This combined Special Interest Group event brings together the Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) SIG and the Child Protection in Gypsy Roma and Traveller Communities SIG to strengthen collaborative learning, research, and practice.
This event introduces a Roma-specific Power and Control Wheel, created through collaborative, participatory research with Roma women and child protection practitioners. Throughout 2024/25, Roma adults shared their experiences of DVA to ensure the wheel reflects the lived realities of Roma communities and supports culturally grounded understanding of power and control.
The session highlights how community involvement shaped every stage of the research, with Roma voices steering the themes, language, and priorities of the tool. Participants will learn how the wheel reveals unique patterns of power, control, and community pressures, and how co-production enhances its accuracy. It also explores how services can apply this learning to challenge discrimination, improve responses, and build greater support with Roma victims and survivors.
| Ticket Type | Price | Cart |
|---|---|---|
| Member - Developing the Power & Control Wheel to support the Roma Community | £0.00 | |
| Standard - Developing the Power & Control Wheel to support the Roma Community | £15.00 |
Dr Allen is a social work academic with over 20-years experience working to democratise child protection practice with Romani and Traveller families. He has published widely on this topic and has represented child protection practitioners working to support Romani and Traveller families at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the House of Lords, and the Welsh Assembly. Dr Allen is particularly interested in examining the intersection of power relations, prejudice and reflexivity to critically examine the questions of why, how and so what in the context of dominant discourses affecting regimes of practice at individual, cultural and societal levels. Dr Allen is a qualified social worker registered with the professional regulatory body, Social Work England, and he is an active member of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Social Work Association.
Professor Michaela Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield. Michaela is a registered social worker and has practice experience spanning 30 years in a range of voluntary and public sector settings. This includes over 15 years working in the domestic abuse
sector before moving to statutory social work (working in child protection and fostering). Michaela’s academic career has enabled the development of research and publications portfolio contributing to the fields of gender-based violence and domestic abuse, equalities and diversity, and social care. This work has a particular emphasis on the experiences of marginalised groups, help-seeking and access to services. Michaela’s publications include a number of social work textbooks and a body of academic publications on gender-based violence. Her latest co-edited book
is entitled Gender-Based Violence: A Comprehensive Guide (published in June 2023 by Springer Nature). Michaela is Co-Editor for the journal Practice: Social Work in Action and co-leads the University of Sheffield Interpersonal Violence and Abuse ( ShIVAR ) Research Network.
Opportunity to network with others and know I am part of a community of people committed to working for children and families; challenge to keep up to date and evidence-informed in my practice; sounding board with others for considering how best to improve policy and practice
