On 28-29 July a seminar on care-leaving research was hosted by Prof Adrian van Breda at the University of Johnnesburg, South Africa. Prof John Pinkerton, care-leaving expert from Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland) took the leading role in facilitating the proceedings. With him was Mr Steve Mack, a care-leaving practitioner and team leader from Armagh, Northern Ireland, who provided useful links from research to practice. Also in attendance was Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Manso, care-leaving expert from the University of Ghana. We also had two policy makers from the National Department of Social Development in attendance: Ms Dorothy Van Der Spuy (responsible for residential care) and Ms Sibongile Khoza (responsible for foster care).

Participants included: Dr Lisa Dickens, Ms Sue Bond, Ms Joyce Hlungwani, Ms Zethu Makaula, Ms Juliet Carter, Mr Sam Mokgopha, Ms Lee Loynes and Ms Sasam Rueben, all current, former or prospective postgraduate students of Prof van Breda. In addition, Mr Peter Marx from Girls and Boys Town and Mr Leroy De Klerk from Mamelani Projects participated, together with Ms Rajeshree Moodley, a doctoral candidate of Dr Raniga of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. All are present in the photograph below:

In addition to the workshop aspects of the seminar, which took up most of the time, Prof Pinkerton presented guidance on international research on care-leaving (download here), Dr Frimpong-Manso presented the results of his research on care-leaving in Ghana (download here), and Prof van Breda presented what is known about care-leaving in South Africa (download here).

This network of African care-leaving researchers emerged as a result of this seminar.

With thanks to the National Research Foundation of South Africa for sponsoring the seminar and Prof Pinkerton’s travel expenses, and to Prof Pinkerton for financially supporting Dr Frimpong-Manso and Mr Mack’s attendance.