Professor Wilson Muleya

Social work education is situated in a fast-moving environment of partnership working in which new routes to qualified status are emerging and new constituents of learners are being recognised. Working at the interface of education and practice, I anticipate change, innovate, build, and lead strong teaching partnerships drawing on my facilitative and inclusive leadership approach. 

Recognising a shift in Government funding towards employer-HEI partnerships, I coordinated (2018) and led a successful tender application to work with 33 London employers (through LondonADASS) to co-create a BA Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship. I led the development of a new teaching and learning strategy underpinned by apprenticeship principles and created new structures that embedded and supported KU policies at institutional and regional levels across a large partnership, albeit institutional structural challenges. This new growth area comes with a complex set of compliance rules that I ensured were met both at institutional and regional level. 

I have led a transformation in the Department whereby it is now outward looking towards its regional and national social work community through the establishment of Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership (DTSWTP) and dynamic in terms of its participation in national initiatives (such as National Assessment and Accreditation Scheme (NAAS), Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship, Department for Education funded Step Up to Social Work fast track programme).

In the process, I have developed agency in the staff team, developing their reach regionally and nationally. This work has also delivered significant professionally orientated learning opportunities and advantages to our students.

Courses taught

• Master of Social Work (MSW)
• Social Work BA (Hons)

My research interests centre on theory application in practice, particularly on exploring the effectiveness of different intervention approaches.

I have supervised a PhD student to completion (second supervisor), chaired an EdD viva panel, and examined a mock EdD.

I have led the development of an innovative and vibrant learning community integrating various interests, thereby developing systems which are reciprocally beneficial, and which result in good opportunities for all stakeholders.

Selected Projects:

2017 - 2022:   Led a KU team working in partnership with a consortium led by Mott MacDonald Limited on a government-funded national project, the National Assessment and Accreditation System (NAAS) for child and family social workers. I innovated a structure where KU provided Lead National Assessors responsible for supporting Assessment Centre Assessors and monitoring standards. As Principal Investigator, I recruited and supported two Senior Lecturers in my department to these roles, and designed systems that supported the pilot to successfully assess over 1,500 practitioners. (£232,000)

2018 - date:   Led a team of employer partners on a successful application for funding from the Department for Education (DfE) funded (£2.3m) to establish Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership (DTSWTP), comprised of 10 local authority social services departments and 2 private, and voluntary sector organisations and my department. DTSWTP has created conditions for academic staff to collaborate with regional employers to deliver high-quality student learning experiences, leading to enhanced student and greater employer retention outcomes and generated an income of over £503,000 to KU finances (as of 2023).

2019:   Led a successful bid (appointed principal provider) to co-create a new BA Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship route working with 33 inner city London social services employers (through London Association of Directors of Adult Social Care - ADASS), thereby significantly contributing to KU fees income. Created effective partnership structures that support course performance with excellent outcomes.

2017-2022: Led a team that collaborated with HM Government of Gibraltar to design and deliver its first Social Work course that significantly contributed to the state's capacity to train its own social workers.

Institutional lead for Social Work and Social Care, ensuring provision meets Social Work England (the Professional and Statutory Regulatory Board) standards through submission of annual reports.

Institutional lead overseeing Social Work Education Grant, ensuring timely accountability and submissions of annual reports signed over by VC.

Oversight of provision of practice placements. Working with DTSWTP partners, developed systems for allocating students to placements.

Through membership of Joint University Council, Social Work Education Committee (JUC-SWEC), contribute to discussions / formal consultation on regulatory framework and policies that inform sector developments.

I have led a transformation in the Department, which is notable in its current ranking of 2nd in London (2022 Guardian University League tables).

Under my leadership, I established a DfE-funded teaching partnership, ran a successful course in collaboration with the Government of Gibraltar, and developed two new courses (Degree Apprenticeship and Step Up to Social Work), a Post-qualifying framework, and a suite of Post-qualifying courses. These have generated great opportunities for staff development and had a significant impact on student learning.

I worked with HR to establish a structure to support Associate Professors in the Department to take up delegated line management responsibilities, thereby created supportive opportunities for innovation and new experiences in response to university strategy.

Co-Chair of Kingston University's Race Equality Charter.