Group support for transformational social work education: a study of the Black Academics Forum (BAF)

The importance of formal and informal support for professional social workers cannot be overemphasised and this is true for social work academics who view themselves as belonging to minority groups. This paper outlines the development of the Black Academics Forum (BAF) within the Division of Social Work at the University of Northampton as a strategy to transform social work education for students, its members and ultimately for users of social work services. The benefits of BAF are considered within the context of feeling ‘lost inside space’ and providing a forum to self define whilst drawing upon the values of belonging, acceptance and trust. The challenges and limitations are considered alongside aspirations for the future of the group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved

What is known about Black African pre-registration social work students who have additional support needs in England? - A scoping review

This paper is a scoping review which seeks to understand the knowledge and evidence which exists in literature and research to support black African social work students who have additional support needs in England. The topic is interested in discovering what constitutes good practice for supporting black African students who have additional support needs as they navigate their academic journey and on placement with a view to create new knowledge and inform practice. A thematic analysis from chosen relevant articles is used to undertake in-depth explorations and navigate the discussions before conclusions and recommendations for social work education are drawn.&nbsp

Female academics’ experiences of gendered health at the intersection of middlescence, ethnicity, social and professional status in the neoliberal academy

Purpose Gender inequality and age discrimination persist in the Higher Education (HE) sectors. The significance of gendered health at middlescence, including peri/menopause, is often negated. This article explores women’s lived experiences of gendered health issues at middlescence in the neoliberal academy through an intersectional lens. Design/methodology/approach Two female academics engaged in dialogic narrative using duoethnography addressing their experiences of gendered health issues in a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI). They recorded intentional written reflections and met to explore their experiences over a four month period. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse their responses. Findings Both women considered how they self-advocated for their own care at the stage of middlescence whilst seeking health support and in accessing accommodations in the HE workplace. This process impacted on the construction of their professional identity and on their self-concept as social work academics at the dynamic intersection of age, gender, ethnic, social and professional status. Originality/value This article uniquely foregrounds two female academics’ lived experiences of middlescence in a UK HEI conceptualised through an intersectional lens. Their experiences are explored in the context of gendered age discrimination in HE sectors that are perpetuated through masculinized forms of career progression and management. The concept of the ideal academic, a white male, unencumbered by domestic responsibilities, is contested through consideration of care ethics. We acknowledge that forms of epistemic injustice silence women’s narratives in the neoliberal academy but highlight recommendations to enable their stories of gendered health discrimination to be heard.</p