I formerly worked as a children and and families social worker in both the voluntary and statutory sectors in a variety of inner London boroughs.  I have also worked as a play therapist.  I previously worked at Havering College of Further and Higher Education as a Curriculum Manager on the BA (Hons) Social Work and post qualifying awards before moving to the University of East London in February 2010.  I am currently seconded to the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust  on a part time basis to teach on the Professional Doctorate in Social Work.   Additionally, I am an associate lecturer in social work at the University of Sussex and also work as a freelance practice assessor, educator and mentor.

• Programme Leader - MA Social Work
• BA (Hons) Social Care (DL)
• Module leader for SK2305, SK2308, SK3308

My current research interests include the issue of widening participation in higher education, the needs of higher education learners in colleges of further education and practice education. In particular, my research has focused on the issues raised by the assessment of failing students in practice learning settings.  My teaching  interests include social policy and research methodology.

• BA (Hons) Social Work
• MA in Social Work
• BA (Hons) Social Care (DL)
• Grad Dip PQSSW
• Professional Doctorate in Social Work (Tavistock Clinic)
• PhD and Professional Doctorate supervision

• SK2301 Social Work Development 2
• SK2308 Research, Social Policy and Social Work 1
• SK2305 Practice Placement 2
• SK3308 Research, Social Policy and Social Work 2
• SKM400 Introduction to Social Work
• SKM405 Dissertation

Publications:

• Finch, J. and Taylor, I. (2012) Failing to Fail: Practice Educators Emotional Experience of Failing Social Work Students, Social Work Education
• Finch, J. (2010) Community Care Magazine “Ask the Expert”  How Can I gain a statutory placement? (10/11/10)   http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/11/10/115774/How-can-I-gain-a-statutory-placement.htm
•  Finch, J. (2010) Community Care Magazine “Research Realities” Police Notifications of Domestic Violence – (5/11/10)  http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/11/05/115747/research-police-notifications-of-domestic-violence-incidents.htm
•  Finch, J. (2010) Can't Fail Won't Fail - Why Practice Assessors Find it Difficult to Fail Social Work Students.  A Qualitative Study of Practice Assessors' Experiences of Assessing Marginal or Failing Social Work Students, DSW Thesis, University of Sussex
• Finch, J. (2010) “It must be a fluke” – The Self-Perceptions of Learners Entering a College of Further and Higher Education,  FACE 'Towards a New Agenda for Lifelong Learning: Access, Diversity and Participation' July
•  Finch, J. (2010) An Analysis of Higher Education  Student Progression in a College of Further Education, London, Havering College of F and HE
•  Finch, J (2009) Widening Participation in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, UEL Continuum/Higher Education Funding Council of England, London.

Conferences:

• Parkinson, C. and Finch, J. (2011) Standing on a Precipice?  Practice Educators and the Future of Practice Learning in Social Work, 13th Joint Social Work Education Conference with the 5th Social Work Research Conference, University of Manchester
•  Finch, J. (2011) Placements Issues and Suitability - Research Informed Assessment of 'Suitability' in Social Work Education, SWAP with the University of Sussex, London, 13th June 2011
•  Finch, J, and Poletti, A. (2011)  “Who the fuck do you think you are?”  -  British and Italian Practice Assessors’ anger and rage when failing social work students in practice learning settings. 4th Psycho-Social Conference, Brighton University, 10th and 11th June
•  Finch, J. (2011) The Need for Critical Reflection in the Practice Educator-Social Work Student Relationship - Stories of Anger, Guilt and Ambivalence, Lunchtime Seminar Series, Royal Holloway, University of London, 9th June.
•  Finch, J. (2011) Innovation or Imitation?  - The use of the Voice Centred Relational Method in Social Work Research, Methods@Plymouth Conference, Plymouth University, 19th and 20th May
•  Finch, J. (2011) The Internalisation of Failure – Practice Assessors’ Narratives of [Not] Failing Social Work Students in Practice Learning Settings, 9th Practice Teaching Conference, University of Bournemouth, 11th to 13th April.
•  Finch, J. (2010) "The university didn't want to hear at all". Practice Assessors' Relationships with Higher Education Institutions. JSWEC Conference, University of Hertfordshire, 30th June to 2nd July
•  Finch, J. and Poletti, A (2010) "E' Stato un inferno!" - Italian and British Practice Assessors Talk -  Assessing Failing Social Work Students in Practice Learning Settings, JSWEC Conference, University of Hertfordshire, 30th June to 2nd July
•  Finch, J. (2010) "I actually felt it was my failing" Why Practice Assessors do not fail Students in Practice Learning Settings, NOPT Conference, Birmingham, 21st and 22nd June 2010.
•  Finch, J. (2010) “”Why Practice Assessors Find it Difficult to Fail, Failing Social Work Students", Coventry University, Practice Education and Stakeholders Annual Conference, 22nd March 2010
•  Finch, J (2009)  [un] covering bad practice – story telling or collusion, University of Sussex Student Doctoral Conference, 24/6/09
•  Finch, J (2009) “It’s a fluke”. – Further Education Students Narratives of Themselves as Learners – Implications for Widening Participation Policy and Practice,   The Annual  FACE conference, University of Staffordshire, 1-3rd July 2009. 
•  Finch, J (2009) Changing Identities – The Practice Assessor as Tragic Hero -  Guilt, Anger and Threats to Identities – Why Practice Assessors Find it Difficult to Fail, Failing Students,  11th Joint Social Work Education Conference with the 3rd Social Work Research Conference, University of Hertfordshire, 8-10th July 2009 .
•  Hyder-Wilson, J. & Finch, J (2009)  Voice Centred Relational Method – Methodological Innovation or The Emperor’s News Clothes? -  Reflections on the use of the VCR Method in Doctoral Research, 11th Joint Social Work Education Conference with the 3rd Social Work Research Conference, University of Hertfordshire, 8-10th July 2009
•  Finch, J. (2009) “Why Practice Assessors Do not Fail, Failing Social Work Students”, University of Sussex, Research Seminar Series, 26th Nov 2009

• Finch, J (2004) Waiting for the Light to Go On, unpublished DSW assignment, University of Sussex, Falmer
•  Finch J (2004) A Small-Scale Evaluation of Tutor Support Given to Practice Teachers where there are concerns about failing or marginal students, unpublished DSW assignment, University of Sussex, Falmer
•  Finch, J. (2005) A Critical Analytical Study of the Assessment of Failing Social Work Students, unpublished DSW assignment, University of Sussex, Falmer
•  Finch, J. (2006) The Needs and Expectations of Higher Education Learners in a Further Education College,   Havering College of Further and Higher Education, London   

• Registered Social Worker - GSCC
• FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy)

“Can’t  Fail, Won’t Fail -  Why Practice Assessors Find  it Difficult to Fail Social Work Students.  A Qualitative Study of Practice Assessors’ Experiences of Assessing Marginal or  Failing Social Work students” DSW Thesei, University of Sussex

The thesis focuses on the issue of the assessment of social work students in practice learning settings and draws on multi-disciplinary and international literature.  The dissertation considers why practice assessors find it so difficult to fail social work students and what might get in the way of failing a student.  The rationale for such an exploration concerns the relatively limited literature from both social work and other disciplines where there is a practice-learning element and what limited literature there is often appears under-theorised.  A further rationale to explore this area of professional practice concerns the author’s own experiences as a social work practitioner, practice assessor and  social work educator.    

Located within a qualitative framework, the methodological influences on the research include: ethnography, life story and narrative approaches as well as practitioner-research paradigms; although it is clear that as the research progressed, practitioner-research paradigms became more influential.  Based on twenty in-depth interviews with both new and experienced practice assessors, the research utilises the voice centred relational method to analyse the data.  From this narrative process a number of stories emerge, including; “The Angry Story”, “The Dramatic Event Story”, “The Guilty Story”,  “The Idealised Learner Story”, “The Internalising Failure So I Couldn’t Always Failure Them Story”, “The Lack of Reflection Story” and the “What is my Role/Assessment Story”.   Psychodynamic frameworks have been employed to theorise and make sense of these various stories as well as transactional analytical perspectives.    Differences in approach to practice assessing are also considered, most notably around how practice assessors’ conceptualise, make use of and understand the assessment process.  It is also clear that  disability, gender, ethnicity, class and sexuality also impact on the assessment process.   For some practice assessors, ultimately the evidence of students’ competence appears to rest on hope.  It appears that some practice assessors are still giving students “the benefit of the doubt” a phrase coined thirty years ago by Brandon and Davies (1979) in a wide ranging but still very relevant study of the assessment of social work students in practice settings.  Practice assessors thus find it difficult to fail students because of:

•        Their lack of reflection about the intense emotions raised

•        The internalisation of these intense feelings

•        Lack of support from colleagues, the Higher Education Institute

         (HEI) and tutors

•        Lack of understanding about the process of assessment 

•        Difficulties in managing the multifaceted role of the practice

         educator including the lack of acknowledgment of the gate

         keeping function.

 The dissertation concludes that although practice assessors have a very clear understanding of what behaviours might hypothetically cause a student to fail the practice learning opportunity, the reality is that not all practice assessors go on to fail the student.  The high emotionality often associated with the process of managing a potentially failing student on placement often obscures the process.  The thesis argues the need for practitioners to consider the intense feelings that arise in difficult practice learning opportunity situations in a more reflective, contained and considered manner.  A number of ways forward have been suggested in light of these findings, including the need to pilot a reflective toolkit for practice assessors and students alike.