection, children and their non-resident fathers. A study into the expectations and motivations of non-resident fathers in engaging with Social Services”
• Oral presentation at the Wales and South-West England Social work Doctoral Conference at Cardiff University 20th March 2015 “Child Protection, Children and their non-resident fathers: A study into social worker’s expectations and motivations for considering non-resident fathers as potential alternative carers for their children.”
• Presentation at the Children and Childhoods Conference at the School of Applied Social Sciences, University Campus Suffolk 12th July 2013 “How are biological non-resident fathers characterised and constructed within Child Protection Social Work Discourse, and how may this impact upon their inclusion or exclusion by social workers where concerns about the care of their child/ren have been raised”.
• Presentation at the Annual Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Conference at IOCSS at the University of Sheffield 20th May 2012 “How are biological non-resident fathers characterised and constructed within Child Protection Social Work Discourse?”