Learning from Research: Parent's Experiences of Contact in SGOs
This webinar presents findings from Michelle's doctoral research at the University of Leeds, a qualitative study exploring parental contact in special guardianship families. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the PhD examined the lived experiences of special guardians and parents, and this presentation focuses on the second study and the accounts of two mothers - Nicola, whose son is being raised by her own mother, and Rachael, whose son is being raised by his paternal grandmother.
The two mothers' contact experiences were strikingly dichotomous. One described contact as a constant struggle, feeling excluded from her son's life, battling with social services to follow up on missed letterbox contact, and believing that only the father's side of the family mattered. The other enjoyed regular, quality time with her son, felt involved in decisions alongside her own mother, and appreciated the safety and stability the arrangement gave him. Although parents retain parental responsibility under a Special Guardianship Order, the special guardian can exercise theirs to the exclusion of all others, and the findings demonstrate how differently this power can be experienced. Where it was held within a trusting relationship, one mother remained included; where it was held across a family divide, the other described feeling powerless, with no meaningful say in her son's life.
The findings raise important questions for practice: why does contact flourish in some special guardianship families and break down in others and what support do parents receive before and after the order is granted?
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- How professionals can better support parents to understand what special guardianship means for them and their children
- How professionals support contact after an SGO
- Why understanding parents' experiences matters for children's identity, life story, and meaningful, stable relationships
PRESENTER
Michelle Hall, Kinship Carer, Special Guardian, Trainer, and Researcher
Michelle Hall is a kinship carer and special guardian, and a researcher and trainer in the kinship care sector. She is completing her PhD at the University of Leeds, researching parents' experiences of contact in special guardianship families, and holds a Visiting Lecturer position at Leeds Trinity University. She delivers life story in kinship care training for the charity Kinship, and is co-founder of the What Matters – Life Story in Kinship Care certified training for practitioners, offered through her own consultancy, Michelle Hall Consultancy, drawing on her academic research and her own experience of kinship care.
This session is relevant to practitioners and carers working with children and young people.
FEES
Members: FREE (don't forget to log in to your account to receive your discount)
Non-members: £20+VAT.
CONTACT
Telephone: 0207 520 7520 / 0310
Email: events@corambaaf.org.uk
£20.00