CRCF's annual conference brings together researchers, practitioners and managers to highlight our pioneering new research and to share experiences of those working in the field.

CRCF Online Annual Conference 2023:
Supporting children and young peoples' journeys through adoption, fostering and residential care: messages from new research

On Thursday 18th May 2023, CRCF presented a morning of talks from researchers in the University of East Anglia’s Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF). The event showcased findings from new research on looked after and adopted young people as well as adults affected by adoption. The presentations focussed on how practitioners can support young people’s and adults’ identities and transitions throughout their care and adoption journeys. The findings are relevant to child and family social workers, other practitioners, managers and policymakers. Each talk included a Q&A. The conference concluded with a panel discussion.

View the conference presentation slides

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View the conference programme

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During the second talk of the day, the presenters played a recorded interview featuring Gill Bruce, who spoke her own experiences of maintaining birth relationships and the services for for adoptees. You can watch the recording here:

The following animation was co-produced as part of the LIMITLESS project and was shown during the last talk for the event, which is titled: LIMITLESS: making low-intensity life story work more accessible to looked-after teens.

 

 

CRCF Online Annual Conference 2021:
New understandings for social work with children and families: messages from research

In 2021 the centre presented a morning of talks from researchers in the University of East Anglia’s Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF) on Friday 25th June 2021. The event showcased recent findings from an exciting and diverse range of studies. The talks offered practical and thought-provoking messages for child and family social workers, other practitioners, managers and policy-makers. Each talk was followed by questions and comments, and there was a plenary panel discussion at the end. The morning was be chaired by Emeritus Professor Gillian Schofield OBE. 

 

The 2021 annual conference talks were:

The lifelong implications of adoption: learning from adoptive families when adopted people become parents

Professor Beth Neil

 

'Both-and': Getting alongside fathers in recurrent care proceedings

Dr Georgia Philip

 

Being curious about professional curiosity: Learning from local reviews of child safeguarding practice

Professor Jonathan Dickens

 

Retaining and supporting experienced child and family social workers: messages from research

Dr Laura Cook

 

CRCF Online Annual Conference 2019:
Using new research to help vulnerable children and families thrive 

In 2019, the annual conference provided an opportunity to hear about and discuss the implications for practice from recent CRCF research. CRCF researchers from UEA gave five short presentations as a springboard for focused discussion about good practice. Practitioners and managers shared their own practice experience and ideas about how changes can be made, where needed. Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, the conference was postponed in 2020.

 

If you have any queries about the annual conference please contact us