
Research Seminar - Expressions of Self: Race, Religion and Representation of care-experienced children and young people.
Thu, 26 Sept
|Microsoft Teams
Professor Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor and Dr Kusha Anand guide us through their model "Identities in-flux" which considers the interplay of changing socio-ethnic-religious factors, biological heritage, being in care and one’s agency in determining identity and how they wish to be perceived.


Time & Location
26 Sept 2024, 09:30 – 11:00
Microsoft Teams
About the Event
This research seminar is open to social work practitioners across the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership. Please see below for our Partner organisations.
This presentation seeks to support practitioners in applying research to practice by expanding the discourse beyond a singular focus, such as race or gender, to provide a holistic perspective. We designed this approach to cultivate practices and policies that are sensitive to the diverse needs of children and young people entering care. Additionally, this presentation offers valuable resources, including the open-access Frontline Briefing and Toolkit, serving as practical guides. These resources not only provide theoretical insights but also present suggested activities for seamlessly incorporating research concepts into practitioners' daily work.
Key Messages:
· Gain insights into the various aspects and layers of a child's or young person's identity, how identity is oscillating and why we should allow children and young people to assert how they want to be known.
· Use of the intersectionality model in the care system to address socio-ethnic-religious factors.
· Gain valuable insights into the impact of transcultural placements on a child's ethnic identity, as well as how cultural diversity within care settings influences identity development.
· Develop a nuanced understanding of the complex and dynamic identities of looked-after children and young people from minority backgrounds.
· Think about identity in the contexts of life-story work, as well as other practical implications.
This research seminar aims to support practitioners in gaining a clearer understanding of research processes and facilitating the translation of research insights into actionable strategies. We hope to achieve this by sharing fieldwork experiences, participants' stories, practical tools, and resources, and providing an accessible exploration of research methodologies.
Facilitator Bios:
Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (PhD) is Professor in the Sociology of Islam at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK. She is Chair (2020-2023) of the Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN) and edits Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (RSSR). As a feminist sociologist, she interrogates the power dynamics within knowledge production and the implications of the processes and systems of knowledge on society. She started undertaking research with and for children in care after becoming an adoptive mum, just under a decade ago. She has led research and published in this area, funded by the Department for Education, the Nuffield Foundation, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Her other publications emerge from her research on Muslim communities in Britain, Inter-religious relations and women’s history including the imminent title Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950: 100 Years of Hidden History (2023)
Dr Kusha Anand is a co-investigator on two research projects at Coventry University: collecting oral histories of Black social workers and designing safe spaces for Black children and young people in care. For more than a decade, she has been working on interdisciplinary research projects in the fields of education, migration, social care, and healthcare in the UK and overseas. As a political sociologist, her research focuses on amplifying spaces and ecological agency for various communities through arts-based methods.
Deadline to register interest: Thursday 5th of September 2024
Partner organisations:
Birmingham Children's Trust
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City University
Cheshire East Council
City of Stoke-on-Trent Council
City of Wolverhampton Council
Coventry City Council
Coventry University
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Keele University
Sandwell Children's Trust
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Shropshire Council
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council (Including MPFT)
Staffordshire University
Telford & Wrekin Council
University of Birmingham
University of Warwick
University of Wolverhampton
University of Worcester
Walsall Council
Warwickshire County Council
Worcestershire County Council