Anita Franklin (Professor of Childhood Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University) has extensive experience of undertaking policy and practice focused research with, and alongside, disabled and neurodivergent children and young people, and with children with learning disabilities and communication needs.

Her work predominantly examines issues of disabled children's agency, rights, protection, inequality, and inclusion. Anita’s research on disabled child abuse and protection has sought to ensure that disabled children and young people’s voices are central offering unique insight into their experiences of support following sexual and criminal exploitation, intra-familial abuse, and domestic violence.

She has led studies examining Modern Slavery and the trafficking of disabled children and young people for the purposes of criminal and sexual exploitation and nearly ten years ago published the first study which highlighted increased risks of exploitation for children with learning disabilities: Unprotected, Overprotected.

Alongside this extensive body of work, Anita has developed methodologies to empower disabled young people to become research leaders who set their own agenda for research. This group undertake all aspects of the research cycle and utilise research evidence to lobby for change and the full enactment of disabled children and young people's rights to participation, protection, and provision.

Sarah is now a researcher looking at exploitation and children with additional needs at Manchester Metropolitan University working with Professor Anita Franklin. She was a children’s social worker for many years and later Independent Reviewing Officer/ child protection coordinator and remains a registered social worker. She co-chairs of the National Working Group on Safeguarding Disabled Children. She also chairs the BASW sub-group on working with disabled children and their families. Until recently she worked at the University of Nottingham as safeguarding disabled children and young people manager at the Ann Craft Trust carrying out practice research, developing training in safeguarding disabled children and specialising in work around sexual abuse and exploitation, child voice and participation. She now works independently to deliver training nationally looking specifically at the intersection between abuse and learning disabled and neurodiverse children and young people in institutions, extra and intra familial harm. She is studying for a professional doctorate at Bedfordshire looking at communication in sexual abuse enquiries with neurodiverse and learning-disabled children.