Mrs Aga M. Buckley

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Aga M. Buckley
About
Teaching and learning
Research
Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

About

I am a Senior Lecturer currently seconded to the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre to support various academic development programmes across the university. I am passionate about creativity, relationship-based and humanistic approaches in teaching practice, much influenced by my background in mental health social work and social pedagogy. I am a Senior Fellow of Higher Education (SFHEA) and I currently study for a Doctor of Education (EdD) at Kingston University.

I joined Kingston University's Department of Social Work and Social Care in 2016, initially teaching on post-qualifying programmes, later leading modules on Masters & BA Social Work and Working with Children & Young People: Social Pedagogy. My areas of expertise include social work theory, applied social work practice and legislation (mental health and mental capacity). I also led the development and coordination of the Teaching Consultants role, embedding highly skilled social work practitioners in teaching and learning across social work courses (Developing Together Teaching Partnership).

I am Social Work England registered social worker and social pedagogue with 20 years of practice experience. I have a Master's and a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Mental Health Practice (AMHP/BIA), with an undergraduate degree in Pedagogy (Social/Rehabilitation), and Diploma in Social Work. I practised at an advanced practitioner level in various roles within local authorities and NHS Mental Health Trusts, Practice Lead and Principal Social Worker (Adults & Children) roles influencing decisions around quality of social work practice and workforce development (CPD, ASYE).

I am an advocate of neurodiversity and inclusion and a member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW): Equality Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Group & Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group.  I am a member of the Network of Equality Champions & Faculty's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group with the university.

Academic responsibilities

Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching, Social Work & Social Pedagogy

Qualifications

  • MA Advanced Mental Health Practice- Bournemouth University
  • PGDip Advanced Mental Health Practice (AMHP/BIA)- Bournemouth University
  • Graduate Award Consolidation in Specialist Mental Health Practice- Bournemouth University
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA) Hons in Pedagogy, Social Readjustment- College of Higher Education in Humanistic Studies Gdansk, Poland
  • Diploma in Social Work-College of Social Work, Gdansk, Poland
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching and learning

Undergraduate courses taught

Postgraduate courses taught

Research

I am an EdD Student at Kingston University in the research phase of the course. The research focuses on the lived experience of Compassion Fatigue among Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs). This qualitative research study involves Hermeneutic Phenomenological methodology with an adaptation of Photovoice and is currently in the ethics approval stage.

I co-led SADRAS (Student Academic Development Research Associate Scheme) Inter-disciplinary Learning Project focused on a small-scale research study designed and completed jointly with colleagues from the School of Nursing and student researchers as part of the project team. The project received a favourable opinion on ethics and was conducted between November 2019-June 2020, it was finalised earlier due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The study provided an interesting insight into the inter-professional communication between students from different professional disciplines, supporting the development of inter-disciplinary culture in helping professions across the Schools and Faculty. An article describing the research study and its findings was published on 04/08/2021 in The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning- DOI: 10.1921/jpts.v18i1-2.1589.

I recently joined NIHR ARC Leadership Research Academy, with the aim to develop networks with like-minded researchers, develop new skills and establish further inter-disciplinary collaborations, adding to my own understanding of the interprofessional practice, while bringing a positive impact to student & staff learning and teaching experience with the university. 

Qualifications and expertise

  • Hermeneutic Phenomenology UCLan International Course for PGResearchers completed in 07/2022

Areas of specialism

  • Mental Health Social Work Practice
  • Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout
  • Newly Qualified Social Workers
  • Hermeneutic Phenomenology
  • Interdisciplinary Practice

Publications

Jump to: Article
Number of items: 2.

Article

Buckley, Aga [Reviewer] (2022) Book Review of 'Errors and mistakes in child protection. International discourses, approaches and strategies' edited by Kay Biesel, Judith Masson, Nigel Parton and Tarja Pösö. The British Journal of Social Work, ISSN (print) 0045-3102 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Buckley, Aga M [Reviewer] (2020) Book Review of 'Writing analytical assessments in social work, 2nd edn' by Chris Dyke. The British Journal of Social Work, ISSN (print) 0045-3102 (Epub Ahead of Print)

This list was generated on Sat Apr 1 06:50:01 2023 BST.

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

I am currently appointed as an  External Examiner with the University of Manchester. I support the work of academic staff on several modules in the Approved Mental Health Professional Course.

Social media

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