EDI Exploring Expertise: Kinship care from JA to UK - Family dynamics, culture and gender context
Despite ongoing national reforms to the kinship care agenda, there is still a dearth of knowledge relating to the assessment, engagement and support needs of African and Carribbean kinship care families. Sharon McPherson, co-director of Families in Harmony, set out to explore this knowledge gap by conducting an exploratory mixed method approach in Jamaica – the country of origin for the largest population of Windrush migrants- which included semi-structured in-person one-to-one interviews with around 10 kinship caregivers and 20 professionals.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- Access to support and services– The factors that contribute to informal kinship care arrangements and the barriers that face kinship families in accessing support.
- Intersectional identities – The impact faith, gender roles, education, economic and socio-economic status has on kinship arrangements in Carribbean kinship care families.
- Generational impact and cultural specificity– how economic migration since the Windrush generation influences formal and informal kinship care arrangements in both Jamaica and within the UK Carribbean community.
PRESENTERS
Sharon McPherson, Co-director, Families in Harmony
Sharon McPherson is a daughter, mother, grandmother, community connector and change maker of Jamaican heritage, who grew up apart from her two oldest brothers due to Windrush economic migration. She is also a born and raised UK citizen and kinship carer who has been involved in the raising of 5 of her grandchildren in both formal and informal arrangements over the past 20 years. She is passionate about equity leading towards fairness and justice, particularly in relation to race and social activism and this is what led to her co-founding Families In Harmony, the leading specialist in kinship care organisation supporting families of Black African, Caribbean and Black Mixed Heritage. It is the intersections of being a Black woman of Caribbean heritage, coming from a working-class background that sparked her interest in the racial disparities present in kinship care, and how much of it is linked to historical racial trauma, structural and systemic racial biases.
Johanna Bernard, Co Director, Families in Harmony
Johanna is a kinship carer and co-founder of Families in Harmony. She works as a trauma informed practitioner nad is currently a student of the Carribean play therapy association. With decades of experience in education, mental health, and community activism, Johanna is passionate about addressing the impact of historical and intergenerational trauma on African Caribbean kinship care families. As a lived experience kinship carer, Johanna leads with empathy and drives transformational training that integrates historical context into self-development and community support.
Sandra Latibeaudiere, Lecturer and Section Head/ Unit Coordinator for Social Work, University of West Indies
Sandra has over 18 years of teaching Social Work programme at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. She is currently pursuing an MPhil/Ph.D. in Ageing Studies at the Medical Sciences Faculty, UWI, Mona on the perceptions of dementia caregivers and families regarding the caregiving experience of older adults with dementia in Jamaica.
Jacqueline Bryan, Social Worker and President, Jamaica Association of Social Workers
Jacqueline is a social worker, guidance counsellor, and holistic coach, as well as President of the Jamaica Association of Social Workers
WHO'S IT FOR
This event is for service delivery level children's social workers, team managers, senior practitioners, and anyone working with kinship families. It will be of particular interest to those working with African and Carribean heritage kinship families.
FEES
Members: FREE (don't forget to log in to your account to receive your discount)
Non-members: £20+VAT.
Places on this event are limited, so early booking is recommended.
CONTACT
Telephone: 0207 520 7520 / 0310
Email: events@corambaaf.org.uk
£20.00