Centre for Research on Children and Families Seminar Series
We are pleased to announce that our series of free online lunchtime seminars are back for Autumn 2024, bringing you the latest important and thought-provoking research on children and families.
Check out the CRCF Seminar Resources webpage, which contains links to recordings and other resources from previous series.
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Fran Pearson was a well-respected and much-loved independent chair of several safeguarding adults boards and she was also involved in the safeguarding of children. She had also been an elected member and held cabinet roles for safeguarding. Fran was the convenor of the national network for Safeguarding Adults Boards (SAB) chairs, and before that convenor of the London regional group of SAB chairs. She was experienced in safeguarding adult reviews. Fran died suddenly in July 2023.
This webinar will recall and celebrate her commitment to safeguarding and to social justice. There will be presentations that offer personal reflections and others that talk about some of the issues about which Fran cared deeply.
Speakers
Professor Michael Preston-Shoot – Convenor of the national network for SAB chairs and independent chair, Greenwich and Somerset Safeguarding Adults Boards.
Brian Parrott – Former Independent Chair, Tower Hamlets, Richmond & Barking and Dagenham SABs.
Claire Solley – Director of Quality Assurance, Safeguarding and Workforce Development, London Borough of Newham.
Sola Afuape – Independent Chair, Newham SAB.
Siân Walker-McAllister - Independent SAB Chair Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Safeguarding Adults Boards & Independent Consultant.
Nicola Brownjohn – Independent Chair, Kingston and Brent SABs.
Gill Taylor – Safeguarding & Social Justice Fellow, Pathway and Independent Chair, London Safeguarding & Inclusion Health Strategic Development Group
Registration deadline 22nd October 5pm.
The relationship between team membership in child and family work social work and retention has been noted in studies of wellbeing, resilience, burn out and retention itself. Working surrounded by good colleagues, supportive peers, strong teams or friendly groups, is rated by workers as one of the most important reasons for staying in social work jobs. However, figures show increasing rates of leaving from 2017 to 2023, with a numerical spike from 2020 to 2023. The seminar will examine the implications of this exodus for working in teams. It considers why the team might be highly valued, what kind of impact the pandemic had on this and why its re-establishment has been far from complete. Drawing on recognition and psychosocial theory and research on retention and wellbeing in child and family social work, it examines the implications of the absence of work group.
Dr Liz Frost is Associate Professor of Social Work at UWE, Bristol. Her research interests are in social workers’ thriving, European social work, and the application of psychosocial theory to practice. Her most recent commissioned research has been with ‘Community Care’ looking at local authority child and family social work retention and well-being. She co-edits the Journal of Psychosocial Studies and is on the editorial board of the new European Social Work Research Association research journal.
Registration deadline 12th October 5pm.
What are the specific challenges and controversies that ethnic minoritised birthmothers experience in the safeguarding context? Undertaking qualitative research, a case study approach was used, and purposive sampling was applied to recruit and interview six mothers of ethnic minoritised backgrounds.
This CRCF seminar presents key research findings based on an exploration of safeguarding practices and ascertain how power, racism and gender oppression are understood and experienced by ethnic minoritised birthmothers in children’s social work.
Using Critical theory, critical race theory and intersectionality as overarching theoretical frameworks, the data analysis revealed the insidious nature of racism, oppression, and White dominance, constructing devastating, adversarial work practices that marginalised and silenced mothers. Secondly, it challenges the common misconception that just because professionals, including social workers, have undergone intensive, accredited professional training, that their work practices and attitudes reflect egalitarian and inclusive principles of Equality Act 2010. Thirdly, most British social workers are undertaking safeguarding services without a working knowledge of the deeply complex, multifaceted influences impacting culturally and language diverse communities.
Change was urgent, and my key findings provided compelling evidence that the compounded layers of oppression should be the vantage point used to understand the specific experiences of the mothers within social work. This position is grounded in my African heritage and knowledge of Sawubona, an Afro-centric philosophy that elucidates, “I see the whole of you”. Ethically, we must reimagine social work with ethnic minoritised families by challenging the predominant use of Euro-centric theories and establishing multicultural models such as the SAWUBONA practice model, as a culturally sensitive work practice embodying professional integrity, empathy, and collaborative partnership working with birthmothers.
Dr Carlene Cornish is an Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the School of Social Work. Originally from South Africa, I have both national and international academic and professional qualifications in Social Work, Criminology, Sociology and Education. These qualifications led to employment in Child Protection, Youth Offending Service, National Probation Service and Higher Education. My research interests include a specialist focus on Race, Racism, Social Work, and Educational Inequalities. I am a registered social worker with Social Work England and the British Association for Social Workers (BASW). I also hold external strategic leadership positions that include being a BASW England Committee Member, BASW International Committee Member, and Policy Governance Committee Member at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
Registration deadline 19th November 5pm.
The retention of social care professionals is a significant issue in the UK and internationally. This CRCF seminar introduces a theory of change which aims to improve the retention of social care professionals working in local authorities. We outline a blueprint for intervention which focuses on career-stage specific support for social care professionals.
Our theory of change draws on two major research studies. Study one involved 58 children’s social workers from 11 local authorities in England. From this, we developed the concept of Critical Career Episodes (‘stay or go’ moments where workers are vulnerable to exit) and identified a three-factor career pathway model (mobility, specialism and generativity) supporting retention. Study two consisted of 11 workshops with 51 health and social care professionals, across 2 local authorities in England including: adult and children’s social workers, Approved Mental Health Professionals and Occupational Therapists. In consultation with professionals, we refined the original model and developed a theory of change to inform workforce development.
Dr Laura L. Cook, Associate Professor in Social Work and Director of the Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF), University of East Anglia.
and Dr Sara Carder, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, St Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
and Professor Jonathan Webster. Professor of Practice Development, Norfolk Initiative for Coastal & Rural Health Equalities - 'NICHE' (Anchor Institute).
Registration deadline 3rd December 5pm.