Career details

On leaving school I had a great interest in secretarial work and human biology, so decided a medical secretary's course was for me!

Unfortunately working in this field did not meet my expectations, and I have to admit that I wore out more than the average allowance of typing rubbers, (no such thing as correcting fluid!) and the only human biology experience gained was when I had to visit the mortuary as part of my duties. I did however have a positive experience when meeting the hospital social worker. After some discussion and further investigation into this profession, I soon decided that a career in social work could meet my vision of the future. So off I went to gain further 'O' and 'A' levels that in order to gain entry into Lancaster University.

I commenced my career in social work in September 1990 following completion of my social work degree course at Lancaster University. I joined Cumbria County Council working with Children and families and then moved to Lancashire County Council. Whilst working with Lancashire I have had had the opportunity to work within generic teams, in which I gained experience of mental health, learning disability, physical disability, children and families, youth justice and older people services. During my time with Lancashire I have also had experience as working as a team manager. I eventually came to work within a long-term older adult's team, which is where I continue to practice on a part-time basis. I continue to have a great interest in the development of older people services.

Whilst working in social services I have become involved with student practice assessment and have taken a great interest in this area of work. It is a role I was keen to develop and I still offer students practice learning experiences. I hope that I have been able to support students to progress from a position of dependency to one of autonomy with a high level of professional self-confidence. I am passionate about social work as a profession and I am committed to ensuring that social work standards are maintained through education and practice. In August 2006 I joined the practice learning team at Lancaster University as a practice learning facilitator on a part-time basis. Working with students highlighted how important placements are in the progression of student learning. This role has therefore given me the opportunity to contribute to the effective development of good student placements, providing support to both students and practice assessors.