Angelique is a PhD at Durham University who joined the GCCS in October 2025. She previously studied Early Childhood Studies and Education and during this time, she began working at McDonald’s, where she worked across a range of roles and progressed to Assistant Store Manager. Alongside her professional role, she completed a degree apprenticeship in Business Management in Retail, with research focus on training and employee wellbeing.
Throughout her time working in restaurants, Angelique was closely involved in people-practice systems, supporting the development and wellbeing of young people aged 16 to 25 and helping them navigate early employment, leadership responsibilities and workplace transitions. She worked to ensure that young people felt heard, supported and valued by following procedures and creating new ones. She prioritised creating safe, supportive and caring environments where young people could develop their skills, confidence and life experience. This experience shaped her interest in safeguarding within organisational settings, particularly in offering opportunities for young people to be protected, supported and empowered.
Her PhD at Durham University, funded by McDonald’s and entitled 'Safeguarding Young Leaders in Hospitality', builds on her practical experience in supporting young people in workplace settings. It is informed by the Contextual Safeguarding approach, with McDonald’s restaurants as a case study. Her research will again focus on young people aged 16 to 25, exploring how organisations such as McDonald’s can work with young leaders to embed protective and empowering practices that support young leaders to safeguard themselves, their employees and customers. She is also a member of the Communities and Social Justice Research Group at Durham University, a space she values for sharing best practice and research approaches.