Overview

Capturing the views and experiences of children and young people directly, rather than by proxy through parents or professionals, is increasingly recognised as critical both to sound social research and evaluation, and to the development of effective services and policies that better reflect children’s and young people’s priorities and concerns.

This established SRA course draws on the facilitators’ extensive experience of conducting research and evaluation with children and young people to provide a practical introduction to the theory and practice of research with children and young people.

This course is suitable for people who already have experience of doing social research and/or evaluation but want to learn how to apply their knowledge and skills to doing research or evaluation with children and young people. The course combines direct teaching, group discussions and practical applications. On the day we will incorporate issues relevant to participants’ research and/or evaluation projects.

Objectives

By the end of the day participants will:

• Be able to plan a research and/or evaluation project with children and/or young people
• Understand the policy, theory and advantages to this approach
• Be more aware of, and equipped to meet, challenges
• Understand the methodological and ethical considerations involved

Topics covered

By the end of the day participants will have a better understanding and the chance to consider how to apply the following:

• The benefits and challenges of doing research or evaluation with children and young people
• Ethical considerations
• Designing appropriate research methods, including ‘creative methods’
• Introduction to involving of children and young people in the research process
• Applying relevant theory to your work

Who will benefit?

This course is suitable for people with practical experience of research and/or evaluation (qualitative or quantitative), who want to learn how to apply this to working with children and young people.

Learning outcomes

Participants will have a good grasp of the considerations, choices and steps involved, and be able to apply these in practice to their own research/ evaluation with children and young people.

Course tutors

Both tutors are senior researchers with extensive experience of applied social research and evaluation with children and young people in a range of policy areas as of supporting the involvement of children and young people. The tutors have also co-authored an associated book for the Policy Press SRA Shorts Series on this topic, which underpins and draws on learning from the course and provides further information and resources: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-research-with-children-and-young-people.

Dr Louca-Mai Brady has extensive experience of undertaking, managing and commissioning a wide range of social research in the public and voluntary sector and in academia. She has particular expertise in qualitative, participative and health research with children, young people and families as well as a background in disability research and working with children and young people who are ‘less frequently heard’. In 2017 she was awarded a PhD for a participative research study on ‘Embedding children and young people’s participation in health services and research’. Twitter: @Dr_Loucamai

Berni Graham is a senior researcher with many years’ experience of designing, managing and conducting research and evaluation with children, young people and families and supporting others on same. Berni’s wide-ranging expertise includes: health, education, parenting, early years, carers, looked after children, welfare and disability. She works for local and national government and VCS organisations and regularly trains young people and others to conduct peer research: www.grahamresearch.co.uk. 

  This course contributes 6 hours to the MRS CPD programme

Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancelled 21 days or more from the course date.  No refund if cancelled 20 days or fewer from the course date.