EDI Exploring Expertise: An introduction to working with black kinship care families (Families in Harmony)

THEME

This session focuses on the importance of cultural curiosity and humility when working with black kinship families. It is designed to help organisations and individuals be more confident when working with black kinship families and to use co-production to create better outcomes for care, support and services.

LEARNING OUTCOME

During this session you will gain:

Insights into working with cultural curiosity and humility.
Understanding of cultural nuances in relation to kinship care.
Confidence when working alongside Black Kinship families.
Understanding of how co-production with families creates better outcomes for care, support and services.

PRESENTER

Johanna Bernard (Director of Programs and Family Support, Families in Harmony)

Sharon McPherson (Director of Co-production, Development and Policy, Families in Harmony)

Johanna Bernard and Sharon McPherson are co-founders of Families in Harmony, an organisation whose vision and goal is "to build a network where all Kinship Carers of African heritage, Carribean descent or birthed British and of mixed heritage, can feel heard, empowered, and valued." Johanna and Sharon have a wealth of knowledge and lived experience as they work to influence policy and co-production of services for kinship carers.

Johanna Bernard is a family support practitioner, professional trainer and Trauma Informed Practitioner with twelve years lived experience of caring for her grandchildren. She has worked for national organisations such as Kinship, Mind and Home Start alongside teaching in community and further education. As a social activist, Johanna has been involved in local, regional and national campaigns to redress the racial imbalance, and its corresponding inequalities, within education, health and social care for over twenty years.

Sharon McPherson is an experienced Diversity and Inclusion consultant with twenty years lived experience as a kinship carer. Sharon has been instrumental in creating real change through social activism and in her career working with organisations including the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, Kinship, and Safer London. In recognition of her contribution to peer support in Kinship Care during the pandemic, Sharon received a Mayors award and continues to explore the paradigms of inclusion and diversity for black carers by undertaking her PhD. Research in Kinship Care.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The session is aimed at foster carers, adopters, children’s services, social workers, supervising social workers, managers and anyone interested in enhancing their knowledge around co-producing with black kinship carers, and conceptualising new narratives centred on inclusion and diversity.

For social workers, reflection on this session may contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD).

Members can watch recordings of previous Exploring Expertise Webinars here