An expert from the University of Worcester is partnering on a new nationwide study which will give a voice to children and young people from marginalised communities to address the growing issue of children in care being raised outside their culture.
Led by the University of Lancashire, the research team includes Dr Peter Unwin, Principal Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Worcester, working alongside colleagues from the University of Swansea.
The project is funded by Foundations-What Works Centre for Children & Families.
The study will look at kinship care in the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.
Kinship care is the full-time care of children by relatives, friends, or family members when parents are unable to do so, often due to crises like illness, addiction or neglect. It allows children to remain within their family networks, providing stability, familiarity and a sense of belonging.
Dr Unwin said: “This project arose due to government recognition of how little is known about the lived experiences of children and young people growing up in kinship care, particularly from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller families.”
“When any child cannot safely live with their immediate family, priority should be given to finding a home, temporary or otherwise, with a family within the same culture.”
“However, largely due to discriminatory practice, Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller families do not always get equal consideration as alternative families,” he added. “Consequently, children from these communities who need homes are doubly traumatised by being brought up outside of their culture.”
Dr Unwin’s previous research has led to close working relationships with community organisations who have agreed to participate in the research and find local examples of where kinship care has worked.
The research will focus on the voices of children and young people in kinship care, their needs and challenges, and what helps or hinders their access to support.
Peer researchers from the communities will carry out a variety of creative methods to encourage children to air their views around identity, belonging, cultural continuity, and trust in kinship services.
Worcester-based Enza Smith MBE, CEO of Kinship Carers UK is joining the project’s advisory board, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge about kinship care, while seeking to learn more about Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller issues.
Findings from the project will be fed back to community organisations, government and to local authority kinship care teams and the data generated with children and young people in this study will offer an evidence base to inform on-going service development and address racial inequalities in future services and reforms.
The study is part of a wider body of research by Foundations. Read more on the Foundations website.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk