Learning from research for contemporary social work practice: Improving LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experience of Social Care

Social work research seminar – ‘Learning from research for contemporary social work practice’ –   Improving LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experience of Social Care

Would you like to enhance your social work knowledge base and evidence-based practice experience?

Do you want to learn more about research taking place in the region and how it can inform your social work practice?

We know that evidence-based practice is crucial to good social work. It helps keep us professionally curious. However, in the busy world of front line social work, we know that it can be challenging to keep up to date with the latest research, to make sense of it and understand how it applies to the day to day issues that social workers deal with. The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership is committed to developing links between research and practice in social work. We want to support practitioners to engage with research that can help them with the real-world issues they work with daily.

We are therefore hosting a series of quarterly Learning from Research Seminars which will feature a researcher who will present a piece of research with key findings and messages for contemporary social work practice. Time is also allowed for questions and reflections for learning and moving forwards. These sessions will provide learning for both adults and children’s practitioners, with opportunity to feedback some messages from practice to help inform future research.

Our next seminar will be held on 25th of May 2022 10:00-11:30am. This session will explore findings from a research project on how to improve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) young people’s experiences of social care. It will share new knowledge generated by the LGBTQ+ Young People in Social Care (LYPSA) studies, led by Dr Jason Schaub from the University of Birmingham in collaboration with What Works for Children’s Social Care.

The session will feature findings from 3 studies exploring: the health and wellbeing needs of LGBTQ+ young people in care, their residential care experiences, and an e-learning training package for social workers. This research was co-produced with a young advisor’s group who identify as LGBTQ+ and have lived experiences of care.

This session is only available to members of the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership, and people with lived experience who are linked to one of our partner organisations.