Dr Jane Peacock

Biography

I have been a lecturer at the University of Winchester since joining the Education Dept in 2005, and later the Social Work programme in 2012 as a senior lecturer. As a qualified and registered social worker my background is in social work and community development social work both within the children and family’s team of an area office, and latterly as a General manager of a voluntary sector organisation. As a registered social worker, I have had several years’ experience in working with children, young people and their families in Hampshire and Dorset.

I have developed a keen interest in the development of strengths-based social work practice with Gypsy Roma and Traveller families and strongly believe in addressing inequalities which are experienced by minority groups. My thesis ‘From Heathland to housing: a study investigating how the settled Gypsy community in a Village in the South East of England express and sustain their identity’ is available online at (https://winchester.elsevierpure.com/en/studentTheses/heathland-to-housing. 

I am currently undertaking research into the experiences on placements for students from racially minoritised groups and this has been an area of research for me since 2016. The findings demonstrate that there is still work to be done in this area as their experiences highlight feelings of isolation, micro aggression and lack of acceptance in placements, where because of the demographics in the area and the chosen profession, the staff are generally white.

My passion has always been in strengths-based work, community arts and community development work in communities which are disadvantaged by exclusion and isolation. It was in my work as a community worker in an inner city, that I first began to work with Gypsy families on various sites and I imitated a number of projects aimed at challenging discrimination across the South coast. I have facilitated a number of training programmes on culturally competent practice for staff within a variety of front-line services and have run training programmes within the community.

In addition, I have appeared on local and national television in advocating for minority groups as well as speaking at a number of conferences and local and national radio about working with Gypsy, Roma & Traveller groups. In my past role as general manager of a voluntary organisation I instigated a range of successful initiatives in working with families in rural and urban areas of deprivation.

I am experienced in making funding applications and have had success in raising over £6,000,000 for projects in the voluntary sector. I have undertaken several pieces of qualitative research on the health and social needs of Gypsies and Travellers for agencies such as the University of Central Lancashire, Community Action Hampshire and local authorities. In 2014 I took a leading role in the accommodation needs assessment of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show people for the consortium of District Councils in Hampshire.

Publications

• Marsh, H., Hulmes, A., & Peacock, J. (2024). Inclusive Curriculum Design, Anti-Oppressive Pedagogy and Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater Communities. In Supporting Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB) in Higher Education: A Handbook for University Staff in the United Kingdom on Developing Good Practice (pp. 54-68). Work and Employment Research Unit, University of Greenwich.
• Curtis, T., Earthy, S., Peacock, J. (2023) DtC Research project Exploring the placement experience of students from racially minoritised heritages

• Peacock, J. (2020) From Heathland to housing – a study investigating how the settled Gypsy community in a Village in the South East of England express and sustain their identity. PhD Thesis.

• Peacock, J., and Herbert, M. (2013) The Accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers & Travelling Show people in Hampshire (commissioned by 11 Districts in Hampshire), HCC.
• Peacock, J. and Wilson, S. (2010) The mental health needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Hampshire for the University of Central Lancashire, commissioned by the DoH for the Delivering Race Equality agenda (informed the delivering race equality action plan for central government).
• Peacock, J. (2009) The health and Social Needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Hampshire (Commissioned by GOSE as part of the Black Minority Action Plan for Hampshire - central government).
• Peacock, J. (2008) A study of the perspectives of settled Gypsies and Travellers on whether health services meet their needs & if services are accessible (informed the New Forest District Health Authority and latterly the New Forest PCT on the health for all action plan).
• Peacock, J. (2006) A study to investigate the health and social needs of Gypsies and Travellers in the New Forest (commissioned by the NF PCT)

Conferences

• (2010) Hampshire County Council Diversity Forum
• (2010) University of Winchester University - Conference in social work practice teaching
• (2010) University of Winchester  - International Conference on community social work
• (2015) University of Winchester - Research presentation to the DED Summer school
• (2018) University of Winchester  - International conference on working with excluded groups
• (2021)  University of Winchester - Master Class on working as a practitioner with GRT communities
• (2023) University of Winchester - Education Conference on working as a practitioner with GRT communities
• (2023) University of Sussex - collaborative lecture to colleagues on working as a practitioner with GRT communities