Ian Browne
Senior Lecturer
Biography
Ian Browne is the placement lead for the Social Work Masters and Apprenticeship Programme at the University of Chester. His role is predominantly focused on practice and skills development. Ian has been at the University of Chester since March 2022 and prior to this was a Child Protection Social Worker for over 9 years working in both Leeds City Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council as both a social worker and a Senior Practice Lead. During his professional career as a social worker Ian was involved in a variety of complex child protection cases. Ian is vastly experienced in both assessing and supporting Newly Qualified Social Workers and overseen the development of the wider work force through social work development sessions, delivering training and facilitating peer reflection. Ian's excellent social work practice was nationally recognised in 2016, when he was a member of the Social Work Team of the Year at the Social Worker of the Year awards.
Teaching and Supervision
Ian teaches across all social work programmes supporting teaching across a variety of modules including Children and Families Social Work Practice and Human Growth and Development. He is the module leader for Skills for Social Work Practice, in which Ian utilises his previous professional experience to support the development of skills needed for students to become effective social workers. As well as this he is the module leader for both placements within the MA and Apprenticeship Social Work Programme. This involves matching students to suitable placements and ensuring there is a wide range of placements available which can guarantee a plethora of learning opportunities. Students are suitably prepared for placement and then supported throughout their placement experience with opportunities to reflect on their placement experience and to link theory to practice. As well as this Ian leads on skills based modules across the Apprenticeship Programme, which further supports apprentice's preparation for social work practice.
Research and Knowledge Exchange
Although new to the world of academia Ian is keen to become more research active. Ian's research interests include: * The experience of the student social worker * Enhancing student social work placement experience * Trauma Informed practice * Children and Families social work practice