• Social Work

I work in the CPD team within the Social Work section of the School of Applied Social Science and am involved in the MSc Applied Studies (Management and Leadership in Social Services) and MSc Applied Studies (Management of Social Welfare Organisations) as well as the Certificate in Management for Team Leaders/First-line Managers in Social Services and a range of short courses developed in response to the professional development needs of managers, supervisors and practitioners in Scottish social services.

My professional background is in community care with a specialist focus on adults with learning disability and young people with disability making the transition from education into adult life. My working life has spanned the statutory and voluntary sector social services and I have a particular interest in the possibilities and the challenges of cross sector working.

I worked for many years as a social work practitioner including experience as a Practice Teacher and Mental Health Officer. I was then involved in management roles in a range of organisational settings and cultures. I have a strong commitment to the supervision and development of staff working in all aspects of social care and to the fostering of personal leadership skills across the workforce.

I have worked within the Social Work CPD team at University of Stirling over the past four years. I value the opportunity this role offers to support social services managers and practitioners to enhance their own learning through critical reflection and dialogue. During 2010 I led a project team comprising university staff and external partners which carried out a scoping analysis of 'Leadership Activity and Development Needs within Scotland's Social Services'. The work was commissioned by the Scottish Social Services Council and the key findings were disseminated at a number of events across Scotland in November 2010. The final report will be published early in 2011.

 

• Professional support needs of chief executives in the voluntary sector
• Supervision and mentoring
• Leadership and management in social services

• ASLPO1-Managing in the context of a social services agency (Co-ordinator)
• ASLPO2-Managing and Supervising Staff (Co-ordinator)
• ASLPO4-Managing Change and Innovation (Co-ordinator)
• ASLPO5-Dissertation module (Management and Leadership) (Dissertation Supervisor)
• COM9A1-Citizenship, Self determination and Support Services (Graduate Certificate in Adult Services, Support and Protection - Module 1) (Co-ordinator)
• CWPPO3-Collaborative Practice (Contributing Lecturer)
• MSS901-Supervising, Managing or Mentoring (Contributing Lecturer)
• MSS902-Leadership and Management (Graduate Certificate in Management for Team Leaders/First-line Managers in Social Services - Module Two) (Co-ordinator)
• SSMP05-MSc Dissertation (Dissertation Supervisor)
• SWK9HD-Theory & Practice : Health, Illness and Disability (Contributing Lecturer)

Books

Journal Papers

• No Journal Papers in our records

Book Chapters

• No Book Chapters in our records

Research Reports

• Leading Together: An Analysis of Leadership Activity and Development Needs in Scotland's Social Services

  
  Link to Text

• Exploring the Professional Support Needs of Chief Executives in the Voluntary Sector (2004) (MSc dissertation)

Edited Books

• No Edited Books in our records

• Analysis of Leadership Activity and Development Needs in Scotland's Social Services