As part of Trans Awareness Week (13-19 November 2020), SSPSSR social work experts have provided insights into their research currently in progress to explore trans awareness in social work education and practice.
Leanne Taylor, Dr Sweta Rajan-Rankin and Dr Rasa Mikelyte said: ‘Funded by the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund (LTEF) we have conduced a study to investigate transgender awareness in social work education and training settings, with existing policy reports highlighting the increased levels of inequality experienced by transgender people.
‘There has been an urgent call for enhancing transgender awareness in child and family social work and in adult social care (DHSC, 2018). We have responded to these emerging challenges through an exploratory scoping study to enhance trans awareness among students and practice educators involved in the social work programme.
‘Drawing on a multi-staged study involving interviews and focus groups with social work students, practitioners, trans service users and advocates for trans people; two training programmes have been developed to enhance transgender awareness in social work education and practice for social work students and practitioners.
‘Findings from our study indicate the need for embedding trans inclusive practice in all aspects of the social work curriculum using an intersectional approach, prefacing and centring the voices of service users and carers of trans history in social work education and training.’
The University of Kent is rated third for social work research quality in The Complete University Guide 2021. To find out more about Leanne Taylor, Dr Sweta Rajan-Rankin and Dr Rasa Mikelyte’s research please contact Dr Sweta Rajan-Rankin: s.rajan-rankin@kent.ac.uk