Mrs Maxine Fletcher
BA (Hons) CQSW, MSc
Head of School
School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health
Role
Registered Social Worker - Registration No. SW46460
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Maxine is one of four heads of department (or school) in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Heads provide day-to-day leadership and management of their programme teams and oversee the implementation of the strategic aims of both the faculty and the wider university.
Maxine provides leadership at faculty executive level for psychology, public health and paramedic science, as well professional development (undergraduate) and leadership and management (postgraduate) in health and social care.
Maxine is also the Dean’s Nominee for pre-registration health and social work students’ Fitness to Practice authorisation.
Maxine is a recipient of the Brookes Student Union ‘Most Inspirational Lecturer’ award and in 2021 became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She teaches research methods at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and postgraduate leadership and management studies. She also supports dissertation supervision across all disciplines in her department.
In addition to her teaching and supervision responsibilities, Maxine is also a coach/mentor for staff on the Aurora programme, and those applying for Advance HE Fellowship.
Research
Maxine is currently undertaking a PhD at Lancaster University within the Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation. Her research explores the concept of professional suitability and the conduct of pre-registration health and social work students.
Teaching / Research Interests
- Leadership and Management in Higher Professional Education
- Higher Education Policy
- Inter-Professional Education
- Professional Suitability/Professional Communication
- Safeguarding Vulnerable People
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
Maxine is a registered social worker with Social Work England, and she worked as a child protection social worker for many years. Maxine also has experience as an inter-agency child protection trainer, and as a senior lecturer/principal lecturer in social work.
Her first degree is in Applied Social Science (Social Policy), and she has a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work, a Social Work Practice Teachers Award, two Postgraduate Diplomas (in Applied Ethics and Research Practice), a Masters in Higher Professional Education and an ILM Award in Leadership and Management.
Membership of professional bodies
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Registered Social Worker with Social Work England
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Member of the British Association of Social Workers
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Member of the Institute of Leadership & Management
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Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education
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Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy