Ms Josie Newton

About

I started working in the mental health (mh) field as a support worker in a residential care home over 20 years ago and after the successful completion of MSc in Social Work, worked in adult mh for over 14 years. I have a particular passion in working with those affected by dual diagnosis i.e. mh and substance misuse, but have also worked with adults with Learning Disabilities.   

I am an experienced Practice Educator (PE) and Practice Assessor (PA), and have supported, enabled and assessed Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) on their ASYE programmes. I work as a sessional, practicing AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) in an Adults Emergency Duty Team (AEDT) once a month. Working with the Mental Health Act (1983) and Mental Capacity Act (2005) are I have worked as a Practice Consultant with Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership (TP) for the last 4 years, delivering workshops to PE's and ASYE assessors and supporting and assessing social work apprentices and students at Kingston University. I have been dedicated to the development and delivery of the ‘BLM: The Voice of Social Work' reflective discussion groups, encouraging practitioner focus on anti-racist practice, trauma-informed approaches, and working with an intersectional lens.    

I have been a Senior Lecturer within the Social Work Department for the past two years, working primarily in Readiness to Direct Practice (RDP) and Practice Education. Seeing the development of social work students and trainees on post-qualifying programmes is a wonderful and exciting experience, and one I do not think I will grow tired of. As the Person with Lived Experience (PLE) coordinator, I aim to ensure the PLE impart their skills and knowledge with student social workers, so they are as effective as they can be, in their future practice.