BA (Hons) Social Work

Core units:

• Social Exclusion & Discrimination: This unit explores the nature and impact of possible causes of social exclusion and discrimination. You will also be introduced to sociological and anthropological enquiry.
• Law & Social Policy: You will develop an understanding of law and relevant social policy and, through your knowledge and harnessing of relevant skills, be able to use knowledge of law and social policy competently and creatively.
• Learning from the Lived Experience: This unit provides the essential practice experiences that you require in order to develop your competence to the requirements of the regulatory body.
• Psychosocial Perspectives of the Life Course: You’ll develop an understanding of human growth, development and behaviour across the lifespan, and different sociological and psychological explanations for this.
• Foundations for Professional Practice & Research: an opportunity to learn with and from student colleagues across the faculty of Health and Social Sciences in this inter-professional unit.
• Readiness for Direct Practice in Social Work: In this unit you’ll be provided with a range of practical guidance, support and knowledge to develop your capabilities against the Professional Capabilities Framework and the regulatory body Codes of practice.

You will shadow a registered social worker (RSW) during your first year and feedback from the RSW will contribute to assessment of your readiness for direct practice

Core units:

• Applying Social Work Models & Methods: The unit will help you develop an understanding of the complex and multi-layered nature of social work with a strong focus on the practical applications.
• Relationship Skills in Social Work: This unit aims to facilitate the development of personal and interpersonal communication skills as well as exploring and understanding theory that will aid the application of these skills in professional practice.
• Social Justice & Social Work: The aims of this unit are to explore the meaning of social justice in relation to the role of social workers working in complex and diverse contexts, often managing conflicting ethical issues.
• First Substantive Placement: This practice based unit provides essential practice experiences that you require in working toward meeting the regulations of the professional body.
• Research & Professional Practice: an opportunity to learn with and from student colleagues across the faculty of Health and Social Sciences in this inter-professional unit.

Core units:

• Professional Practice with Children & their Families: This Unit will be underpinned by research and evidence based judgements and students will develop their understanding and competence in assessment and intervention with children and their families. Students will be expected to examine their own beliefs and values in relation to protection work and to build on their previous learning in both theory and practice.
• Professional Practice with Adults: This unit aims to prepare social work students for practice with adults in a variety of settings; making reference to contemporary social work practice issues. This includes approaches to intervention, the legislative framework which mandates practice, professional accountability, applying critical thinking, working with risk and complexity, and the importance of evidence-informed practice.
• Understanding Mental Health & Substance Use: The aim of this unit is to introduce, and develop knowledge, on key issues encountered in social work practice in mental health and substance use fields. The focus is to consider the nature and impact of mental health issues across the life course, and to develop a platform for students to explore concepts and approaches to inform their understanding and practice.
• Critical Literature Review: You will undertake an intellectually challenging and in-depth literature review exploring a topic relevant to contemporary social work practice.
• Final Substantive Placement – This practice based unit provides essential practice experiences that you require in working toward meeting the regulations of the professional body including the opportunity to undertake statutory tasks and legal interventions.

You will be assessed in practice and through coursework culminating in your final year 100 day placement. The assessment methods for each unit can be found on the programme profile in the course programme specification.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

The Social Work team works in partnership with our local stakeholders which include Social Services departments in our neighbouring local authorities and also with many of the varied local voluntary sector agencies. Placements are undertaken in two substantive placements within Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Dorset and Wiltshire.

In your first year you will undertake 10 days exploring a topic out in the community with the support of facilitators who are experts by experience (service users and carers).

In placements, you will be supervised in practice by qualified Practice Educators providing you with essential practice experience that will develop your social work knowledge and skills. In year two you will undertake a 70 day placement in a social care setting and in year three you will undertake 100 days within a social work team, undertaking statutory tasks.

Overall on this course you will complete 200 days of practice learning; 170 days on placement and up to 30 skills days.

The wide range of placements includes:

• Social work teams engaging in child protection and adult safeguarding with adults, children and their families
• Hospital social work teams
• Fostering and adoption
• Drug and alcohol services
• Mental health services
• Supported housing and homelessness schemes
• Domestic violence refuges
• Children’s centres
• Adult day resources
• Children’s homes
• Youth projects
• Adult disability services

Driving

The role of the social work student encompasses a range of statutory tasks. This can mean students work across wide geographical areas. This can include visits to other areas of the country at times.

Given the nature of our location, employers and practice partners expect students to be able to get to rural and remote locations independently, in the course of practice-based learning. This means having access to personal transport is often a requirement.

Employers each have their own policies for reimbursement of travel expenses incurred as part of the student’s role in practice. Drivers will need to have business mileage included in their insurance.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Occupational Health (OH) Checks

This course is physically and mentally demanding and you will need to be mentally and physically able to undertake your chosen course. Places are offered subject to passing an OH check, and this will be carried out by the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust. Health conditions need to be dealt with on an individual basis e.g. deafness, blindness, eczema (or other dermatological allergic reactions) on exposed areas, epilepsy, back problems, or mental health conditions, eating disorders and other disabilities. These do not automatically exclude you but please ensure that you fully disclose your condition to OH. The University can then consider the recommendations made by OH and whether reasonable adjustments can be made to support you on your chosen course. If you require more guidance please contact us for more information.

You will be required to provide a record of your immunity status or be vaccinated or have the required blood tests. You may need to ask your GP or current OH department or find your childhood vaccination record for details of your past immunisation records. You should be aware that there may be charges made (for which you will be liable) relating to your gaining the appropriate immunity required prior to starting your training programme.

Driving

The role of the social work student encompasses a range of statutory tasks. This can mean students work across wide geographical areas. This can include visits to other areas of the country at times.

Given the nature of our location, employers and practice partners expect students to be able to get to rural and remote locations independently, in the course of practice-based learning. This means having access to personal transport is often a requirement.

Employers each have their own policies for reimbursement of travel expenses incurred as part of the student’s role in practice. Drivers will need to have business mileage included in their insurance.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (previously known as CRB)

All successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barred List check; this will be a condition of offer and will need to be completed prior to commencing the course. Please see the Government website for the most up to date information.

Before you start the course in September, BU will carry out an enhanced DBS check.  When you get the certificate, please take care of it. You need to provide this for your practice placement provider to see before you start your first substantive placement.

We also make a strong recommendation that you sign up to the online update service that keeps your DBS up to date, meaning any employer (who you wish) can check your DBS without starting from scratch. The fee for this service is £13 per annum. 

Refusing Immunisations

The University has an expectation that all students will comply with the vaccination programme as it is Public Health England requirement for healthcare workers and social workers to have certain immunisations. This ensures that you will be able to undertake the wide range of training placements that your course will require and aims to keep you, as well as the people in your care as safe as possible. Please note that at this time Covid-19 vaccinations are not a mandatory requirement for health or social care workers and so are therefore not a mandatory requirement for health or social care students either. Occasionally some vaccinations are contraindicated in certain medical conditions. Occupational Health (OH) will advise the University in these cases. The University will consider students on an individual basis. Refusal to have immunisations will may result in the student not being allowed to attend practice placement and being withdrawn from the course. There is no opportunity to appeal against the requirements of the immunisation policy.

Consent for roleplay and practical activities

It is important that you understand what will be expected of you as a student studying for both an academic award and professional qualification in social work. You must agree to participate in roleplay and practical activities within the Social Work course at Bournemouth University as detailed in this document. As participation is a requirement for successful competition of the course, failure to comply with these expectations could lead to disciplinary action.

We would normally expect you to have some paid or voluntary experience in a social work and/or social care capacity or clear insight in the field of work being applied for. The longer and more varied that experience, the better. Examples of the sort of experience that candidates often have are:

• Employment as a carer in a residential home
• Being a volunteer in an agency working with young offenders
• Paid or voluntary work in a day centre for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or mental health problems
• Employment as a social work assistant in a social services department
• Work on summer play schemes and/or after school clubs
• Personal experience as a service user or carer.
• If you are still in full-time education, you will need to have additional experience outside of the work experience arranged by your school.

You can find out about opportunities for volunteering from local volunteer bureaus, citizens advice bureau or in the public library. Newspapers such as the Guardian on a Wednesday or a magazine like Community Care are helpful.

NB. It would be unusual for us to offer a place to anyone without such social work/social care experience, but we will consider the merit of each application as a whole. Please contact us if you are in any doubt.

We would normally expect you to have some paid or voluntary experience in a social work and/or social care capacity. The longer and more varied that experience, the better. Examples of the sort of experience that candidates often have are:

• Employment as a carer in a residential home
• Being a volunteer in an agency working with young offenders
• Paid or voluntary work in a day centre for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or mental health problems
• Employment as a social work assistant in a social services department
• Work on summer play schemes and/or after school clubs
• Personal experience as a service user or carer.

If you are still in full-time education, you will need to have additional experience outside of the work experience arranged by your school.

You can find out about opportunities for volunteering from local volunteer bureaus, citizens advice bureau or in the public library. Newspapers such as the Guardian on a Wednesday or a magazine like Community Care are helpful.

NB. It would be unusual for us to offer a place to anyone without such social work/social care experience, but we will consider the merit of each application as a whole. Please contact us if you are in any doubt.

In the healthcare sector, IT is now a vital tool for accessing and maintaining patient records, accessing literature to client care and conducting clinically-related research. As a student you will receive an introduction to IT near the beginning of your course and you will be provided with computer access and your own email address.

During the course you will be expected to use your developing IT skills to produce assignments, to conduct literature searches, and to use client-related record systems in a practice setting.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. View our flowchart for information on how we process applications for courses with additional selection measures. 
 
For our health and social care courses our admissions team use the DRIVE criteria to assess your application and evidence of this must be show in your personal statement. You can also find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages. 
 
Please note that interviews are part of our selection process and you must be able to demonstrate at interview that you show the necessary insight into social work, as well as the motivation and commitment to become a social worker. 

What to expect at an interview

Your interview will take place online, on a free video communication platform.

A member of the Admissions Team will email you with joining instructions and information about what to expect at interview.

Your individual interview is where you will have the opportunity to tell us a little more about yourself and why you would be a great candidate for the course. You will be scored using a common template and offers will be made based on these scores.

If you are invited to interview, you will also be able to access online on-demand information presentations, course talks, virtual campus tours and more which you can watch before your interview. On the day of your interview you may also be able to join a live chat-room where you can ask questions to our current student ambassadors and other members of staff.

Additional reference

In addition to the reference on your UCAS form, once we’ve received your application we will contact you to ask for a second reference; depending on the course you’ve applied for, this may be an academic reference, or from an employer or person who knows you in a professional capacity.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

Among the roles you can apply for once you graduate are:

• Social Worker
• Health Service and Public Health Manager
• Care Worker
• Mental Health Social Worker
• Health Assistant.

You will also be in a position to register with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), the organisation that regulates social workers in the UK.

Social Work graduates enjoy careers in a wide variety of roles across social work, healthcare, and in education. The degree’s teaching and placements will help you choose the route that you feel most passionate about and that best suits your skills. 

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances 
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team
• Professional body accreditation of the course
• Occupational Health services and checks are included but you will be charged if you do not attend Occupational Health appointments without giving appropriate notice. You are also responsible for travel costs to Occupational Health appointments.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.

• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

• You will need to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as a condition of enrolment, including any Post Office verification charges. You will be required to pay the fee of £54.22 in full at the Post Office when they are verifying your ID.

• You may need to pay for immunisations if they are not covered by your GP.

• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website

• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.

• Travel costs to and from your placement, including car parking charges. Where possible, travel distance and time are minimsed as part of the placement allocation process. International students are not exempted from these additional costs.

• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

If you are planning to study the BA (Hons) Social Work at BU, you may be eligible for a bursary during your second and third years of study.

These bursaries don’t need to be paid back, and are awarded in recognition of the fact that you are expected to undertake hands-on placements.

My practice experience is: In 1994 I started working with children who are disabled and decided to qualify as a social pedagogue. Since arriving in England I have been working for a Local Authority as a social worker, team manager and Principal Social Worker.  The focus of my practice was Child Protection and Children with Disabilities. I had the opportunity to work for children in need of protection, offer supervision to other social workers, undertake court work and develop strategies. I also worked with Residential Children’s Homes to introduce social pedagogy to improve the everyday experiences of children living in children’s homes.

My main interests are: I take a particular interest in the way social workers come to make a decision or a judgment, given the implications social work decisions have on the life’s of the service user we work with. Additionally I am interested in the experiences of children in care and developing creative ways to identify children who experience adversity in early childhood. Given my experience in practice I am also intrigued about the current political climate and the impact austerity policy has on the ability of Local Authorities to provide important services to vulnerable people in our society.

What I bring to my teaching is: … a unique way to facilitate learning experiences by using the collective experiences that students bring into the seminars. My style of teaching is very responsive to discussions and interests emerging form a group. Rather than relying on presentations I believe that learning in a group is far more engaging and effective than traditional methods of teaching.

My practice experience is: I qualified as a social worker back in 1993, following time working with charities providing housing and support to homeless people in Nottingham and London. During my training I chose to focus on working with adults and I have always enjoyed collaborating with service users, carers and support networks to achieve positive outcomes. I have experience of a range of statutory services, starting my social work practice in a busy hospital where building respectful relationships with colleagues from diverse disciplines was essential. This work ensured that I developed a strong professional identity early in my career, able to express and defend decisions based on social work values. Since then I have worked with older people, and in later years worked in a specialist team with physically disabled adults, learning a great deal about from the experts by experience.

I began my part-time doctoral studies in 2010, focusing on the meaning of sexual well-being for physically disabled people. I then moved from practice into the role of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work, Bournemouth University in 2016, undertaking research, publishing literature and producing learning materials around issues of concern to social work (and other) practitioners and service users.  I am now a member of the social work teaching team, thoroughly enjoying the time spent with students.

My main interests are: I believe deeply in the contribution social work makes to society and the value practitioners can bring to individuals and communities. I am proud to be a social worker and am keen to share this pride through contributing to students’ learning, and being part of the team developing professionally curious practitioners.

What I bring to my teaching is: practice experience and enthusiasm for collaborative exploration and investigation.  Social work is an activity requiring the head, heart and hand, using a range of types of knowledge discovered through exploration and investigation. I bring this questioning approach to my teaching and thoroughly enjoy the lively debates.

My practice experience is: full-time practice for over 3 decades included working with a range of service user groups in statutory, charitable and private contexts. I worked at the first domestic violence shelter in the modern world, Chiswick Women's Aid and went on to manage a residential children’s home in Ealing, a special school on the south coast and a probation hostel. From statutory child care I went to the role of Joint Principal of an Education Social Work service and then co-ordinated a Home Office funded project to improve outcomes on a comparatively disadvantaged estate. I finished full-time practice managing inclusion for a mainstream secondary school. I maintain contact with practice through research and teaching and with a social group for young people with social communication difficulties.

My main interests are: To ‘make a difference’ is a noble aim and I believe we have a responsibility at Bournemouth University to contribute to the body of knowledge that demonstrates that social work does make a difference. I maintain a very strong commitment to the discipline of social work and, in that spirit I am proud to be a social worker and know that our graduates stand out for the high quality of their practice and their capacity to reflect upon the value of outcome as a measure of success.

What I bring to my teaching is: underpinned by the core belief that; “If I am not modelling what I am teaching, then I am teaching something else and I should be challenged”. Furthermore, I advise students that “You should not believe what I tell you – you should be willing to question and to challenge me respectfully – this is a core social work skill”. Crucially, feedback from students includes that I make the subject interesting and that students are provided with opportunities to explore ideas or concepts in depth.

My practice experience is: In mental health and substance use services in local authority, primary care and voluntary sector organisations across Manchester and Salford. In addition to case-holding work, my practice included developing specialist support for women substance users and working with local maternity services to support women who became pregnant whilst dependent; developing a volunteering scheme to enable people to enhance their own emotional health and well-being through engaging and supporting others; and working with GP practices to enhance the opportunities and support available to patients with common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

My main interests are: Involving people with lived experience, in health and social work education and research, in particular those from marginalised groups and communities. I use creative approaches to ensure that their stories are heard. My research includes the Parents Story Project where parents with a history of substance misuse shared their experiences and insights; developed a play and shared recommendations with practitioners and service commissioners; and the Older Carers Research Project, where older male carers (over the age of 85) shared their stories, created a short film and are now working with GP practises to improve recognition and support for older male carers.

What I bring to my teaching is: A supportive approach to enable you to gain the most from your social work education and become the best social worker you can be. My focus is as much on your personal and professional development as on your academic progress and how you can use this to inform your practice and achieve the best outcomes for those involved in receipt of social work services. I value the expertise; insights and perspectives that people with lived experience can offer and will incorporate opportunities throughout the curriculum for you to learn from those with a range of experiences and perspectives.

My practice experience is: My primary practice experience has been in mental health and in hospital settings, working with people who have experienced traumatic injuries  (Burns, stabbings, shootings).  I have worked primarily with teenagers and young adults.  I have also worked with young people with alcohol and drug-related problems. 

My main interests are:

• Mental health
• Substance Use
• Adaptation following trauma
• Human Growth and Development

What I bring to my teaching is: I consider myself very fortunate to have been a social worker for most of my life, and I consider being able to teach others about being a social work a huge privilege.  I believe I bring enthusiasm and optimism to my teaching.  Social work is a demanding profession, and I want my students to be as well-prepared as possible to meet those demands to the best of their abilities

My practice experience is: I was a Family Support Worker within Children’s Social Care for 11 years.  I specialised in working with families, whose children were considered to be on the edge of care.  As well as family violence and abuse with a particular focus upon children who are abusive towards their parents/carers. Then in 2017 I qualified as a Social Worker. I currently work in a Child Health and Disability Team. 

My main interests are: I am also undertaking a PhD under the Vice Chancellor Scholarship Programme.  My topic of interest is children who are aggressive towards their parents. I am developing a methodological focus upon narrative methods. 

I am also interested in systemic practice, working with families and working with hard to engage families. 

What I bring to my teaching is: I not only bring a lot of experience of working with families but I also bring current practice experience as a social worker.  Also, I am currently conducting research with families. I also have an understanding of what it is like to be a student at BU. Because I have recently qualified as a social worker at BU and I am still be a PhD student.   

My practice experience: I am a Registered Social Worker and have worked in Community Mental Health Teams for adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health issues since qualifying in 2007. Post qualifying, I was able to specialise in this area and underwent training to become an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP). I also have experience as a Safeguarding Adult Practitioner, Best Interest Assessor (BIA) and acting as a DoLs signatory.

For two years, I had a role assisting the Principal Social Worker for adults in the Bournemouth area. This role supported strategic management and, involved developing key policies and procedures to comply with current legislation and contemporary practice approaches, networking with other Local Authorities, implementing key practice changes, undertaking audits, supporting the development of newly qualified social workers, implementing training and workforce development functions. I was able to undertake a practice education qualification and utilise this to support the continued professional development of practitioners.

My main interests are:

• I have embarked on Phd study as part of my professional development in my current role. My chosen area of research compliments the teaching I undertake within practice learning. 
• I have strong interests in the field of mental health and safeguarding adults.
• I am a qualified practice educator and am also interested in the role and influence of effective supervision within practice. As a practitioner I understand the importance of receiving good quality supervision to provide foundations for creative and robust practice.  

What I bring to my teaching: I bring fresh eyes, enthusiasm and recent social work practice experience from a Local Authority setting. I feel passionately about bringing the worlds of practice, education and research together, and hope to draw on links to practice to enrich my teaching. Continued professional development is vital to keep engaged and creative in practice, and I hope to bring my experiences into teaching to enable students to feel they can positively influence, and work within, what is a challenging practice landscape. 

The journey you are on, as an individual, is about developing not only your professional skills, but your professional identity. This is informed by the work you complete in units but also the experiences you have in placement, and of course the life and work experiences you bring.  I feel strongly about providing students with the right tools to enter qualified practice, in terms of helping them develop their professional identity, autonomous thinking and individual strengths.

My practice experience is: in teaching and learning support; I am not a social worker.  In another part of my life, I work in adult education, focusing on supporting people aim to reach Level 2 English Language Functional Skills.

I support adults who, for many reasons, have not attained Level 2 equivalent qualifications. This means I work with people with a wide range of needs and challenges: specific learning difficulties, brain injury, mental health problems and learning disabilities, as well as people learning English as an additional language. 

My main interests are: Personal learning and development in adults.

What I bring to my teaching is: Enthusiasm