Jennie Fleming

Young People’s Involvement in Research: Still a Long Way to Go?

Working with young people on research projects means we need to consider many elements of research methodology and approach. This article draws on the experience of the author and other writers to consider how young people’s involvement in research challenges current practice and influences research and researchers. It explores critically why so little has actually changed and seeks to identify future changes that need to happen, raising some important questions about the nature of research — its purpose and ideology. It concludes that in order for young people’s active involvement in research to develop, we need to explore some crucial questions through a mutual interchange and dialogue between all researchers committed to participative research and youth participation advocates to ensure that both the inner and outer science dimensions of young people’s research are given due attention.

Supporting people: Towards a person-centred approach

Foreword by Shami Chakrabati Setting the scene for social care Person-centred support The funding of social care The social care workforce Social care and carers Institutionalisation Organisational issues Social care practice Service user cameos Capacity building for support Access to the mainstream Participation Change for person-centred support Appendix.

Youth on the margins in Northern Ireland, England, and Ukraine

This paper deals with the experience of the two authors working in a number of different settings. Both have been for many years practitioners using the Social Action model, Jennie in England and Eamonn in Northern Ireland. Together we have also been providing training for youth social workers in Ukraine, on issues of Social Action and empowering practice. What we attempt to do in this paper is first consider some of the issues and debates around the concept of marginalization. Then, referring to Northern Ireland, England, and Ukraine, we will provide some perspectives on the situation of young people, with examples of the mechanics of marginalization and blocks to the inclusion of young people in their societies. We hope to show that marginalization is a topical concept in all three places and that it has elements that transcend cultural and national boundaries, despite the social circumstances in Belfast, Derby, and Ukraine being very different. However, there are also aspects of the marginalization of young people that are different. Next, we will go on to describe the Social Action approach and to give some examples of how we have attempted to put the philosophy and approach into practice in three different countries and in the settings of research, practice, and training. To do this we will draw on our experience and work with young people in England and Northern Ireland and with youth social workers in Ukraine.

‘Building our own monument’: A social action group revisited

The paper describes a recent research project, which reviewed a 1970s social action group in Nottingham that helped the original group members (all of whom had appeared in courts, and many of whom were subject to Probation Orders in the late 1970s) reflect on its legacy 25 years later. As well as a youth centre they had successfully campaigned for, they speak of their lasting sense of pride, self-worth and belonging; of specific skills they had learned of public speaking, running meetings, fundraising and fostering choice and changes for themselves and their community. The learning from this example of social action youth work is related to current times and its relevance to Youth Matters. When Youth Matters becomes law it will provide a legislative framework, standards and resources for local authorities to work to in developing facilities with and for young people. There are valuable lessons from the 1970s for this, for example, valuing young people as equal citizens and recognising their experience and skills and working with them in partnership on the issues and concerns that they identify.

Social policy – a help or a hindrance to social capital

This is one of the few which looks at the positive and negative impact social policy can have on the enhancement of social capital. It stems from a vast array of participative research and consultancy the authors have undertaken. It sets out the model of social capital developed from this work, which has enabled the discussion and application of social capital to move from academia into local neighbourhoods and communities. It has been referred to by a major network from the LSE and by IPPR North with a wide ranging audience of practitioners and policy makers.

Working together – innovative collaboration in social care research

This article reviews literature to provide context for a reflective narrative on a collaborative research project undertaken by disabled people, practitioners and academics. This approach required reconsidering many aspects of methodology and practice as the research relationships are altered. The article reflects on how the collaborative and participatory approach was developed and sustained and how it impacted on the research process and its outcomes. The article explores how the group of people worked together on a complex large-scale research project to bring the voices of service users and other key players together in a discussion about social care. The article is written by one of the academic partners and draws on consortium documents and reflections from other consortium members provided for the article.

Delivering effective multi-agency work for victims and witnesses of crime

This article explores recent changes within the field of victim and witness services, and uses this to provide a background to the work of the Victims and Witnesses Action Group (VWAG) in the English city of Leicester. Issues raised included the difficulties of partnership working in terms of breakdowns in communication, competition for funding and what happens when dedicated staff leave. Suggestions will be made regarding the work of multi-agency services to victims and witnesses in the future, such as setting out clear aims that are achievable within the resources available and having a clear link person in place to aid communication. This article will explore recent changes within the field of victim and witness services, and will use this to provide a background to the work of the Victims and Witnesses Action Group in Leicester. It will go on to look at the increase in the use of partnership working within the field of social care and regeneration, and how the benefits and drawbacks of this method of working may have had an impact on VWAG, as found by the evaluation of VWAG carried out in 2005. Suggestions will be made regarding the provision of multi-agency services to victims and witnesses in the future.