Dr Sally Pritchard

Sally is the course leader for Step Up to Social Work course (PG Dip and MA). She also teaches across other Social Work courses and is passionate about supporting qualifying students and experienced social workers engage with the current debates in practice.

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Background

Sally worked for 23 years in various social care and social work settings before joining ARU. She has experience in statutory practice in adult and children’s social work including as a Social Worker in a child protection team, family support, a participation manager with looked after children and young people.

As well as front line roles, Sally was a Senior Manager focussing on commissioning, strategic planning, placement matching and quality assurance within an integrated service for children, families and adults.

In all aspects of her work, she was committed to the meaningful involvement of people in all aspects of the social work pathway. This commitment feeds into her teaching and research interests.

Sally continues to be involved in practice settings, providing support and consultation to a local foster care agency and as a safeguarding advisor for a mental health charity supporting children and young people.

Sally joined ARU at the end of 2014, having previously supported the University with some teaching support whilst in her role at the local authority.

Sally represents the school at the national Step Up HEI forum and the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee and is a member of the School Research Ethics Panel (SREP).

Research interests

• Children and young people’s experiences of public care
• The role of extended care schemes (Staying Put and Staying Close) in supporting a young person’s transition to ‘care leaving’
• The language of children’s social care and impact on participation
• Transition and identity in social work education.

Sally’s doctoral research was called Staying Put – an exploration of the decisions made by young people leaving foster care. The focus was on the perspectives of young people as they made their decision whether to remain with their foster carers under the Staying Put scheme or leave.

The research highlighted the complexities of participation and the role of information in supporting young people to be involved in decisions that impact on their lives. Sally is in the process of disseminating her research with local authorities and fostering agencies to inform practice.

Teaching

Sally is the course leader for the PG Dip Professional Social Work Practice and MA Professional Social Work Practice and is a module lead and module tutor on both courses.

Sally also teaches on the qualifying and post-qualifying courses.

Qualifications

• Professional Doctorate (ARU)
• PG Cert Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) (ARU)
• Diploma in Management and Leadership (Institute of Leadership and Management)
• PQ1 Social Work (ARU)
• Diploma in Social Work (ARU)
• BA (Hons) Health Welfare and Social Policy (Anglia Polytechnic University)

Memberships, editorial boards

• Social Work England: SW86494
• Higher Education Academy: Fellow
• International Research Network on the Transitions to Adulthood from Care (INTRAC)

Recent presentations and conferences

Joint University Council Social Work Education Conference - Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the decisions made by young people in foster care as they turn 18 (2021).

ARU Annual Child Nursing Conference – Focusing on the needs of children in care (2019).