![Kar Man Au](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/6331?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Overview
Kar-Man is a Research Assistant and Peer Researcher at CASCADE, the Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre at Cardiff University. She contributes to several major research projects, including the NIHR-funded study Family Group Conferencing for Children and Families: Evaluation of Implementation, Context, and Effectiveness (Family VOICE), led by Professor Jonathan Scourfield, and the Nuffield Foundation-funded project Parental Advocacy in England: A Realist Evaluation of Implementation, led by Clive Dias.
Her wider research experience includes work on the NIHR-funded study Family Group Conferencing in Adult Social Care and Mental Health: Exploring How It Works and What Difference It Can Make in People’s Lives, led by Professor Jerry Tew at the University of Birmingham, and Improving the Analysis of Socio-Economic Context and Intersectionality in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, led by Professor Anna Gupta at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Additionally, Kar-Man serves as a Visiting Tutor at Royal Holloway, University of London, and collaborates with the University of Sussex and the Foundations – What Works Centre for Children and Families. She also serves as a Parent Advocate for Child Protection and Family Group Conferences at the London Borough of Camden, where she is a member and coordinator of the Camden Family Advisory Board. In addition, she works as an Independent Consultant for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and is an accredited Family Group Conference Coordinator.
Kar-Man is a multifaceted professional who embodies the principles of relational activism in her roles as an activist, consultant, and administrator with Relational Activism (RA), an independent practice initiative that partners with local authorities to promote relational-based change in children’s services. Through RA, she facilitates events, builds partnerships, and supports the development and implementation of services aimed at creating more connected and compassionate systems.
Her professional and academic interests include Family Group Conferencing, Peer and Parent Advocacy, Participation, Co-Design, Child Protection, Child Development, and Domestic Abuse. Across these areas, she is committed to embedding lived experience in research, practice, and policy.
Kar-Man has contributed to two academic books reflecting her commitment to relational and participatory approaches in social work. She co-authored Chapter 5, "Lived Experience Perspectives in Strengths-Based Practice in Adult Social Work and Social Care" (Routledge), offering insights into strengths-based practice through the lens of lived experience. She also contributed Chapter 6, "Strengthening Families Through Family Group Conferencing," and Chapter 8, "Models of Parental Advocacy in Child and Family Social Work," to Participatory Approaches in Child and Family Social Work: Creating Meaningful Relationships and Empowering Families (Bristol University Press).
Publication
2025
- Mahesh, S. et al. 2025. What is Family and Group Conferencing for adults? Part 1: characterising the model and methods of enquiry. NIHR Open Research 5(20) (10.3310/nihropenres.13811.2)
2024
- Wood, S. et al. 2024. Family group conference provision in UK local authorities and associations with children looked after rates. The British Journal of Social Work 54(5), pp. 2045-2066. (10.1093/bjsw/bcae019)
2022
- Wood, S. et al. 2022. A UK-wide survey of family group conference provision. Project Report. Cardiff: CASCADE.
Articles
- Mahesh, S. et al. 2025. What is Family and Group Conferencing for adults? Part 1: characterising the model and methods of enquiry. NIHR Open Research 5(20) (10.3310/nihropenres.13811.2)
- Wood, S. et al. 2024. Family group conference provision in UK local authorities and associations with children looked after rates. The British Journal of Social Work 54(5), pp. 2045-2066. (10.1093/bjsw/bcae019)
Monographs
- Wood, S. et al. 2022. A UK-wide survey of family group conference provision. Project Report. Cardiff: CASCADE.
Research
Research Project:
- Family Group Conferencing for Children and Families: Evaluation of Implementation, Context, and Effectiveness (Family VOICE)
- Parental Advocacy in England: a realist evaluation of implementation
- Family Group Conferencing in Adult Social Care and Mental Health: Exploring How it works and what difference it can make
- Improving the analysis of socio-economic context and intersectionality in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
Conference Presentation:
(2023) Circling the issues. How do we act to love and heal for justice, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2023) Parent Advocacy - Developing Parental Advocacy in Camden, EUSARF Symposium, EUSARF 2023, University of Sussex
(2023) Relational Activism and Developing Parental Advocacy in Camden, Social Work Education, Research and Practice in turbulent times, JSWEC 2023, University of Strathclyde
(2023) Can complex systems be captured in real-world routine evaluation? Reflections from research on family group conferences, 12th European Conference of Social Work Research – ESWRA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
(2022) Examining the Roots of Harm(s) in Child Welfare to Unlock Possibilities for Healing and Restoration, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2022) Coming together to promote change: The development of parent advocacy, Royal Holloway University London
Biography
Education:
- 2020' Anglia Ruskin University - International Business Management : First Class Honours
Honours and awards
- Top Achiever Award - Undergraduate Major Project, Anglia Ruskin University London (2020)
- Top Achiever Award - Business Strategy, Anglia Ruskin University London (2020)
- Top Achiever Award - Business Information, Anglia Ruskin University London (2019)
- Graduate Young Enterprise Professional - Young Enterprise, Leeds University Business School (2009)
Academic positions
(2024) Visiting Tutor - Royal Holloway University, London
Speaking engagements
(2025)Relational Activism in Practice,A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference
(2025) “We’re Not Just a Voice in the Room”: Parental Advocacy, Power, and Participation in Child Welfare, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference
(2025) Family Group Conference: A Layered Exploration Through Film, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference
(2025) Parental advocacy, Department of Education
(2024) Keynote Speaker - It's All Relational, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2024) Keynote Speaker - Staying with the Trouble: Citizens and Social Workers Reflect on 10+ Years of "Togethering" and Relational Activism, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2024) Parent - Peer Advocacy and Support in Child Protection: An International Exchange, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2024) Keynote Speaker - The Lived Experience Perspective from a Working Advocate, Edinburgh City Council - Participation, Edinburgh City Council
(2023) Circling the issues. How do we act to love and heal for justice, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2023) Parent Advocacy - Developing Parental Advocacy in Camden, EUSARF Symposium, EUSARF 2023, University of Sussex
(2023) Relational Activism and Developing Parental Advocacy in Camden, Social Work Education, Research and Practice in turbulent times, JSWEC 2023, University of Strathclyde
(2023) Can complex systems be captured in real-world routine evaluation? Reflections from research on family group conferences, 12th European Conference of Social Work Research – ESWRA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
(2022) Examining the Roots of Harm(s) in Child Welfare to Unlock Possibilities for Healing and Restoration, A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference, The Kempe Conference US
(2022) Coming together to promote change: The development of parent advocacy, Royal Holloway University London
Committees and reviewing
Parenting Through Adversity Practice Guide (0–10) - Foundations