Role
After many years as a social worker working in child protection, fostering and adoption, i am now the joint programme co-ordinator of BA Early Childhood Studies at the University. responsible for modules in working with colleagues, working with a range of professionals, children and risk and work based learning, a module that emphasises reflective practice. Also work on modules relating to leadership and management at under graduate and post graduate levels. Active member of team supporting students with their research module.
working at masters level with a wide range of students from different professional backgrounds.
Active member ofthe SwifT consortium for the Early Years Professional Status working collaboratively with Bridgewater College and the College of St Mark and St John on professional development.
Have developed a vocational element to the programme for those students who wish to go straight into work. This is important in order to develop reflective practitioners in the workplace and provide additional information to prospective employers that our studenst are able to work with children. the vocational element has been endorsed at national level and developed by the Early Childhood Degree network of which i am an active member.
Working to develop degrees in Social pedagogy with national and international colleagues as this is an important step in recognising a way of being for workers throughout educationand social care, whatever age.
Member of the national Early Childhood Studies Degree Network, meeting once a term to consider issues relating to the development of degrees in this area. Member of the working party within this group looking at benchmarking and policy development
working on research bids with national and international colleagues looking at communicating with children; aspects of quality in leadership of earl;y years settings and what younger looked after children think about their school experiences
Qualifications & background
BA(Hons) Applied Social Science
CQSW
City and Guilds 730
D32/33
M.Ed (Dist)
PhD
Social worker for 15 years in child care, child protection, adoption and fostering, mental health and family work.
Manager of a family centre in area of cultural diversity
Adoption counsellor
Tutor at local college of FE developing care and child care programmes, particularly leadership of residential provision for chidlren and adults
Professional membership
early childhood studies degree network
member of BASW
member of international social pedagogy network
member of children's participation network
Roles on external bodies
founding member of Southwest consortium for NPQICL
member of SwifT consortium
working with RiO
Social pedagogy Network
Teaching interests
social policy
working with colleagues
professional practice
reflective learning and practice
multi-disciplinary practice and working
leadership and management
Communicating with children
Caring effectively
Research interests
1) PhD looking at children's participation in legal decision making.
2) Interested in leadership and management issues
3) Interested in the interface between services for children and their families
4) Interested in children's rights
Publications
Leeson C (2007) Going round in circles: key issues in the development of an effective ethical protocol for research involving young children. In Campbell A and Groundwater -Smith S (2007) An Ethical Approach to Practitioner Research, Oxon,Routledge
Leeson C (2010) Leadership in Early Childhood Settings in Parker-Rees R, Leeson, C., Willan, J. and Savage J (2010) Early Childhood Studies; Exeter, Learning Matters
Leeson C and Huggins V (2010) Working with Colleagues in Parker-Rees, R., Leeson, C., Willan, J. and Savage J (2010) Early Childhood Studies; Exeter, Learning Matters
Leeson C (2010) In Praise of Reflective Practice in Parker-Rees, R., Leeson, C., Willan, J. and Savage J (2010) Early Childhood Studies; Exeter, Learning Matters
Leeson C (2007) My Life in Care: Experiences of Non-Participation in Decision Making Processes. Child and Family Social Work, vol 12, pp268-277
Leeson C. (2010) The Emotional Labour of Caring About Looked After Children, Child and Family Social Work, Vol. 15, pp
Leeson C., Campbell-Barr, V. and Ho, D. (2010) exploring the interplay of leadership and quality improvement in early years settings in England and Hong Kong, Journal of Education for Teaching, Vol.36(3), pp333-335
Ho, D., Campbell-Barr, V. and Leeson, C. (2010) Quality improvement in early years settings in Hong Kong and England, International Journal of Early Years Education, Vol.18(3), pp.241-256
Wellbourne, P. and Leeson, C. (forthcoming) Debating the complexities of policy and practice: attempting to improve the educational attainment of children in care, Child and Family Social Work
