Reducing the experiences of people to numbers, graphs and evidence has always been problematic. Is it a necessary business? In the world of policy-makers, conference organisers and professionals data and evidence is everything if you want to get anything done.
But are we gathering too much evidence and is the very process of gathering data itself stigmatising? This event is for anyone who is questioning our seemingly endless obsession with numbers and is looking bring new points of view and even challenges to the status quo around evidence gathering.
This online event will focus on three different contributors and their journeys navigating systems of care for people affected by homelessness. Rather than presenting more data or evidence, these contributors will reflect something of their own journey and what it is like to try and use numbers to create better systems in a post truth era where even those who understand the fallibility of truths and facts are often crying out for them.
We have a whole new industry of fact checking and data gathering. This event is a must for those who want to question that. The event will include breaks and will also include time for small discussion groups and questions.
Practical info:
This event will take place online. People who book for the event will receive online joining instructions in advance of the event. We expect the event to last no longer then 2 hours.
About the contributors:
Dr Simone Helleren has worked across the voluntary and statutory sectors with diverse groups focusing on involvement and participation frequently using theatre methods for over 20 years. She was awarded an ESRC studentship to complete an MA in Social Research and a PhD at the University of Birmingham (2014-2021).
Dr Beth Watts-Cobbe is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University. Beths research focuses on homelessness, housing and welfare policy, and the ethical dimensions of social policy problems. She has written (with Suzanne Fitzpatrick) a book on Welfare Conditionality published in Routledges Key Ideas series; journal articles in Housing Studies, the Journal of Social Policy, the European Journal of Homelessness and Housing, Theory and Society; comment pieces for the Guardian, the Conversation and LSEs Politics and Policy blog; and commissioned reports for funders including Crisis, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Shelter Scotland, Social Bite and Depaul UK.
Gill Taylor: Gill is an independent researcher, facilitator and activist. Gill has spent 20 years working in homelessness services and specialises in best practice approaches to safeguarding and homelessness that centres lived experience and anti-oppressive practice and trauma informed change. She is the strategic lead for MoHs Dying Homeless Project and advises MoH on its campaigning and social change work.
Background to the event:
This event is part of a series of events we are producing as part of a partnership with the UKRI funded Social Responses to Stigma study based at Kings College London. The study is exploring experiences of stigma and discrimination amongst people who are homeless in south London, and seeks to understand how this stigma is created, mediated or mitigated within particular care and support systems and social contexts.
This event series is exploring the different ways that stigma is experienced by people affected by homelessness from criminalisation through to gathering evidence.
Also in this event series will be a forthcoming episode of our Deep Dive podcast taking place on 22 September and a future event to be announced that will be on 07 November.
