The Community Practitioner Research Programme (CPRP) has taken the initiative in opening up new spaces for collaboration between academic researchers and community practitioners, establishing early approaches to co-production. The city of Birmingham has led the UK in social work and the development of community practice for the last century and we have utilised our community networks to bring together The University of Birmingham and many of its practitioners.
The CPRP has supported embedded community workers and practitioners to identify areas of need within their organisation and fields of work. We have trained them in social research methodologies and mentored practitioners to develop a rationale for change and provide practical solutions for enacting this change on a day to day basis, enhancing the lives and experiences of their communities and local residents along the way.
The CPRP remains dedicated to impacting and improving local services and are now focussed on ways to influence and bring about change on a national and global scale. For 2017 we are working on the National Transfer Scheme for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and other key areas such as refugee resettlement and migrant maternity. We will train more practitioners to support these groups and use our research to further influence public policy and shape the conversation in supporting vulnerable people through recognition and understanding of superdiversity and how it impacts communities and wider society.
The programme is a way of IRiS increasing its civic engagement, whilst developing practitioner research expertise across the city to ensure our work is grounded and informed by the issues that are important to policy makers, practitioners and communities.
Practitioner researchers have the option of going for accreditation with the Open College Network if they complete the three modules of training as follows:
- Module 1: Qualitative Research Skills
- Module 2: Understanding Qualitative Data
- Module 3: Using Peer Research Skills
Practitioner Researchers are matched with academic mentors within IRiS whose research interests match their own.
Practitioner researchers 2013-2014 and project themes
Julia Brown
Project Manager, Bethel Health and Healing Network
Research topic: Social impacts of the Doula project and its impact on maternity services.
Academic mentor:
Sabi Redwood (MDS)
Richard Browne
Partnership Manager, Social Inclusion Challenge Unit, Birmingham City Council
Research topic: How can we build social cohesion in 'superdiverse' urban areas?
Academic mentor:
Jenny Phillimore (CoSS)
Amy Cui
Health and Social Care Manager, Chinese Community Centre
Research topic: Chinese Lives in Birmingham
Academic mentor:
Angus McCabe (CoSS)
Phil Davis
Manager, Refugee Action
Research topic: Life in Birmingham through the eyes of refused asylum seekers and visa overstayers
Academic mentor:
Lisa Goodson (CoSS)
Iris Fermin
Head of Information and Intelligence for Birmingham, Birmingham Public Health, NHS Birmingham and Solihull Cluster
Research topic: Maternal Outcomes: Mothers born outside UK compared to those born in UK in the area of Birmingham
Academic mentor:
Sabi Redwood (MDS)
Kate Gordon
Chinese Community Centre
Research topic: Chinese Lives in Birmingham
Academic mentor:
Angus McCabe (CoSS)
Helen Hodges
Performance Analyst, West Midlands Police
Research topic: Evaluation of Op Accord (West Midlands Police's response to foreign national offending)
Academic mentor:
Ricky Joseph (CoSS)
Andrew Jolly
Destitution Project Coordinator, Children's Society
Research topic: The experiences of undocumented migrant families in Birmingham
Academic mentor:
Surinder Guru (CoSS)
Andrene Miller
Freelance Journalist
Research topic: Migration Stories
Academic mentor:
Jenny Phillimore (CoSS)
Micho Moyo
Principal Officer Safeguarding, Schools and Education Services, Birmingham City Council
Research topic: An evaluation of the multi-agency responses to child abuse disclosures involving individuals working in faith-based educational settings
Academic mentor:
Martin Stringer (CAL)
Santok Odedra
Deputy Manager, Refugee Action
Research topic: Life in Birmingham through the eyes of refused asylum seekers and visa overstayers
Academic mentor:
Lisa Goodson (CoSS)
Rebwar Sulayman
Choices Caseworker, Refugee Action
Research topic: Life in Birmingham through the eyes of refused asylum seekers and visa overstayers
Academic mentor:
Lisa Goodson (CoSS)
Sarah Taal
Women's Support Worker, Hope Projects
Research topic: Destitution and refused refugee women in the West Midlands: immigration issues and charity support related to housing and subsistence needs
Academic mentor:
Lisa Goodson (CoSS)
Marvin Taylor
Attendance Support Worker, Education Welfare Service, Birmingham City Council
Research topic: Roma migrant families in education
Academic mentor:
Nando Sigona (CoSS)
More information
Dr Lisa Goodson is the PRP lead and you can contact her at l.j.goodson@bham.ac.uk or Ann Bolstridge at a.bolstridge@bham.ac.uk for more information.
Practitioner researchers should be located within Birmingham-based organisations, work with, or be located within, superdiverse community settings and have an interest in research and knowledge transfer. If you would like more information, please contact Ann Bolstridge, a.bolstridge@bham.ac.uk.