NO MORE ‘NEEDS’: growing confidence and improving skills around sexuality in social work research, learning and practice Practical Learning: achieving excellence in the human services PEPE conference Edinburgh 2008 Joy Trotter and Trish Hafford-Letchfield University of Teesside - London South Bank University

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield2 sexuality in social work familiar concepts social exclusion & marginalisation anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices these imply that social work embraces equality and diversity has become ‘culturally competent’ subscribes to moral and ethical standards which include respect for others, regardless of their sexual orientation however sexuality issues continue to be marginalized or excluded altogether (Leech & Trotter, 2005; Fish, 2006)

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield3 sexuality in research Despite the 2002 RAE specifically remarking on sexuality as one of a number of new and emerging areas for social work (Shaw & Norton, 2007) it continues to be under-funded and under-researched. Others have contributed: education - focussing on schools & sexual bullying and sex education sociology and social policy - developing understandings & debates around sexuality economists and demographers - struggled to capture or predict trends relating to sexual diversity within families health and psychology – mostly AIDS/HIV, STDs and other ‘problems’ criminology – around sex offenders and child sexual abuse

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield4 sexuality in learning Despite a number of pioneering texts around a decade ago (Logan et al, 1996; Hicks, 1996; Trotter & Gilchrist, 1996; Trotter, 1998; Brown, 1998; Trotter, 2000a, 2000b; Logan, 2001) very little has been transferred to national learning resources, training policies or general educational materials. Social Work and Sexuality (Brown, 1998) omitted from BASW’s (Macmillan Press) re-launch of Practical Social Work series in 2006 (12 titles) nor was it included in advertisements for ‘key backlist books’ (10 titles) Learning Matters – helping social workers to support people in ‘achieving their sexual rights’ (Jones & Bywater, 2007, p134)

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield5 sexuality in practice Common mistakes: sexuality often confused with sex (behaviour), sexuality confined to ‘issues’ (problems) and/or sexuality conflated with sexual (sexiness). Technicist approaches to assessment and service provision have emerged which seek to identify the particular ‘needs’ of ‘minority’ populations (Jeyasingham, 2008). These have focussed on non hetero-sexual people, implying heterosexuals do not have needs non hetero-sexual people have only ‘needs’ non-heterosexuals can be regarded as one homogenous population and there are no overlaps or ‘needs’ that are held in common between the ‘two’ populations. Its also assumed that once these so-called ‘needs’ are ‘known’, they will somehow be addressed (Hicks, 2005).

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield6 community of practice Evolving Opening up a dialogue between inside and outside perspectives Invite different levels of participation Develop both public and private community spaces Focus on values Create a rhythm for the community

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield7 a case study Symposium: Sexuality issues in social work practice, education and research Began in June 2004 Aims/objectives - To extend and strengthen the knowledge base by:  providing a friendly and safe forum for discussion and dissemination of ideas  sharing and developing ideas;  supporting and sustaining each others’ interests and endeavours;  contributing to and collaborating on research projects and publications. Membership - Social work and allied academics, researchers, practitioners, students and service users with proven &/or active interests in sexuality issues. Activities  share the data-base of contacts  share information, news and ideas  contribute ‘reading lists’, with recommended favourite(s) & accompanying review  regular meetings, seminars and conferences  research projects  collaborative writing

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield8 growing confidence Growing membership Developing identity Evolving leadership Ongoing learning through: mutual engagement & joint enterprise sharing - personal, educational & professional histories life experiences giving meaning to practice participation

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield9 improving skills Virtual and real support network Developing expertise Campaigning / lobbying Publishing Workshops / conferences Research projects Seminar series

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield10 Exciting futures Early days – fluid and informal network Recognising differences? Including and collaborating? Direction & future? SIG or Symposium? Shifting the focus by pursuing clarity about values widening participation & perspective meanings/understandings emerging - no more ‘needs’

Joy Trotter & Trish Hafford -Letchfield11 References Brown, H. C. (1998) Social Work and Sexuality: Working with Lesbians and Gay Men, Basingstoke: Macmillan. Fish, J. (2006) Heterosexism and Social Care, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Hicks, S. (1996) ‘The last resort? Lesbian and gay experiences of the social work assessment process in fostering and adoption’, Practice, 8(2), Hicks, S. (2005) ‘Sexuality: social work theories and practice’. In Adams, R., Dominelli, L. & Payne, M. (eds) Social Work Futures: Crossing Boundaries, Transforming Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Jeyasingham, D. (2008) ‘Knowledge/ignorance and the construction of sexuality in social work education’, Social Work Education, 27(2), 22–35. Jones, R. & Bywater, J. (2007) Sexuality and Social Work. Exeter: Learning Matters. Leech, N. and Trotter, J. (2005) ‘”None of them ever asked about sex”: some personal thoughts as to why social workers have difficulty discussing sexuality with young people’, Socio-analysis, 7, Logan, J. (2001) ‘Sexuality, child care and social work education’, Social Work Education, 20(5), 563–575. Logan, J., Kershaw, S., Karban, K., Mills, S. Trotter, J. & Sinclair, M. (1996) Confronting Prejudice: Lesbian and Gay Issues in Social Work Education, Aldershot: Arena. Shaw, I. and Norton, M. (2007) The Kinds and Quality of Social Work Research in UK Universities: Using Knowledge In Social Care Report 17, London: Social Care Institute for Excellence. Trotter, J. (1998) ‘Learning and practising, or just saying the words? Anti-discriminatory issues in social work training’, Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Work, 1(2), Trotter, J. (2000) ‘Speaking out, coming out and being outed: different sexualities and child protection practices’. In Cox, P., Kershaw, S. & Trotter, J. (eds) Child Sexual Assault: Feminist Perspectives, London: Macmillan. Trotter, J. (2000) ‘Who’s leading whom? Sexuality and young people’. In Harris, J., Froggett, L. & Paylor, I. (eds) Social Work Making a Difference, Birmingham: Venture Press. Trotter, J. and Gilchrist, J. (1996) ‘Assessing DipSW students: anti-discriminatory practice in relation to lesbian and gay issues’, Social Work Education, 15(1),