Called 2005

As Professor of Family Law, Kim practises exclusively in the field of family law proceedings. Within this area she has developed a high-profile practice specialising in both Public Law and Private Law Proceedings.

QUALIFICATIONS

Doctor of Philosophy; Bar Vocational Course; Graduate Diploma in Law; MSc Social Work; BSc (Hons) Sociology.

EXPERTISE

Kim practised as a Social Worker and Children's Guardian for over 20 years, in the North West of England. Kim was appointed as Head of Department at the University of Bradford in 2004, before moving to Northumbria University in 2013, as Head of Department for Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing.

Kim was awarded a Personal Chair at Northumbria University in 2014.

Kim was called to the Bar in 2005, and she continues a career in Child Protection and Family Law that spans over 30 years.

Kim has been involved in Serious Case Reviews as a chair, author and committee member for 32 years. Kim was a member of the Safeguarding Board in Bradford for 11 years before joining the Safeguarding Board in Newcastle where she is a member of the Serious Case Review Committee.

Kim is currently working together with colleagues at Northumbria University, and a range of stakeholders on a research project examining the effectiveness of public inquiries into historical allegations of child abuse.

Kim was recently appointed to the Board of Governors at Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Mental Health Trust. Kim's specific interest is improving the health and wellbeing of children, and access to a range of services that meet the needs of both children and their families.

Kim continues to publish extensively in the area of Family Law.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Monographs Holt, K. (2019) A Focus on Law: Child Protection, Palgrave. Holt, K. (2016) Contemporary Family Justice: Policy and Practice in Child Protection Decisions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Holt, K. (2014) Child Protection. Palgrave. Chapters Holt, K. (2016) Child Protection: Critical Issues in Social Work Law. Edited by Brammer, A. and Boylan, J. Palgrave. Published Papers Holt, K. (2021) Technology, Power and Inequalities: Achieving a humane approach to the digital divide. The Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2021) A personal and conceptual reflection on findings from serious case reviews during the period 1987-2018: Part I Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2021) A personal and conceptual reflection on findings from serious case reviews during the period 1987-2018: Part II Journal of Family Law. Abel, K. M., Bee, P., Gega, L., Gellatly, J., Kolade, A., Hunter, D., Callender, C., Carter, L-A., Meacock, R., Bower, P., Stanley, N., Calam, R., Wolpert, M., Stewart, P., Emsley, R., Holt, K., Linklater, H., Douglas, S., Stokes-Crossley, B. & Green, J. A.(2020) A Community-Based Intervention to Improve Health-Related Quality of Life in Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: Feasibility Study. Health Technology Assessment. Holt, K and Kelly, N (2020) The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020: Regulations introduced during a global pandemic that will have implications for the most vulnerable children. Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2020) Children not trophies: findings from an ethnographic study of private family law proceedings in England. Qualitative Social Work Journal. Vincent, S., Holt, K., Kelly, N., Smale. E. (2019) What do Public Inquiries into the Care and Protection of Children Achieve? Child Abuse Review. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2019) Care in Crisis – is there a solution: reflections on the care crisis review 2018. Journal of Child and Family Social Work. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2018) Limits to Partnership Working: developing relationship based approaches with children and their families. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Gellatly, J., Bee, P. Gega, L., Bower. P., Hunter, D., Stewart, P., Stanley, N., Rachel Calam, R., Holt, K., Wolpert, M., Douglas, S., Green, J., Kolade, A., Callender, C. and Abel, K. (2018) A Community-based intervention (Young Smiles) to improve the health related quality of life of children and young people of parents with serious mental illness: randomised feasibility protocol. Trials. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2017) The right to fair and free legal representation; Re Charlie Gard. Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2017) Children should be our future: an examination of Re X. Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2016) Why parents matter: exploring the impact of a hegemonic concern with the timetable for the child. Child and Family Social Work. 21 (2). pp. 156-165. ISSN 1356-7500 Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2016) At a crossroads: to issue or not to issue care proceedings. Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2016) A fast track approach to adoption: implications of proposed legislation with the introduction of the Children and Social Work Bill. Journal of Family Law. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2016) Factors that influence engagement in pre-proceedings practice: presenting the roles of professionals working within the family justice system through personal narratives. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Vol.38, Issue 1, p.3-13. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2015) What has happened since the Family Justice Review: a brighter future for whom? Journal of Family Law. Vol.45, No 7, p.807-813. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2015) Motivate to mediate: the carrot and the stick approach to achieving justice for children and their families within an English legal system. International Journal of Family Law. No.2 p.161-171. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2015) When is it too late? An examination of A and B-V-Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council [2014] EWFC-47. International Journal of Family Law. Vol.45, p.403-410. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2015) When adoption without parental consent breaches human rights: implications of Re B-S (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 963 on decision making and permanency planning for children. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Vol.37, Issue 2, p.228-240. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2015) Access to justice: the welfare of children and families lost on a target focused and cost driven system. Journal of Family Law. Vol.45, No 2 p167-174. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2014) The emperor has no robes: why are members of the judiciary in the most complex of care cases abandoning a sinking ship? Journal of Family Law. Vol.44, No.10 p1424-1434. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2014) Administrative decision making in child care work – exploring issues of judgment and decision making in the context of human rights and its relevance for social workers and managers. British Journal of Social Work. 44, 4 p1011-1026. Holt, K., Kelly, N., Broadhurst, K. and Doherty, P. (2014) Liverpool Pre-proceedings Pilot, Final Report. Cafcass. Holt, K., Kelly, N., Broadhurst, K. and Doherty, P. (2013) Liverpool Pre-proceedings Pilot, Interim Report. Cafcass. Broadhurst, K., Holt, K., Kelly, N. and Doherty, P. (2013) Coventry and Warwickshire Pre-proceedings Pilot, Final Report. Cafcass. Holt, K., Broadhurst, K., Kelly, N. and Doherty, P. (2013) Access to justice for families? Legal advocacy for parents where children are on the ‘Edge of Care’: an English case study. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Vol.35, issue 2 p.1-15. Broadhurst, K., Holt, K., Kelly, N. and Doherty, P. (2013) Coventry and Warwickshire Pre-proceedings Pilot, Interim Report. Cafcass. Holt, K. and Kelly, N. (2013) Rhetoric and reality surrounding care proceedings- family justice under strain. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Vol 34. Issue 2 p.155-166. Holt, K.E. (2013) Territory Skirmishes with DIY Advocacy in the Family Courts: a Dickensian misadventure. Journal of Family Law, Vol 36 No 6, p.1123-1131 Holt, K.E. and Broadhurst, K. (2012) Involving the Family Court Advisor in Pre-proceedings Practice -Initial lessons from the Coventry and Warwickshire Pilot, Family Law Week. http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed97110  Featherstone, B., Broadhurst, K. and Holt, K.E. (2012) Thinking systemically, thinking political: Building strong partnerships with families in the context of rising inequality? British Journal of Social Work 42, 4, p. 618-633. 16. Broadhurst, K.; Holt, K.E. and Doherty, P. (2012) Accomplishing parental engagement in child protection practice? A qualitative analysis of parent-professional interaction in pre-proceedings work under the Public Law Outline, Qualitative Social Work First published online 30 June 2011 DOI: 10.1177/1473325011401471 11, 5, p. 517-534. 17 Holt, K and Kelly, N. (2011) Evaluating in-house training programmes for Safeguarding Practice. Bradford Safeguarding Children Board. Broadhurst, K. and Holt, K.E. (2010) Partnership and the limits of procedure: prospects for relationships between parents and professionals under the Public Law Outline, Child and Family Social Work Vol 15, Issue 1, 97-106.First published online 23 September 200 DOI: 10.iii/j.1365-2206.209_00648 x Vol 15 Issue 1, p 97-106.