Emma Tait

Profile

Areas of expertise

• Systemic Social Work and relational based practice
• Attachment and trauma informed work with children and families
• Practice Education

Academic Biography 

I practiced as a Social Worker for over twenty five years and have worked across the full range of thresholds from therapeutic work with children and families to Child Protection.

I have a particular interest in the application of evidence based parenting programmes following a role I undertook as part of a government initiative to ensure consistency of standards in parenting work across the country. This involved examining the research base of programmes and assessing the suitability of their application for staff within my previous practice role. As part of this role I developed an interest in Attachment based parenting interventions and have designed and delivered interventions where children are in the process of care proceedings and at risk of permanent removal from their birth mothers. This work has been influenced by trauma informed practice, unmet (childhood) needs of adults and by working in partnership with parents who have lived experience of working with statutory services.

Following three years of training in Systemic Family Therapy I endeavour to promote the integration of Systemic principles into Social Work practice within my teaching. I am particularly interested in Structural and Narrative Family Therapy models for their application to parenting and working with children to externalise difficulties and to explore relational influences which contribute to family’s homeostasis.

My extensive Social Work experience allows me the opportunity to share current practice models and approaches alongside the underpinning academic framework to support our students to develop their critical thinking around the dynamics of practice.

Citizenship Role

Admissions tutor: UG (SW Programmes)

Deputy Chair of IPP