Barbara Fawcett is Professor of Social Work (Adults and Communities), Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Care and Director of International Strategic partnerships in the School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK. Previously she was Professor of Social Work and Policy Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia and the Head of School and Associate Dean (Research). Barbara has been an International member of the editorial boards of the journals Critical Social Policy, Child Care in Practice and the British Journal of Social Work. She has been an Executive Board Member of Barnardos, Australia. Her work has a strong International dimension and collaborations include Hong Kong, China and South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.