Misrecognition or recognition? A critical discussion of care experience as a protected characteristic

Hugman, Catriona (2025) Misrecognition or recognition? A critical discussion of care experience as a protected characteristic. Critical and Radical Social Work, 13 (2). pp. 214-230. ISSN 2049-8675

Text Hugman Final Manuscript Misrecognition or Recognition.docx - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 13 January 2026. Download (63kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

The work critically discusses the basis for enshrining care experience as a protected characteristic. Including care experience as a protected characteristic was a recommendation in an independent review, and now several local councils have voted to adopt this as policy. Despite this, there has been little discussion by social workers and academics of the extent to which care experience fulfils the criteria of having a stable definition, evidence of historical and enduring discrimination, and whether such legislative changes have been discussed with the care-experienced population. This research discusses the current evidence base, with reference to academic and grey literature, and finds that there is some fulfilment of the three tenets underpinning the UK Equality Act 2010. Crucially, while this is a means for care-experienced people to be legally recognised, there is a danger that without consultation, this could lead to misrecognition. Recommendations are made to improve the evidence base.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	This is the author accepted manuscript version of an article that was accepted for publication in Critical and Radical Social work. The final version is available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/20498608Y2024D000000067
Keywords:	care experience; equality; recognition; experts by experience; social justice
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Education and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Cat Hugman
Date Deposited:	23 Apr 2025 14:01
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 14:01
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4641

Actions (login required)

View Item