"Through Their Eyes: Compassion Fatigue among NQSWs": current project
I am a Postgraduate Researcher and a Doctoral Candidate at Kingston University. My research study received a favourable ethical opinion from the Kingston University Ethics Research Committee (application number: 3149) and is supervised by Dr Melania Calestani and Professor Kathy Curtis. I combined the Hermeneutic Phenomenological lens with an adaptation of the Photovoice in my qualitative research design to research the lived experiences of compassion fatigue among early-career social workers in England.
My research design will be presented via poster presentation during The Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference (JSWEC) in Glasgow hosted by the University of Strathclyde on 15th and 16th June 2023
I am a Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching, Social Work and Social Pedagogy and a Postgraduate Researcher exploring lived experiences of compassion fatigue among early-career social workers. I am passionate about creativity, meaningful relationships, and acceptance, much inspired by my experiences of/with human diversity, coupled with years of mental health practice and teaching. I advocate for equity and neuro-inclusion, often questioning uniformity in my personal life, social work, and education.
I qualified as a social worker in 1999 with a Diploma in Social Work and a degree in Social Pedagogy, Iater specialised in mental health with a Master's in Advanced Mental Health Practice. I worked as an Approved Mental Health Professional and Best Interests Assessor, Practice Lead and Principal Social Worker in local authorities and NHS before joining the Department of Social Work and Social Care in 2016.
I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and a lifelong learner. I led modules across postgraduate and undergraduate courses, teaching social work theory, legislation, applied social work practice and social pedagogy. I am interested in novel ways students and staff learn from each other (and other disciplines) and I co-developed a Teaching Consultant role, placing practising social workers at the heart of social work training. I am currently seconded to lead Supporting and Assisting Learning and Teaching (SALT) in Higher Education Programme in the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre while contributing to teaching and assessment in other Advance HE accredited courses.
I am an active member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW): Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group and Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group and a registered social worker. I support Kingston University Network of Equality Champions, the EDI Action Group and the Social Justice and Inclusion Special Interests Group among other projects.