What did you do before coming to Edinburgh?
BA Liverpool
Teaching: Tutor in Sociology, Queensland University, Australia; Lecturer, Dept of University Extension University of Auckland, NZ.
Convenor BASW (British Association of Social Workers) Scotland Committee 1995-1999; Led BASW Working Group that prepared BASW policy document on Section 12(1) Social Work Scotland Act – To Promote Social Welfare (guidelines for social work services and practice).
1996-98 Led major module at Moray House to prepare students for practice in Community Social Work. Co-produced course workbook: Exploring Communities.
1984-2000 As a member of the Scottish Network of NISW's Practice & Development Exchange, influenced by Gerry Smale (NISW) and other network members
What about your time at the University of Edinburgh?
Joined the staff group at Edinburgh following the merger between Edinburgh and Moray House Institute of Education.
1998-2001 Half-time secondment from University of Edinburgh to SCHEMA European project at University of Stirling delivvering Community Portratits – an online version of the Moray House Exploring Communities module in partnership with the University of Rovaniemi (Finland) and the community of Skarpnäck, Stockholm, (Sweden).
1998-2003 Lectures on topics in first year Social Work degree on topics such as Introduction to Social Work, Social Networks, Social Exclusion.
2000-2003 Responsible for organisation of SW1 Course.
1999-2003 Responsible for publicity on Social Work at the University of Edinburgh Open Days.
2003 Retired from Edinburgh University then acted as Sessional Tutor in Social Work in the department for a few years.
2004-2007 Sessional Tutor in Social Work, University of Stirling.
2002-2004 Chair BASW UK.
Looking ahead?
My hopes and aspirations for the future of social work education are that students will be encouraged to be professionally independent and imaginative in their social work thinking and practice, rejecting bureaucracy and being prepared to assert their responsibility to social work service users. I would like to see social work education emphasise a community social work approach to service delivery.
Source: Own contribution, 26 August 2017