Jude Douglas

Biography

I have worked as a social worker in both community and statutory sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand and in the UK, mostly in direct practice with families and children, since the mid ‘80s. I’ve also worked as a Strengthening Families Coordinator and for the Office of the Commissioner for Children where I did a mix of review and advocacy work. During an extended stay in the UK in 2000 I worked with young women refugee and asylum seekers in London. Most recently I have worked in social work education roles for central government and coordinated the fieldwork papers and taught on the social work degree programme at NMIT in Nelson. In 2011, I was involved in developing an online resource for Fieldwork educators working with students which is published on the Ako Aotearoa website as Kia Tene. I have also written about Fieldwork education in New Zealand for the Social Work Review. I’m a registered social worker and a member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers.

Research Interest

My current practice and research interests are in fieldwork, reflective practice and supervision, practitioner research and the transition to employment. The engagement and participation of service users and the value of social work principles to inform the sustainability movement are further areas of interest. I’m also interested in the continuing development of education in both tertiary institutions and in the workplace as continuing professional development in order that the unique bicultural social work practice model that has developed here in Aotearoa New Zealand can be fully valued and documented.