Dr Alison McKinlay joins Foundations, the national What Works Centre for Children & Families, as a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Policy Fellow, where she will be leading strands of our ambitious REACH plan.

In her role, Alison will lead work to identify and overcome barriers to evaluating support services for children and families affected by domestic abuse. Alison will co-design resources with a range of stakeholders and providers, including ‘by-and-for’ organisations. This is part of our ongoing commitment to make evaluation more feasible for more organisations across the sector. With Alison’s support to facilitate mutual knowledge exchange and co-produce a fit-for-purpose offer for the sector, Foundations hopes to play a stronger ongoing role in enabling organisations to participate in service evaluations.  

With over 16 years’ experience, Alison’s work spans public health policy, healthcare systems, and mental health interventions. Her work focuses on trauma-informed behavioural science, mental health and improving support for communities whose wellbeing is shaped by social and structural determinants of health.

Her research combines qualitative, mixed methods and evidence synthesis approaches, with publications across public health, behavioural science and mental health. Alison has co-produced policy briefs, reviews and reports for government departments, public health bodies and voluntary sector organisations.

Alison is a Senior Research Fellow in Behavioural Science at University College London (UCL), a member of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and a trustee for Solace Women’s Aid.

Commenting on taking up her fellowship, Dr Alison McKinlay said:

“I’m excited to take up this new position as UKRI Policy Fellow with Foundations, and contribute to building a long-term, trauma-informed evidence base for children and families. Their five-year REACH programme is an ambitious plan to address the national lack of high-quality impact evaluation in this area.

“One of the many highlights for me will be working closely with practitioners, commissioners and people with lived experience to co-produce practical tools that make a real difference in everyday decision-making.”

Dr Aoife O’Higgins, Director of Evidence of Foundations, commented:

“Alison brings with her a wealth of expertise and experience across behavioural science, public health and the domestic abuse sector. We’re delighted that she is joining us as UKRI Policy Fellow, where she’ll play a key role in helping us to find and break down barriers to domestic abuse evaluation, moving us toward our ambition to find what works to support children affected by domestic abuse.”