Harriet Pierpoint is Director of Harriet Pierpoint Consulting Ltd and an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham. As a former Professor of Criminology, she brings over 25 years’ experience in higher education, research and policy engagement to her consultancy practice.
She is a leading expert on vulnerability in justice systems. Her research has focused on vulnerability among children and young people, individuals experiencing homelessness, people with speech, language and communication needs, and consumers of legal services. She is the developer of the Universal Practice Approach (UPA), an influential framework gaining traction across the legal and public sectors for improving how vulnerability is identified and addressed.
Harriet has led and delivered a substantial portfolio of commissioned research for organisations including the Welsh Government, Home Office, Solicitors Regulation Authority, and National Lottery Community Fund. She specialises in impact-driven research, using mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative), evidence synthesis, stakeholder engagement, and participatory and trauma-informed approaches to generate accessible outputs and actionable insights.
She is highly experienced in ethical governance and advisory roles, including membership of the South Wales Police Ethics Committee, and has provided independent advice to organisations such as the Youth Justice Board, Ministry of Justice, and National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Harriet maintains a strong academic profile alongside her consultancy. She has an extensive publication record (50+ outputs), including government reports, peer-reviewed articles, and major edited collections, and is Lead Editor of the forthcoming Routledge Handbook of Vulnerability and Criminal Justice. She is the co-founder of the Vulnerability Research Network (VRN). A committed and award-winning educator, she led teaching in research methods, youth justice, and criminal justice, supervised BSc, MSc, and PhD research, and continues to serve as an external examiner across multiple UK and international universities.
Harriet holds an LLB (Hons) in Law with French from the University of Birmingham, a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research, and a PhD in Criminology from the University of Plymouth, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.