Rachel Searcey

My research looks at the different types of support sexually exploited young women can access or receive during their transition into emerging adulthood - to reduce the pathway into adult street sex work.

Before starting my PhD I was a senior practitioner for a local authority in safeguarding children’s services. 

I chose Loughborough University because of its reputation in policy led research and its location.

Full Studentship.

I enjoy being able to self-direct my research, which is really important to me. Also being able to access a wide-range of academic support, from staff in criminology and social policy, to human geography, for example. 

The connection between my fellow postgraduate researchers is also very important as it can be a very isolating experience.

Studying a PhD has given me the freedom to read what interests me and develop my own ideas from that. Whilst direction is important, you are guided by your interests and passion unlike with an undergraduate degree.

No one day is the same, but it all starts with checking emails, reviewing previous days' 'to-do list' and updating my calendar. It is really important to be as organised as possible. Then I turn off email and start to read what I wrote the day before to start filling my mind with thoughts before moving I start to write again. I make sure I take a break every 20 minutes for a max of 5 minutes to check emails and then it all starts again. 

I don’t have a set time of when I come into the office, but I do make sure I finish around 4 or 5pm. Time outside of the thesis is important. But to complete the day, I always start a journal article or book chapter early evening – I see this as my downtime to help the flow for the next day.

My pathway was driven by the stories of the women that I was supporting many years ago. Without their sharing of their early traumatic experiences, I wouldn’t be in the phase of my life that I am in now. It is to these women that I dedicate my thesis to and the reason why I started this journey at such a late stage in my life.

I wish I had a £1 for every time I was asked this, I have no idea – maybe research into policy or an extension on my thesis, National Crime Agency, United Nations, lectureship, or whale watching of the coast of Canada that has nothing to do with my PhD. The great thing about doing a PhD is that it is the beginning to something new and exciting.

Be super organised - a place for everything and everything in its place e.g. a book catalogue - what book did you get and why? Useful or not? And so on…

Diary – keep up to date always.

And lastly… the work never finishes, you never seem to complete the day - don’t feel bad about this, it is normal PhD life!