Stephen is presently conducting a two-and-a-half year study examining approaches to mental capacity assessment where multiple exclusion homelessness is a factor. (A scoping paper for this study was published in March 2025.) This follows on from an NIHR School for Social Care Research funded examination of self-neglect, homelessness and safeguarding, where mental capacity emerged as a prominent theme. He is interested in social care law, mental capacity and adult safeguarding.

He lead-authored an analysis of Safeguarding Adults Reviews where homelessness was a factor (report published September 2019) in a study commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care. This report has been cited in a 2024 joint ministerial letter from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department of Health and Social Care. It is also cited in 2024 government guidance on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. A July 2020 article updated this work, examining 19 SARs in total. (See also earlier work on SARs and adult Serious Case Reviews.)

In 2021, he led an international evidence review for a project looking at adult social care responses to self-neglect and hoarding among older people.

He led on the stakeholder consultation element of a study focusing on predicting and detecting abuse in care homes and supported living for people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people.

He worked on a study examining the availability of section 12 approved doctors for Mental Health Act assessments. The final report was published in early 2022. Earlier, Stephen worked on the Who wants to be an Approved Mental Health Professional? study, which was commissioned by the Department of Health. Prior to this he took part in the Helping or Hindering study. Also commissioned by the Department of Health, this project involved examining the available legal means for social workers seeking to access individuals where a third party was being obstructive.

In the past, he has worked on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults List project and co-authored the interim report for its sequel, the Investigating Vetting and Barring project. Earlier projects included reports on support workers in social care and advocacy in care homes.

Stephen is content provider for the Unit website, posts for the Unit on X and Bluesky, and handles the blog, Health & Social Care Workforce, on behalf of the Unit. He is responsible for the upkeep of the database of publications and for updating the Department of Health and Social Care about Unit outputs.

In 2014 Stephen assisted in the development of the Bulletin of the Social Work History Network; he now also sits on the Network Steering Group.

Stephen Martineau: ORCID iD | Research Profile at King's | Posts by Stephen on the Unit blog