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Dear All
I am writing to ask whether you are interested in being involved in an exciting new initiative being started by Liverpool Hope University. This email gives background information; the attached paper gives more information about the project itself.
I am a recently appointed full-time lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, based in the Education Faculty. Early in my career, I qualified as a social worker, moved into social work education, and for the last 20 years have worked as a consultant, trainer, and manager running my own education & research centre. This has enabled me to be involved with a wide range of public, private and not for profit organisations. I gained my PhD last year with Dr. Jack Whitehead (formally in the Education Dept at Bath University, now a Visiting Fellow) as my supervisor. I have been interested in action research, reflective practice and practitioner research throughout my career, and have more recently developed an interest in living educational theory.
A major part of the reason for joining Liverpool Hope was because I wanted to create the time and space to engage more directly with academic research and writing. I had also been made aware of the possibility of being involved in the development of an innovative teaching and research centre, looking at promoting inter-professional and multi-disciplinary work with children, families and communities. Given the many challenges experienced by children’s services, and the lack of communication between them and other organisations concerned with the wellbeing of young people, it seemed an important initiative to be part of.
The Research & Teaching Centre for the Child and Family (provisional name, may be changed if a more appropriate one is created) has now been approved in principle by the University Senate, and I am in the process of developing ideas as to how it should develop. Jack Whitehead is to be centrally involved in its development. I am seeking to encourage the participation of academics and practitioners from any context related to children, families and communities who are attracted to what they read in the attached paper. This paper gives an initial outline of the principles which are informing the thinking behind the Centre so far.
The intention is to plan a day at Liverpool Hope University when all those interested can meet together to think creatively, and explore possibilities of engaging in a collaborative inquiry. In the meantime, your thoughts, comments and ideas would be greatly welcomed. I am wanting to engage as much energy and creativity as I can into this project; so those of you who often feel frustrated about what you feel to be possible, or feel that however imaginatively you work there is still scope for more collaborative ventures crossing traditional boundaries, please join us in exploring so far unexplored horizons!!!
I look forward to hearing from you,
Joan