Research Fellow in Young People’s Participation

I transitioned into research from a practice background working with young people in a variety of grassroots and voluntary and community settings. In these roles, I worked instinctively, transparently and authentically to develop meaningful relationships, which have facilitated opportunities for dialogue and the promotion of different and creative ways of working with not only young people but also a range of partners across the sector. Skills which I have taken into my research roles.

I began my research journey in 2020 when I joined the University of Bedfordshire as part of the Contextual Safeguarding Programme, with a focus on the development of young people’s participation across the four London boroughs in the Scale Up Project. During this time, I led on the co-production of the first young people’s Contextual Safeguarding podcast and a work booklet to support practitioners and young people to engage in dialogue focused on exploring relevant contexts as part of a safeguarding response to risk of harms outside of home.

I have worked concurrently, and subsequently, on a range of research projects in which I have drawn upon my relational skills for working in a participatory manner with young people and through this approach authentically reflect their views and shape research. These projects have surfaced limitations in research and challenges when trying to influence changes in the system. Yet, they affirm the importance of hearing stories and finding ways to present alternative narratives that foreground experience and often expose the role of structural and systemic harms in young people’s daily lives. It is important for me to be able to integrate my professional experience with research that can challenge systems and structures and disrupt the status quo.

Qualifications

• MA in Critical Media and Cultural Studies - School of Oriental and African Studies
• MA (undergraduate Hons) - French and Politics - University of Glasgow

Research Interests

• Participatory and creative research methods and dissemination
• Children’s rights and advocacy
• Care experienced children and young people
• The relationships between young people, statutory, VCS organisations and communities
• Structural, systemic and institutional harm and injustices

Projects

• 2023 – Present: MOPAC-funded Girls and Young Women at Risk
• 2022 – Present: Young Researchers' Advisory Panel: Supporting a team of remotely based researchers with experiences of services
• 2022 – 2023: Tackling Child Exploitation Programme (Year 4). Development of practice principles for multi-agency partners in their responses to child exploitation.
• 2022 – 2022: Evaluation of Project X: a participatory project in which young people were trained in peer research skills to find out the views of services from young people who attend Project X sessions in Kingston, Richmond and Twickenham.
• 2020 – 2022: The Contextual Safeguarding London Scale Up. Collaborative research with professionals across four areas (Barking and Dagenham, Merton, Sutton, and Ealing) to develop Contextual Safeguarding systems within children’s social care and partner organisations.
• 2020 – 2021: ‘Out There’ Rescue and Response (R&R): A contextual safeguarding evaluation of a pan-London safeguarding response to children who are criminally exploited via ‘county lines’.

Publications

Book chapters

• Millar, H., Walker, J. and Whittington, E. (2023) ‘If you want to help us, you need to hear us’ In Firmin, C. and Lloyd, J. (eds) Contextual Safeguarding: The Next Chapter Bristol: Bristol University Press.
• Adams Elias, C., Thornhill, L. and Millar, H. (2023) Value-informed approaches to peer mapping and assessment: learning from test sites In Firmin, C. and Lloyd, J. (eds) Contextual Safeguarding: The Next Chapter Bristol: Bristol University Press.

Creative Participatory Outputs

• The Contextual Safeguarding Young People’s Podcast
• Your Guide to Contextual Safeguarding – a work booklet co-produced with YRAP and artist Meera Shakti Osborne
• Selected resources for the Contextual Safeguarding Scale Up Toolkit – Engaging Young People and Parents

Briefings and Reports

• Yeo, A; Kiff, J; Millar, H and Beckett, H (2023) Tacking Child Exploitation Support Programme: Practice Principles Research Summary Tackling Child Exploitation Support Programme
• Dr Lisa Bostock and Hannah Millar with Bruno Paz Ernesto, Luke Danablan, Holly Meacock and Teshan Rodrigo (June 2022) Kingston and Richmond VRU LFCP Fund Evaluation (Project X)
• Skidmore, P. with Hannah Millar and Julie Harris (2021) ‘Rescue and Response Year 3 Evaluation’
• Owens R, Ruch G, Firmin C, Millar H, Remes E (2020) 'Relationship-based practice and contextual safeguarding: key messages for practice'. Contextual Safeguarding Network.

Blogs

• ‘It’s already too much of an issue’
• Can participation in research offer young people a sense of justice?
• Talking with young people about Contextual Safeguarding

Contact Details

E: hannah.millar@beds.ac.uk