Date and time
| Event date: | Thursday, 23 Apr 2026 |
| Time: | 1pm-3pm |
| Location: |
This training session supports researchers to move beyond assumptions and develop ethical, respectful, and responsive research practices.
The session begins by exploring lived experience in RAS communities, highlighting diversity and challenging stereotypes. It examines post-migration realities such as unfamiliar systems, language barriers, trauma histories and daily stressors, and how these shape engagement with research. Participants will consider how power imbalances and loss of agency affect choice, consent and participation.
The second part focuses on practice across the research cycle. Topics include recruitment and pre-engagement, building trust, safety and working with community organisations. Participants will explore ways to support agency through co-decision making and flexible research design.
Trauma-informed research practice is a central theme, with attention to safety, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Strategies for reducing distress, supporting wellbeing and using culturally responsive qualitative methods will be discussed.
The session aims to strengthen research skills and ethical competence, helping researchers reflect on their assumptions, recognise power dynamics and work with partners such as the VCSE partners in ways that enhance agency.
This session will be led by:
Dr Sarah Hunt (PhD), Honorary Fellow, University of Leicester
Research area:
Refugee Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Research.
Mental health needs and service response in post-migratory settings.
System responsiveness to mental health needs among forcible displaced in areas of conflict.
Beauty Tshuma, BAME Link Worker Tees Esk & Wear Valley Mental Health Trust.
Date and time
| Event date: | Thursday, 23 Apr 2026 |
| Time: | 1pm-3pm |
| Location: |