Jean Clarke

Academic qualifications

In 2002 I obtained PhD in Applied Social Studies – My thesis focused on the area of Repeat Teenage Pregnancy in two cultures – A Comparison between London and Two Caribbean Islands

Profile

My professional career in social work practice and teaching spans over 25 years; during that time I have gained a wealth and breadth of knowledge and experience in social work practice, management, teaching, research and consultancy, both in the Caribbean and in the United Kingdom. I have had 15 years’ experience as a qualified social worker practitioner and manager in a variety of statutory and voluntary social work settings, both in the UK and in the Caribbean. These experiences include:

Field social worker – in a statutory intake team with a special interest in children and families;

Senior caseworker in Obstetrics Department of a large teaching hospital,

Senior social worker in a voluntary residential, multi-disciplinary project in London; specialising in work with highly disturbed young mothers and their children

Team Manager of two Community Care teams specialising in work with a range of adult clients - Commissioning and Assessment Team and the Information Team in a London Borough.

In Barbados I was Head of the Medical Social Work Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) for eight years. During that time, I have worked collaboratively with a range of multi-disciplinary professionals to implement meaningful changes in the philosophy and approach to medical social work in Barbados and to patient care. I was proactive in developing a range of policies for the department which positively changed the perception of the department’s role and function within the healthcare sector. These included: a procedural manual for medical social work; initiating and directing the evaluation of social work service provision at the QEH, which in 1986 resulted in the production of a report –‘The Provision of Social Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’; and a subsequent reorganisation of the social work services provided by the department. I also developed a Quality Assurance (QA) policy and programme for the department, which was embraced and implemented by staff at all levels.

In the UK, I reviewed, designed and implemented duty systems in a statutory social services agency to ensure accountability for the processing and categorisation of new referrals to the department. I also regularly conducted systematic enquiries of clients’ complaints at the request of members of parliament.

I have highly developed skills and a proven track record in motivating colleagues to work as a team. I have liaised, collaborated and worked constructively with a wide range of professionals, organisations and with multi-disciplinary teams and groups in the Caribbean and in the UK to improve policy and develop services. Two examples of these policies and guidelines are the multi-disciplinary management of child abuse cases at the QEH and multi-disciplinary policies and procedures on the management of abandoned babies brought to the hospital.

Following my career as a professional social worker, I gained many years experience as a lecturer in social work. During that time I have had various administrative and managerial responsibilities. These include 13 years experience as a Programme Leader and 11 years experience as an Admissions Tutor. I have gained an excellent reputation for teaching and motivating students as a result, I was nominated by students for an award for teaching excellence.

Committee responsibilities

Member of the School’s Teaching & Learning Committee

Admin responsibilities

I have been the Examinations Officer for the Division of Social Work from 2007 to present, withresponsibilities which include the co-ordination and preparation for  MA & BA Examinations Boards, working closely with Programme Administrators, liaison with module teams to ensure appropriate moderation of work and overseeing of the selection of samples for external examination as well as liaison with external examiners

In previous years I have also played an active role on various educational committees which include:

Member of the former Faculty Undergraduates Committee and member of the Stakeholders Group - a group comprised of members from external social work agencies and members of the Department’s Management Group, contributing to Social Work Practice at the former West London Institute of Higher Education and later at Brunel University. I have also been a member of the Student/Staff Liaison Group.

I have been involved in staff recruitment for the Social Work Department both at the former West London Institute and later Brunel University.

Teaching responsibilities

I have developed a vast experience in teaching and tutoring social work students at varying levels and on various courses over many years. Currently, I am a module leader for the following modules:

Networking and care Management and Undergraduate Social Research; I am also responsible for development and teaching of the HIV & AIDS element of the module-Values and Contemporary Issues. I also make contributions to the teaching of other modules, such as children & families and Community Care. I have responsibilities for supervision and assessment of BA and MA Research Projects.

I am a member of the Divisional Teaching & Learning Committee

PhD supervision

I am second supervisor for two PhD students.

Teaching interest

My main research interests are centred on the area of teenage pregnancies, particularly the comparative aspects of repeat teenage pregnancies between London and two Caribbean islands, which resulted in conference presentations and two publications. I also have an interest in the approach of social workers to their role in addressing the sexual health issues and needs of ‘Looked After Children’. This is an interest which has contributed to the teaching of the children & families module.

I have conducted research on the psychosocial effects of stillbirths in a general hospital in Barbados. This study resulted in changes to the management and aftercare practices for patients who experienced stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

I have conducted joint research with a medical consultant and the manager of a Medical Records Department in the aforementioned hospital. This research focused on neurological and neurosurgical referrals from Barbados. The findings of this study were presented at a Caribbean and International Medical conference and published in the West Indian Medical Journal. This study resulted in overall changes to the management and response to neurological and neurosurgical patients referred to various overseas destinations for treatment, not available on the island.

Over the course of many years I have developed extensive knowledge related to HIV and AIDS and social workers’ responses to working with this group of service users. As a result, I have designed and taught on a module on HIV and AIDS which has been consistently well-received and evaluated by students and external examiners. I have also been involved in HIV-related training for qualified social workers working in local authority settings.

I have acted as research supervisor and consultant for a voluntary social services agency as part of the process of reviewing their services.

My current research projects centre on:

1. Exploring the factors that contribute to positive outcomes for teenage mothers – this study involves collaborations with a practising social worker ;
2. Exploring the experiences and impact of emotional labour in relation to social workers and oncology nurses – This study is a joint collaborative project with a member of staff from the Health Studies Division of The School of Health Sciences and Social Care and The Business School.

Other responsibilities

In collaboration with other colleagues, I am currently involved in coordinating the planning and liaison processes for the development of a Brunel Social Work Alumni Association.

Research projects and grants

I am currently in the process of preparation for the submission of two grant proposals – One as sole proposer and the other as a joint proposer.

Membership and affiliation

Member of the Caribbean and International Association of Social Workers

I have actively participated on various committees in the UK and in the Caribbean. These included: In the Caribbean-  child care reviews (chair); child protection conferences (chair); I have been a member of various planning committees: Caribbean Social Work Conference organised by the University of the West Indies; HIV & AIDS Management; Disaster Preparedness (QEH). In the UK I was a member of a regional fostering and adoption group and the fostering and adoption panel of an Outer London Borough. I was also a member of a local government under-ones development group.

I have recently been appointed as External Examiner to two Social work programmes at two universities.

Professional activities or recognition

I have recently been appointed as External Examiner for two universities

I have acted as a peer reviewer for the international journal- Sociology of Health and Illness

From 2003 – 2006 I have acted in the role of external and internal scrutineer bycontributing to the validation of social work courses for another university, as well as for other schools within Brunel university.

In addition to the previously mentioned projects, I have worked as a consultant on a wide range of projects both in the UK and in the Caribbean, which include:

1985 – 1993 (Barbados)

• Organised and hosted the first seminar on HIV & AIDS for social workers from all social work agencies on the island.
• Designed and directed the Continuing Education Programme for Medical Social Workers.
• Developed and ran stress management programmes for social workers and middle managers in the nursing service.
• Developed and presented written recommendations for the ‘Reclassification and Regrading of Medical Social Workers’.
• Submitted restructuring proposals for the provision of medical social work at the hospital.
• Designed and supervised the implementation of policies and procedures on:
  • Multi-disciplinary guidelines on the management of Child Abuse at the QEH.
  • Multi-disciplinary policies and procedures on the management of abandoned babies brought to the QEH.

I developed the following patient information leaflets:

1. ‘Medical Social Work’
2. ‘Information for Overseas Patients’.
3. ‘Placing your Baby for Adoption’.

Consultancy/projects (UK)

1984-1986 - Part-time Consultant - Voluntary Services Unit-Home Office

Main Responsibilities
Provided a consultancy service to a voluntary social services organisation - ‘COPE’ – by contributing towards the development of racial awareness in the organisation to meet the needs of multi-racial communities and groups.

Conferences

Joint Social Work Educators Conference Presentation on July 1^st, 2010. 'The Journey towards Professionalism in Social work: The Development of Assessment in Practice Learning'.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Barbados (1986). ‘The context of HIV & AIDS in Barbados - The Social Worker’s Role’.

QEH (1993). ‘The Psycho-social Aspects of Stillbirths in Barbados’.

Commonwealth Caribbean Medical Research Council Proceedings of the 33rd Scientific Meeting (April 13 -16, 1988, Kingston, Jamaica). ‘Neurological/Neurosurgical Referrals from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados’.

Caribbean & International Social Work Educators conference (Barbados, August 2003). ‘Repeat Teenage Pregnancies in Two Cultures’.

The National Teenage Pregnancy Research and Practice Group (2000). ‘Repeat Teenage Pregnancy’.

Workshops

QEH (1990, 1991, 1992). ’Coping with Stress and Stress Management’.

Provided workshops on 'Teenage pregnancy for students, health and social care professionals in the UK'.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2010) Clarke, J., Repeat teenage pregnancy in two cultures – the meanings ascribed by teenagers, Children and Society 24 (3) : 188- 199

(2010) McNay, M., Clarke, J. and Lovelock, R., The journey towards professionals in social work: the development and assessment of practice learning, The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning - Social Work, Health, Nursing 9 (3) : 72- 91