Staff focus
Louise Grant
Course lead for Advanced practice and research: social work and social care (D55)
“I qualified as social worker a very long time ago and loved direct practice and leadership in social work organisations. Over the subsequent years, I discovered my true passion was learning, gaining knowledge and also sharing this with others, so in 2008 I became a social work academic. Along the way, I met a number of inspirational colleagues who gave me the confidence to undertake research and take on leadership roles. I gained my PhD aged 50 and strongly believe that research can enhance our knowledge of what works in social work practice and that in turn can make positive changes to people’s lives.
Social work was definitely a vocation for me. I wanted to help people, and to work alongside them in times of personal challenge has been a privilege. The challenges in our society remain, and the impact of poverty, discrimination and racism continue to affect children and their families. Social work is a profession that seeks to make a difference, and this is a personal and professional driver. As course lead for our professional doctorate programme, I work with experienced social workers and social care workers who, through their practitioner research, strive to make a contribution to improving direct practice. It is an honour to supervise them and support them in this endeavour.”
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Professional doctorate 
Advanced practice and research: social work and social care (D55)
