Exploring identity and race in social work: A journey through oral histories

It is approximately ten years since the Children and Families Act 2014 placed higher importance on identity in finding permanent homes for children in care.

As part of research, the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University has embarked on an ambitious oral history project to catalogue Black social workers experiences. Drawing on a strong track record of research in integrated peacebuilding, trust and social and community relations, the Centre aims to make a strong impact on society and on the security and quality of life of ordinary people worldwide.

Research in Practice and the Project Team are publishing this blog during Black History Month, to support this year’s national theme of Reclaiming Narratives, and to celebrate some of the champions of social care. 

The context

The landscape in the United Kingdom surrounding Black children in care has undergone substantial transformations over the past half century. The UK government initiated a significant change within the framework of the Children and Families Act 2014.

This alteration was aimed at enhancing outcomes for children from ethnic minority backgrounds and expediting the adoption process, as it eliminated legal obligation for adoption agencies to factor in ethnicity when making decisions regarding 'matching'. This would pave the way for an increased acceptance of trans-racial placements.

However, these outcomes have not been without challenges and how social workers managed major changes in placement has been the centre of the oral histories in the project. This focus has allowed for the research to have flexibility in discussing these shifts in placement as well as keep the focus on identity.

The subjects

The project defined Black in an inclusive way that includes Black-African, Black-Caribbean and South Asian identities. It explored the wider challenges Black social workers faced during their careers, and these testimonies from Black social workers demonstrated the ways in which dramatic changes to how identity was centred and uncentred, when assessing a child’s suitability for placement, affected their own work.

Equally important, this project gave a platform for Black social workers to express their personal and professional victories in a system that is often overlooked and underfunded. The project also gave necessary space for Black social workers to describe large and small acts of resistance, as well as their own individual understandings of how social work has, or can, evolve over time.

The project outcomes

The collection of oral histories holds significant promise in enhancing public and policymaker understanding how Black social workers navigated the challenges in the United Kingdom’s children's care system. Delving into these historical, personal, and professional dimensions of identity, as well as unearthing the hands-on experiences in caring for Black children, means that these oral histories serve as an invaluable toolkit for those seeking to understand social care in modern multi-cultural Britain.

The collection will not only shed light on the challenges and triumphs faced by Black social workers but also offer a crucial perspective on the intricate negotiations they navigate in response to changes in identity policy. This in turn will help to bridge gaps in awareness, fostering empathy and informing public and professional discussion about the importance of identity. 

Research in Practice has a number of resources that support the development of inclusive and anti-racist systems. This includes a recent resource that supports leaders in developing critical thinking to understand how systemic racism is constructed and perpetuated in policies, tools and practice within individual organisations and partnerships.

In early 2025, Research in Practice will also be hosting a webinar with the Project Team, exploring some of the themes emerging from the oral histories of Black social workers.

You can read more about the project objectives on the team site: Uncovering the legacy of Black British Social Workers: Between the personal, the professional and the political.

Policymakers can be better equipped to formulate measures that acknowledge and address the unique challenges faced by Black social workers, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and responsive children's care system.