Dr Rachel Levarre-Waters

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Role:

Senior Lecturer - Social Work

Department staff:

HAS - Allied Health Professions

Research staff:

Teaching staff:

Qualifications:PhD, BSc (Hons), PG Dip SW, MA, MSc, AFHEA
Position:Senior Lecturer - Social Work
Department:HAS - Allied Health Professions
Telephone:+4411732 86981
Email:Rachel.Levarre-Waters@uwe.ac.uk

About me

Hello, I joined the social work team as a senior lecturer in September 2019. I convene the L2 modules 'Theory and Research for Social Work Practice' and 'Theories to Inform Social Work Intervention'. I am also on the module team for the L1 module 'Perspectives on the Life Course'. I am an academic and personal tutor for level 1, 2 and 3 students, a placement academic tutor for L3 students and a L3 dissertation supervisor. I am joint staff lead for the social work HUB (service user expert) group along with Celia Keeping. I am also the BSc Social Work admissions lead.

I have recently completed my PhD at Cardiff University which was entitled 'Modern pastors of mental health recovery: An ethnographic study of the recovery approach in Wales'. In my analysis I drew on Foucauldian ideas and discursive psychology to explore how mental health professionals act as 'modern pastors' in inducing recovery subjectivities in their clients through specific discursive strategies. Recovery in the three services I studied had come to mean 'engaging' in recovery focussed activities, with much less focus on outcomes such as improved quality of life. Recovery activities were decided on by staff. This highlighted a key paradox of the recovery approach: recovery requires service users to take responsibilty for their recovery and become independent but it is only understoood as recovery if service users act in line with staff recommendations.

I have lived in Wales for about 28 years although I was born in Southern England so I would describe myself as 'Wenglish'. I live with my partner and our enormous dog Harry.

Area of expertise

Adult mental health.Social science research methods - especially qualitative methods and ethical issues related to research in social work. My social work experience has been in the fields of adult mental health and learning disabilities. I also spent some time working with unaccompanied asylum seeking children. I have experience in the area of user involvement in mental health practice and research.

Publications

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