Rutherford Grass Roots Lecture: Professor Jane Reeves

Thinking differently about topics, particularly those as complex as child protection can be very difficult.  There are currently 50,000 children and young people on child protection registers in the UK (NSPCC 2016) and probably many hundreds of thousands more who are groomed and abused online or via online contacts. In order to tackle this level of abuse we have to change the way we think about child abuse, how we train professionals and how we encourage children to protect themselves and their friends.  This lecture will take you on a journey of innovation, gaming and educational theory; from the germ of an idea on how to change child protection training, to the development of a suite of child protection serious game simulations which are used across the UK and all over the world.

Jane Reeves is a Professor in Child Protection and Simulation Development at the University of Kent.  She is Co-Director of the Centre for Child Protection (CCP) and Director of Studies for the distance learning MA in Advanced Child Protection.  A qualified social worker, since becoming Co-Director of CCP she has worked in partnership with many stakeholders and has led and co-written several immersive simulations which tackle complex inter-professional issues including sexual abuse (‘Rosie 1’ 2011); neglect (‘Rosie 2’ 2012); radicalization and extremism (‘Zak’ 2013; ‘Maryam and Joe; Behind Closed Doors’ 2017); paedophilia (‘Elliot’ 2013); child sexual exploitation (‘Looking out for Lottie’ 2014; and ‘Rosie goes to court’ (2015) co-written with the court advisory service Cafcass on court experience for professionals, parents and young people. The simulations are widely used across the UK and internationally by professionals and directly with young people. ‘Lottie’ won the Guardian award for Digital Innovation in 2016 and Jane and her team have just won the Higher Education Academy Award for collaboration (2017). Jane’s research and publications include using eye tracker and emotion reader software to evaluate professional responses to the simulations as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the simulations for developing critical analysis skills in young people. She has led innovative projects funded by the DfE and Innovate UK, looking at the use of technology with vulnerable groups, and is currently working on an Erasmus project with the University of Stirling, protecting children across Europe through modernising the social work curriculum. Future projects include securing funding for a simulation on FGM and on modern day slavery.

Booking not required