Mrs Edith Lewis

Prior to working in health and social work, I worked in international banking, marketing, and managed a Department of Health project and a learning disability service in two West London boroughs. I completed an MSc in Social Policy and Planning at the London School of Economics. My dissertation explored the experiences of out-of-borough placements for young people on the autistic spectrum, which was an issue in most London Boroughs in the mid-1990s.

My career as an educator started as a Sessional Lecturer and part-time external Practice Assessor on the joint social work and learning disability nursing course at London South Bank University in 2000 for 5 years. I then worked as a Lecturer Practitioner and Senior Lecturer at the University of West London for 6 years before moving to the University of Worcester for 18 months in August 2008.

At the University of Worcester, I was a Senior Lecturer in Early Years, MA Social Work, and Pathway Director on the Foundation Year in Learning Disabilities and Autism.

I commenced at Canterbury Christ Church University in February 2010 as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work. I became a Course Director for the BA(Hons) Social Work degree from 2012 to 2017, where I led two successful course approval processes within a changing landscape and regulator in social work. I also served as the Social Work recruitment and marketing lead for a while.

Working as an Academic Developer between 2017 and 2020, supporting the Faculty Director of Teaching & Learning, gave me the opportunity to implement the CCCU teaching and learning strategy in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care. In particular, I raised the profile of Peer Observations in the faculty, raised awareness, and ensured a significant number of colleagues applied for Advance HE fellowship through the MAP portfolio route.

I also became a Faculty Equity and Inclusion representative with a particular interest in menopause, which I have blogged about internally. I was the Faculty Director of Learning and Teaching from January 2023 to 2024 and contributed to a number of course approval processes and some of the associated challenges.

I started my career in higher education as a sessional lecturer and lead external Practice Assessor at London South Bank University in 2000. I then worked as a Lecturer Practitioner at Thames Valley University (now known as West London University), the same year before my appointment as a permanent full-time Senior Lecturer at the same university nearly 5 years. Prior to my appointment at Canterbury Christ Church University in 2010, I was a Senior Lecturer in Early Years, Social Work and Learning Disabilities and Autism at University of Worcester. 

My current research is on:

1. Global majority students experiences and sense of belonging in predominantly white academy.
2. Let's talk about the Menopause in the academy (for both staff and students)

I am currently an external examiner for:

• MA Social Work - London Goldsmith University
• MSc Social Work - University of Hertfordshire
• Member of the Joint University Social Work Association International Committee and Certified Reviewer for Wiley Journal of Child Abuse.