Joanne Lewis

Course Leader: Youth and Community Work BA (Hons)

Department of Social Work and the Community

Contact Details

email: j.lewis@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 542160

My career within the profession of working with young people and the community has spanned over 25 years. Starting as a volunteer youth worker, working with young people with learning disabilities to today where I research and lecture within the field. Over this period of time, I have worked in a range of settings and locations across the country from County Durham to Plymouth; not exactly Lands End to John O Groats but getting close! My passion, interest and knowledge of working with people is evident within my lectures. I work closely with all students to enable them to reach their aspirations and goals and achieve the degree they are capable of. When I am not working, I enjoy riding my bike and perhaps one day I will bike from Lands End to John O'Groats!

Qualifications

1999 BA (Hons) Youth and Community Work

2013 MA Transformative Practice

2015 PG Cert Teaching in Higher Education and Fellow of HEA

Teaching & Research

Teaching

  • Effective Communication and Ethical Practice
  • Reflective and Evidence Based Practice 
  • Teamwork and Leadership in Multi-Professional Contexts
  • Professional Formation within Practice Applied Research in Practice

Research 

  • Evaluation into the impact of women only projects
  • Celebration and legacy of Youth and Community Work in Higher Education
  • Professionalism within practice and professional identity
  • The changing landscape of youth and community work and the adaptability of workers
  • Reflective practice
  • Working within virtual communities

Professional Bodies

Fellow Higher Education Association

Director of the Secretariat of TAG The Professional Associations of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work Education

Publications

Conference Papers

June 2018 presented at the Annual TAG – The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work Conference: When letting go means opening up: sticky issues for diversity of practice in youth and community work

June 2016 presented at the Annual UW Learning and Teaching Conference: Powerful Partnership Working: Course developments from the bottom up

June 2015 presented at the Annual UW Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Conference: How to Turn Boring into Playful

Other publications

Jones, R., Lewis, J., Sealey, C., Gregory, D. (2018) An Impact Evaluation of the ‘JOY’ Project

Richards, W., Lewis, J. (2018) Is it ok to miss you? Reflection on the changing face of youth and community work. In Youth and Policy: ISSN Print: 0262-9798. On-line: 2057-4266

Lewis, J. (2013) Through the Mirror: An Exploration of the Positives and Pitfalls of Encouraging Students to think Reflectively

External Responsibilities

On the Board of Governors representing the University of Worcester for an alternative education provider