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Sussex Social Change Hub

The Sussex Social Change Hub is a collective of academic experts from the School of Education and Social Work. We’re dedicated to strengthening relationships with organisations, governments, schools and charities through consultancy, training and tailored services.

Our mission

The Sussex Social Change Hub aims to advance social justice and equity by providing rigorous, ethical academic insights in education and social work.

We want to create a world where academic research continuously informs best practice, allowing organisations to more easily access high-level expertise. Integrity, ethics, kindness and authenticity are at the core of our interventions.

Read about the world-leading research taking place in the School of Education and Social Work.

Collaborate with us

Our academic experts work in a wide range of services with our diverse partners across the world.

We offer the following tailored opportunities:

• evaluations of policies, procedures and structures
• expert opinion and advice
• help with developing programs and products
• bespoke training
• regular Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses.

Contact socialchangehub@sussex.ac.uk to find out how we can help you.

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CPD programme

Every year we design a unique programme of short CPD courses. These half-day non-accredited workshops are open to all professionals who find them relevant to their practice. All participants will receive a certificate of attendance upon completing the course.

The courses will all take place online on Microsoft Teams.

Each session can be booked individually through our online shop linked under each session. For group bookings please contact us at socialchangehub@sussex.ac.uk.

See also CPD Terms & Conditions 2024 [PDF 58.22KB].

Courses

Explore the CPD courses we’re running this year:

• Grief, bereavement and social work

  5 March 2024, 10am to 1pm

  In this workshop you will focus on the many ways in which grief and bereavement affect social work practice. You’ll consider how those you work with react to bereavement in the short and long term. You’ll also think about grief as a factor in many exchanges and episodes in people’s lives.

  Personal grief and bereavement can also affect how you work with others. This session provides the space to discuss death and grieving in social work practice. It highlights new research in this area and will allow you to reflect on experiences and possibilities for new ways of working.

• From talking and listening to children, to listening and talking to children

  25 March 2024, 9.30am to 12.30pm

  Following the completion of the Talking and Listening to Children (TLC) research project, Professor Gillian Ruch has been working with local authorities to introduce Kitbag as a resource for direct work with children and their families.

  This experiential session will:

  • summarise the TLC project findings
  • introduce Kitbag and its affordances for direct practice
  • explore the obstacles and opportunities for direct work in everyday practice.
• (Re)imagining resistance with young people

  25 April 2024, 10am to 1pm

  In this workshop, you will explore the meaning of ‘resistance’ in public and professional discourses.  Specifically, you’ll focus on its relevance to young people considered 'resistant' to seeking help, despite being identified as at risk.

  The workshop will begin by sharing findings from a three-year study, using creative and participatory methods to explore the concept of ‘resistance’ with young people affected by sexual violence. Multi-modal creative project outputs will be shown, including a co-produced short film, to demonstrate how young people understood and represented their own resistance practices.

  We will consider ways of re-imagining resistance within professional discourse and the practical application of these ideas in both policy and direct work with young people.

• Children in care, in focus

  14 May 2024, 10am to 1pm

  Life story work practices are vital for children in care, helping them to make sense of their family history, why they came into care and what has happened since that time.

  Life story work provides a foundation for identity, belonging and self-esteem, and is a key factor in promoting foster home stability and good mental health. There is no single definition of what life story work is – it can include a range of diverse practices, such as life story books, later life letters and memory boxes.

  This session will provide an opportunity to engage in current debates on life story work and explore what they mean for your practice. Afterwards, you will:

  • understand national policy and regulations as they relate to life story work
  • learn about recent research exploring life story work practices and their impact
  • be able to identify key messages for children and young people, their families and carers
  • be able to reflect on what those messages mean, for individual practice and for teams.

  The session will be particularly relevant for social workers, supervising social workers and managers responsible for children in care.

• Race-based trauma

  31 May 2024, 10am to 1pm

  In this session you will look at ‘post-George Floyd murder’ research on race and racism in social work, and what it tells about current social work practice with Black, Asian and related mixed minoritised racial and ethnic identities.

  There will be a focus on how systemic racism in children’s social care (including transracial-adoption) can contribute to race-based trauma.

  At the end of the session, you will:

  • understand the impacts of race-based trauma on Black and Asian minoritised people in children’s social care services
  • use case examples to appreciate the causes of race-based trauma, and how this manifests in your work with children and parents/families
  • understand culturally responsive approaches to mitigating and working with thrivers of race-based trauma.

• The human-animal bond in the context of domestic abuse

  13 June 2024, 10am to 1pm

  This session will explore the significance of the human-animal bond to victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

  You will explore:

  • the dynamics and impact of animal abuse and non-accidental injury in the context of domestic abuse, including animal abuse as a strategy for coercive control
  • domestic abuse legislation in relation to children and animals
  • professional responsibilities and duty of care underpinned by animal welfare legislation and reporting procedures
  • safety planning for the whole family and ongoing considerations for children and animals in the context of systemic practice.

  Your learning will be supported by case studies, and you will be provided with useful links to articles, resources, and relevant local and national organisations.

  This session is designed in partnership with The Links Group, a national charity who work to raise awareness of the link between the abuse of people and animals through training, support and inter-agency working.