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Biography
Cath Williams has a background in community development work and community education. Cath qualified as a social worker in 1992 from Ruskin College, Oxford. As a social worker she worked in a number of Local Authorities with adult service users in hospitals and in the community across both learning disability and mental health settings. As a practitioner Cath's primary specialisation was in mainstream child protection and also with disabled children.She completed her MA in Education (Human Relations) at the University of Nottingham and worked as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Health and Social Care at the University of Derby from 2003 - 2016 in the Department of Social and Community Studies. Cath has worked at the Centre for Social Work in the School of Sociology and Social Policy since 2016.
Expertise Summary
Cath's expertise has been in the field of child protection and advocacy. She has been active in promoting the voice of the disabled child and other marginalised children. Cath has contributed to two publications:
NSPCC/VOICE UK (2005). Speaking Out: A guide for advocates for children and young people with learning disabilities. London: NSPCC.
Contributor to Chapter 5 in: MILLER, D & LENAHAN, C (2003). It doesn't happen to disabled children: Child Protection and Disabled Children. REPORT OF THE NATIONAL WORKING GROUP ON CHILD PROTECTION & DISABILITY. London: NSPCC.
Teaching Summary
Cath has a wide area of teaching interests both within and around the discipline of sociology and social policy. Within social work this has included child protection and safeguarding, teaching on a… read more
Research Summary
Cath is completing PhD exploring the impact of migration on family relationships. She is particularly interested in the separation and reunification of Caribbean families. Cath's research… read more
Cath has a wide area of teaching interests both within and around the discipline of sociology and social policy. Within social work this has included child protection and safeguarding, teaching on a range of theories and methods of social work, focused on motivational interviewing, systems and ecosystems perspectives, anti-oppressive practice and empowerment.
Current Research
Cath is completing PhD exploring the impact of migration on family relationships. She is particularly interested in the separation and reunification of Caribbean families. Cath's research presentations include:
Keynote Speaker, Title: 'Policy and perspective on Migration'. International Conference on Perspectives of Asylum, Refuge and Migration, 3 - 6 December 2019. University of Derby, College of Health and Social Care with Early Childhood Studies, Institute of Education, Multifaith Centre and European partners
Research Seminar, Title: Windrush is not History: The Past in the Present. School of Sociology and Social Policy, 23 October 2019, University of Nottingham
Conference Presentation, Title: Bringing History to Life: Collaborative Engagement with Older African Caribbean Women'. East Midlands Doctoral Network Postgraduate Research Conference, 11 September 2019, University of Derby
Conference Presentation, Title: 'Migration, Memory and Mothering'. The Born Yesterday Conference, September 5-6, 2019, University of Nottingham, UK
Unpublished Conference Paper, Title: The Use of Critical Race Theory as an Approach in Social Research. British Sociological Association Postgraduate Research Symposium. University of Durham, 2017.
Images of Blackness Conference Paper (unpublished). Title: Focus Groups as a method of exploring the migration experiences of first generation African Caribbeans. University of Newham, September 2013
Unpublished Conference Paper: Theme: Health and Wellbeing in Society - Title: Migration and Attachment: The impact of separation on attachment relationships in first and second generation Caribbean families. The East Midland Universities PGR Students' Conference, University of Nottingham, 2012
Past Research
Cath was the supervisor on an Oral History Project recording interviews with 1st generation African Caribbean older people in Bradford between 1986-88