Cody Varnish

I am a final-year PhD researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, where my research focuses on the mental health of care-experienced children and young people in the UK.

I am particularly interested in understanding the relationship between placement instability and mental health outcomes, and exploring factors that may make placement changes particularly challenging for young people. My research uses mixed methods, drawing on meta-analysis, national dministrative datasets, and qualitative interviews with social workers and care-experienced young people.

Through this work, I aim to contribute to evidence that can inform social care practice and policy, with the aim of improving support for care-experienced children and young people experiencing placement changes.