Principal Lecturer and Portfolio Lead in Social Work

I have been a qualified social worker for over ten years, with an MA in Social Work from Goldsmiths College, University of London. I am also a qualified Practice Educator. I took up my position as Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Bedfordshire in 2021 and have been teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate pre-qualifying social work courses. I currently have the role of course coordinator for Step Up to Social Work, a fast-track postgraduate social work qualifying programme which we deliver in collaboration with our Local Authority partners.

My experience has primarily been in the area of child and adolescent mental health social work. I have practised social work across a community CAMHS clinic, an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit and a hospital at home crisis service, and have been safeguarding and social work leads within these services. I also have some experience in adult mental health and substance misuse. I have had training in a number of therapeutic approaches including Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Dialectic Behaviour Therapy, Structured Clinical Management and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Qualifications

• PgCert Teaching in Higher Education – University of Bedfordshire
• Social Work Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS 1 and 2) – University of Hertfordshire
• MA Social Work – Goldsmiths College, University of London
• BSc (Hons) Social Policy with Government – London School of Economics and Political Science

Internal Roles

• Professional Lead for Social Work - January 2025 onwards
• Portfolio Lead for Social Work - January 2025 onwards
• Course Coordinator (Step Up to Social Work) - June 2023 onwards
• FTQSC member - September 2022 onwards

External Roles

• External Examiner, University of Bournemouth - September 2025 - 2029

Teaching Expertise

• Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA) since 2023
• Course Coordinator for Step Up to Social Work since 2023
• Full time lecturer at University of Bedfordshire since 2021
• Social Work Practice Educator since 2017
• Social work law and ethics
• Reflective practice
• Sociology and social policy for social workers

Research Interests

• Social worker knowledge and skills related to adolescent suicide and self-harm risks
• The relationship between children’s social care and CAMHS teams when working with adolescent trauma, suicidality and self-harm
• Vicarious trauma in social work practice
• Social work in child and adolescent mental health services
• Early childhood and developmental trauma
• Social work knowledge and skills

Projects

• I am currently working as part of a team completing a rapid evidence review of child and family social worker knowledge and skills for the Department for Education.

Publications

• Shephard, L. (2023), ‘Participation and Involvement’ in Okitikpi, T. eds., The Art of Social Work Practice, 2^nd eds. Lyme Regis: Russell House.

• Shephard, L. (2025), ‘Engaging and supporting parents, carers, guardians and teachers’ in Okitikpi, T. eds., Social Work with Children: The Importance of Education and Life Skills Groups. Lyme Regis: Russell House.

Refereed Articles

Research reports:

• Grant, L., Bostock, L., Kinman, G., Shephard, L., Friel, S., Tinarwo, M. (forthcoming), ‘Child and family social worker knowledge and skills: A rapid evidence review’, Department for Education.

Contact Details

E: laura.shephard@beds.ac.uk