Exploring Practitioner Typologies within UK Women’s Centres

• In Event: Understanding the Needs of Justice Involved Women and the Service Providers Who Support Them

Abstract

This paper explores empirical research findings on the work of the women’s centres in England and Wales from the perspectives of practitioners. Women’s centres are well-established providers of a broad range of services to criminal justice-involved women and those at risk of justice involvement. Whilst academic understanding of the Penal Voluntary Sector is developing through the identification of practitioner and organisational typologies, relatively little is understood about the values and principles that inform practice within women’s centres. The paper offers new insights by presenting findings from data comprising observations within two organisations across multiple sites in England, a national online survey and semi-structured interviews with caseworkers and managers working in various locations in England. It examines differences in practitioners’ views of their roles and how they impact approaches to work with women who access the services of the women’s centres. It also identifies shared values and behaviours among members of staff in relation to the purposes of the service, as well as the impact of attitudes and values on service delivery.

Author

• Ella Holdsworth, University of Birmingham