Dr Susan Kay-Flowers
School of Education
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: S.J.Kay-Flowers@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1860
I have worked as a Senior Lecturer in Education and Early Childhood Studies at Liverpool John Moores University since 2012, teaching on the Education and Early Childhood Studies undergraduate programmes and on Masters programmes, supervising Masters dissertations and doctoral level students.
My research interests are participatory research with children and young people, particularly giving 'voice' to children’s experiences. My current projects include:
- researching the experiences of separated children in Nepal, focusing on their educational and emotional wellbeing. A collaborative research project undertaken with the Social Work Department, Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- investigating the place of children in research in collaboration with Prof Sam Frankel, Dr Judith Enriquez and Dr Anne Marie Smith
My doctoral research focussing on young adults’ childhood experiences of separation and divorce, provided new insights from the unique perspectives and retrospectives of young adults. These were shared in the book 'Childhood Experiences of Separation and Divorce; Reflections from Young Adults' published by Policy Press and led to development of the 'Framework for understanding children’s accommodation of parental separation' which can be downloaded for free from the link under the 'Publications' section. The framework can be used by practitioners to support their work with children and families and by parents to inform and guide their decision-making.
I have extensive international experience. Current projects involve collaborative research work with academic colleagues in Romanian and Nepali universities. These partnerships involve knowledge exchange visits for staff, work based learning experiences for students and research. As Co-Ordinator, I led delivery of an Erasmus Intensive Programme (IP) on ‘Globalisation, Conflict and Learning Societies’ (Grant agreement reference number: 2013/IP/19/LIVERPO02-GLS) for staff and students from: Roskilde University, Denmark; University of Eastern Finland; Tallinn University, Estonia and Liverpool John Moores University. I have been involved in creating and extending international experiences for students and staff through curriculum developments and work placements and remain committed to this area of work.
Degrees
2015, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, PhD, Education
1993, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, MA, Women's Studies
1984, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, B.Soc.Sci. (Hons), Social Administration and Social Work
Certifications
1984, Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, Certificate of Qualification in Social Work
Academic appointments
Programme Leader for MA Leadership in Education, MA Inclusion, SEN and Disability and Advanced Education Practice programmes, Liverpool John Moores University, 2019 - 2022
Programme Leader, MA Education, Globalisation and Social Change, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016 - 2020
Senior Lecturer, Education and Early Childhood Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2012 - present
Programme Leader, Childhood and Youth Studies, Liverpool Hope University, 2005 - 2011
Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Studies, Liverpool Hope University, 2002 - 2005
Postgraduate training
Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in HE (part time), United Kingdom, University of Liverpool, 2004 - 2006
Highlighted publications
Kay‐Flowers S, Lama N, Kadambari P. 2023. Exploring separated children's experience of migration in Nepal Children & Society, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Kay-Flowers S, Kadambari P, Lama N. 2022. Experiences of separated children in Nepal Experiences of separated children in Nepal Public Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2019. Here's what young people say helped them get through their parents' divorce, The Conversation Author Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2019. Framework for understanding children's accommodation of parental separation Author Url Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers SJ. 2019. Childhood experiences of separation and divorce: reflections from young adults Policy Press. Bristol, England 978-1447338666 Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers S. Co-Production in Creative Design to Amplify Childhood Voices of Parental Separation Frankel S. Establishing Child Centred Practice in a Changing World, Part B :121-121 Emerald Publishing Limited DOI Publisher Url
Books (edited)
2025. The Ethics of Unlocking Research with Children: Creativity, Agency and Change Frankel S, Kay-Flowers S. Emerald
Chapters
Kay-Flowers S. 2025. Listening to children’s voices about family life: ethical dilemmas in researching their experience of parental separation and divorce Frankel S, Kay-Flowers S. The Ethics of Unlocking Research with Children: Creativity, Agency and Change Emerald
Kay-Flowers S. 2025. Conclusion Frankel S, Kay-Flowers S. The Ethics of Unlocking Research with Children: Creativity, Agency and Change Emerald DOI Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers S. Co-Production in Creative Design to Amplify Childhood Voices of Parental Separation Frankel S. Establishing Child Centred Practice in a Changing World, Part B :121-121 Emerald Publishing Limited DOI Publisher Url
Other
Kay-Flowers S. 2024. Separated children's experiences and issues of citizenship in Nepal Author Url
Journal article
Kay‐Flowers S, Lama N, Kadambari P. 2023. Exploring separated children's experience of migration in Nepal Children & Society, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2022. Understanding 'home' in Covid times - exploring children's experiences of family relationships in the context of 'intensity of togetherness' and the 'isolation of being apart' Social Work Review, 3 Publisher Url Public Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2020. Moving between home and school, the experiences of children of separated parents; discussions with educational professionals Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, 39 :292-311 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Report
Kay-Flowers S, Kadambari P, Lama N. 2022. Experiences of separated children in Nepal Experiences of separated children in Nepal Public Url
Internet publication
Kay-Flowers S. 2020. How to handle the next lockdown and Christmas some tips for recently separated parents, The Conversation, 05.11.20 Author Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2020. Kay-Flowers, S (2020) Children of separated parents: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Transforming Society blog, 29.09.20. Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2019. Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR) Blog: Understanding children’s ‘accommodation’ of parental separation and divorce Author Url
Kay-Flowers S. 2019. Here's what young people say helped them get through their parents' divorce, The Conversation Author Url
Conference publication
Kay-Flowers S, Faludi C. 2019. Recent trends in the public discourse regarding the sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools from a comparative perspective: The case of UK and Romania "Individual, Family, Society - Contemporary Challenges" :33-33 Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers S. Giving 'voice' to childhood experiences of separation and divorce: introducing a framework to support practitioners working with children and families "Individual, Family, Society - Contemporary Challenges" :32-32 Publisher Url
Kay-Flowers S. 'The right to an education' - the case of children separated from their parents in Nepal Author Url
Artefact
Kay-Flowers S. 2019. Framework for understanding children's accommodation of parental separation Author Url Publisher Url
Books (authored)
Kay-Flowers SJ. 2019. Childhood experiences of separation and divorce: reflections from young adults Policy Press. Bristol, England 978-1447338666 Publisher Url
Thesis/Dissertation
Kay-Flowers S. 2014. Recalling childhood experiences of parental separation and divorce: An internet based phenomenology of young adult voices. Nutbrown C, Clough P. University of Sheffield
Editorial/letter to the editor
Faludi C, Kay-Flowers S. Editorial for Special Edition of Social Work Review, Volume 4, 2017 Kay-Flowers SJ. Social Work Review/ Revista de Asistenta Sociala, 4 Author Url
Highlighted activities
Other invited event:
Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal, Workshop for invited practitioners, policy makers and social work students, Children’s rights: Social work approaches to experiences of parental separation workshop. 2020
University of Northampton, Workshop for level 6 students studying the Transitions for Children, Young People and Families module at University of Northampton, Childhood experiences of parental separation and divorce workshop. 2019
University of Edinburgh, Joint seminar between Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR) and Childhood & Youth Studies Research group, Moray House School of Education and Sport (MHSE), Understanding children's accommodation of parental separation and divorce. 2019
Hindsley Hall, Leeds, Rainbows Registered Directors CPD Conference, Childhood Experiences of Separation and Divorce. 2019
St Nicholas RC Primary School, Liverpool, Workshop with full staff team, Parental separation and supporting children workshop. 2019
National Babylon School, Kathmandu, Nepal, Presentation delivered to to senior staff, Parental separation and supporting children presentation. 2019
Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal, Workshop on research methods delivered to Social Work Students. Exploration of how Nepali children experience parental separation and the issues it raises for them, their parents and schools, Designing research with young people workshop. 2019
CERES Research Seminar, Liverpool John Moores University, Presentation of research findings and introduction of the framework created for understanding children's experience, Giving 'voice' to young adults' childhood experience of parental separation; a framework for understanding. 2018
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Manchester Metropolitan University, Collaboration, Creativity and Complexities; Developing networks and practices of co-production with children and young people, Creating a bricolage with young people to research childhood experiences of separation and divorce: challenges, rewards and outcomes. 2019
External committees:
RainbowsGB, Chair, Rainbows Evaluation, Research and Development Group, http://www.rainbowsgb.org/contact-us. 2018
Media Coverage:
Professional activities
Award:
Centre for Educational Research, LJMU, Award for Research and Knowledge Exchange. 2024
Research Grants Awarded:
Grant value (£): £4,172, QR Outputs and Activities Fund 24-25 round, To create a toolkit to inform ethical approaches when researching with children. 2024
Grant value (£): £1,480, CERES Research Fund 2023-24, Investigating the place of children in research project. 2023
Grant value (£): 2,000, LJMU QR Research Fund, Exploring the experiences of children facing parental separation in Kathmandu: through practitioner’s lenses. 2021
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, APSS Research Day, Empowering Children in Coping with their Parents' Separation. 2024
Oral presentation, Online - Institute of Anthropology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania, 5th International Conference Individual, Family, Society - Contemporary Challenges, 'The right to an education' - the case of children separated from their parents in Nepal. 2023
Oral presentation, online, Experiences of separated children in Nepal webinar, Lead presenter in. 2022
Oral presentation, Virtual, European Conference for Social Work Research (ECSWR), Working with young people to design a research study to understand how children 'accommodate' parental separation. 2021
Oral presentation, University of Huddersfield, When a parent is incarcerated: International Perspectives On A Child's Journey, INCCIP Conference, Understanding children's accommodation of parental separation and divorce; a framework for practitioners working with chidlren and families. 2019
Oral presentation, Manchester Metropolitan University, Collaboration, Creativity and Complexities; Developing networks and practices of co-production with children and young people, Creating a bricolage with young people to research childhood experiences of separation and divorce: challenges, rewards and outcomes. 2019
Oral presentation, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Psychosocial Research and Interventions in Contemporary Society - Youth Participation Conference, Mental Health and Young People in England: issues for educational practitoners. 2019
Oral presentation, Liverpool John Moores University, Centre for Educational Research (CERES), Research Seminar, Giving 'voice' to young adults' childhood experience of parental separation; a framework for understanding. 2018
Oral presentation, Anthropology Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania, Individual, family, society - contemporary challenges - International Conference, Young adults' views on the role of family in shaping sex and relationship education in schools: a comparative study between UK and Romania - with Cristina Faludi. 2017
Oral presentation, Bangor University, Wales, Interdisciplinary Conference on Childhood and Youth, Creating a bricolage: working with young people to design a research study giving voice to young adults' experiences of parental separation. 2017
Oral presentation, Bangor University, Wales, Interdisciplinary Conference on Childhood and Youth, Sex and relationship education in schools: young adults' views on their experience and suggestions for change. 2017
Oral presentation, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, International Youth Participation Conference, Young adults' attitudes towards sex and relationship education in UK and Romania: implications for educational practice - with Cristina Faludi. 2017
Oral presentation, Liverpool John Moores University, School of Education Research Seminar, Young adults' attitudes towards Sex and Relationship education in the UK and Romania: implications for educational practice. 2017
Oral presentation, Liverpool Hope University, Children and Young People in a Changing World, An exploration of attitudes towards sex and relationship education in UK and Romania: implications for educational practice. 2016
Oral presentation, Liverpool Hope University, Children and Young People in a Changing World, Children's experience of parental conflict during parental separation and its influence on accommodating post-separation changes. 2016
Oral presentation, Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, Faculty of Education, Health and Community Annual Research Conference, Recalling childhood experiences of parental separation and divorce: key themes from a study of young adult voices. 2015
Oral presentation, University of Sheffield, Researching children's everyday lives: socio-cultural contexts, 5th International Conference, Centre for Study of Childhood and Youth, "'Oh that's easy 'cos my Mum and Dad are separated" - an everyday experience'. 2014
External PGR Supervision - completed students:
Masters in Special Educational Needs and English, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Parental Separation and Divorce of Pupils: A Systematic Review. 2022
Other Professional Activity:
Research cited in Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (2021) Children's experience of private law proceedings: Six key messages from research. 2021
My research cited in Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (2021) Children's experience of private law proceedings: Six key messages from research. Available at https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Childrens-experience-of-private-law-proceedings.pdf. 2021
Collaborative research study: ethics workshop delivered to the research team at Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal. 2021
M.Phil/PhD transfer examination - The efficacy of a peer mentoring scheme in supporting the first year undergraduate experience.. 2019
M.Phil/PhD transfer examination - A qualitative exploration on the impact of maternal imprisonment on their dependent children in Nepal, LJMU.. 2019
Exploring practitioners' use of the 'Framework for understanding children's accommodation of parental separation' (Kay-Flowers, 2019) in their work with children and families - research study. 2019
Contribution to DfE Consultation on 'Changes to teaching of sex and relationship education and PSHE' - February 2018.
'Researching Children, Young People and Relationships' Pecha Kucha at Centre for Educational Research (CERES) Knowledge Exchange event on 24.05.18.
'Working with children up to the age of 11' workshop for 2nd year undergraduate Social Work students. Erasmus Teacher Mobility to Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - May 2017.
'Working with young people to design a research study' workshop for Masters Social Work students. Erasmus Teacher Mobility to Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Other invited event:
Online, Exploring children's experiences of 'home' and family relationships during Covid times framed within a consideration of the 'intensity of togetherness' and the 'isolation of being apart' and drawing insights from the 'framework for understanding children's accommodation of parental separation' (Kay-Flowers, 2019) to understand children's experiences., Understanding 'home' in Covid times - exploring children's experiences of family relationships, CERES seminar. 2021
Online, Interviewed by two undergraduate students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore as part of their research into young people’s experience of divorce. Their aim was to interview young people and experts in the field. They contacted me following my publications in The Conversation., Interview at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore with two students researching young people's experience of divorce. 2021
Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal, Workshop for invited practitioners, policy makers and social work students, Children’s rights: Social work approaches to experiences of parental separation workshop. 2020
University of Northampton, Workshop for level 6 students studying the Transitions for Children, Young People and Families module at University of Northampton, Childhood experiences of parental separation and divorce workshop. 2019
University of Edinburgh, Joint seminar between Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR) and Childhood & Youth Studies Research group, Moray House School of Education and Sport (MHSE), Understanding children's accommodation of parental separation and divorce. 2019
Hindsley Hall, Leeds, Rainbows Registered Directors CPD Conference, Childhood Experiences of Separation and Divorce. 2019
APSS, Sociology and School of Education, Liverpool John Moores University, A Sharing Dialogue on Prisoner's Children with Ms Indira Ranamagar, Prisoners Assistance, Nepal, Framework for understanding children's accommodation of parental separation presentation. 2019
Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Practical session on ways of working with young people and engaging them in research delivered to 2nd year Social Work students, Working and Researching with Children and Young People workshop. 2019
St Nicholas RC Primary School, Liverpool, Workshop with full staff team, Parental separation and supporting children workshop. 2019
Liverpool Hope University, External Advisor, Social Sciences Co-Design Event. 2019
National Babylon School, Kathmandu, Nepal, Presentation delivered to to senior staff, Parental separation and supporting children presentation. 2019
Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal, Workshop on research methods delivered to Social Work Students. Exploration of how Nepali children experience parental separation and the issues it raises for them, their parents and schools, Designing research with young people workshop. 2019
CERES Research Seminar, Liverpool John Moores University, Presentation of research findings and introduction of the framework created for understanding children's experience, Giving 'voice' to young adults' childhood experience of parental separation; a framework for understanding. 2018
Membership of professional bodies:
Social Work England, Registered Social Worker. 2019
Conference organisation:
Member of Scientific Committee of the Conference, Individual, Family, Society - Contemporary Challenges, 3rd Edition, "Francisc I. Rainer" Anthropology Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, https://hes32-ctp.trendmicro.com/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.journalstudiesanthropology.ro%2fro%2fnumarul-6-2019-abstracts%2fr123%2f&umid=d375d5c3-ba61-4046-9c9b-d5d36f0c6676&auth=768f192bba830b801fed4f40fb360f4d1374fa7c-3bf6a4c2f7283282dd3e771b1b93e761ef5c68c3. 2019
Member of the Scientific Committee, International Conference on 'Individual, family, society - contemporary challenges' - Anthropology Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest. 2017
External collaboration:
Pradipta Kadambari, Social Work Dept, Kadambari Memorial College, Kathmandu, Nepal. 2019
Long standing Erasmus partner. Undertaken joint research and delivered sessions to Masters and undergraduate students, Social Work Dept, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 2015
Co-ordinator of Erasmus Intensive programme - Erasmus IP ‘Globalisation, Conflict and Learning Societies’ (Grant agreement reference number: 2013/IP/19/LIVERPO02 –GCLS). Delivered at Liverpool John Moores University, April 2014, Roskilde University, Denmark; Tallinn University, Estonia; University of Eastern Finland, Liverpool John Moores University. 2014
External committees:
RainbowsGB, Chair, Rainbows Evaluation, Research and Development Group, http://www.rainbowsgb.org/contact-us. 2018
Rainbows GB - a national charitable organisation that supports children and young people through loss and grief, Trustee, Rainbows Trustees.
Fellowships:
Higher Education Academy, Fellow. 2012
Media Coverage: