{"id":1224,"date":"2026-06-15T11:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/?page_id=1224"},"modified":"2026-06-15T11:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:45:18","slug":"exploring-the-intersectionality-of-diversity-for-more-inclusive-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/exploring-the-intersectionality-of-diversity-for-more-inclusive-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Intersectionality of Diversity for More Inclusive Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Top Tips for working with young people in social care settings (by Omar Mohamed).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tree of Life approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the Tree of Life in PPI with young people in social care offers a powerful way to centre their voices, strengths, and aspirations rather than only focusing on problems or deficits. With Tree of Life, participants draw their \u201croots\u201d (background, culture, early life), \u201ctrunk\u201d (skills, values, internal resources), \u201cbranches\u201d (hopes and dreams), \u201cleaves\u201d (important people in their lives), and even \u201cstorms\u201d (challenges they have faced), allowing a holistic, multidimensional mapping of identity and life experience. This kind of narrative, creative and participatory work can help young people in care feel recognised for their resilience, understand their own strengths, and imagine constructive futures, which aligns well with PPI\u2019s aim of involving service users as equal partners in decision-making and service design. Because the method is non-threatening, visually oriented, and flexible, it can make it easier for young people, including those who find traditional clinical or discussion-based formats difficult, to contribute meaningfully. In a group setting, using a collective \u201cforest of life\u201d can help build connection, peer support, mutual understanding, and shared hope. There is more information on the Tree of Life Narrative Approach on the Dulwich Centre\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:42px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Key learnings from Omar\u2019s session based on attendee feedback:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>[Working with minoritised youth] is complex. Needs to be looked at from all viewpoints &#8211; patients, clinician, researcher, ect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>[We need to explore] the totality of people&#8217;s experience and build that in in multiple ways.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look past the surface; social justice is a result of exploring intersectionality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are links to some organisations that have resources for children and young people in social care settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/childrenandfamiliesnewcastle.org.uk\/about-children-and-families-newcastle\">Children and Families Newcastle<\/a> brings services together so they can support children and families to get the help that they want and need. Children and families can access different services and activities in buildings they know in their local area. We want to make sure children, young people and families only have to tell their story once, and get the support they need, when they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncb.org.uk\/about\">National Children\u2019s Bureau<\/a> brings people and organisations together to deliver better childhoods and brighter futures for children and young people across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NIHR has <a href=\"https:\/\/arc-nenc.nihr.ac.uk\/pice\/involving-children-and-young-people-in-research\/\">guidance on involving children and young people in research<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.actionforchildren.org.uk\/our-work-and-impact\/\">Action for Children<\/a> helps children across the UK to grow up safe and happy. We offer practical and emotional support to families. And we&#8217;re working with decision-makers to make sure government policies protect children, now and in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top Tips for working with young people in social care settings (by Omar Mohamed). Tree of Life approach: Using the Tree of Life in PPI with young people in social care offers a powerful way to centre their voices, strengths, and aspirations rather than only focusing on problems or deficits. With Tree of Life, participants [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12149,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1224","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1230,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1224\/revisions\/1230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/creatingconnections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}