Dr Caroline J. Bald

I am a Lecturer in Social Work at The Open University and a registered social worker, with a background in criminal justice and social work education. My research, teaching and professional practice focus on inclusion, social justice and neuro-inclusive approaches to social work, with particular expertise in acquired brain injury (ABI), criminal justice social work, and social work education admissions.

My work explores how systems of education, regulation and professional gatekeeping shape who is able to access, enter and progress within the social work profession. I am especially interested in the concept of “suitability” in admissions decision-making, the experiences of applicants with criminal records, and how professional values are enacted — or undermined — through institutional processes. This work aligns closely with the Open University’s mission to widen participation, challenge inequality, and support learners from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds.

Alongside this, I have an established research and practice focus on brain injury-informed social work, particularly within criminal justice, safeguarding and social care contexts. My work seeks to improve professional understanding of neurodiversity and cognitive difference, and to support more inclusive, compassionate and effective practice across systems.

I am Chair of the Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG), a UK charity dedicated to improving awareness, education and practice at the intersection of brain injury and social work. Through BISWG, I work collaboratively with practitioners, people with lived experience, educators and policymakers to co-produce accessible learning resources, conferences and public engagement activities. I am also Co-Chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) England Criminal Justice Group and Director of BASW (UK). 

I serve on several academic and professional boards. I sit on the following editorial boards: Social Work Education, Social Work and Social Sciences Review and Responsible Enterprise Pedagogy. 

I am an elected board member to the European Social Work Research Association assuming Special Interest Group lead in 2026. 

My research has focused on interdiscipinary learning. I have acted as Research Officer on NIHR-funded projects, including Heads Together, which focuses on developing brain injury-informed social work education through co-production with experts by experience. I sit on the NIHR funded Acquired Brain Injury Social Care Incubator steering group and am a TRY Justice network member. I am committed to participatory and inclusive research approaches that reflect the Open University’s values of openness, collaboration and public benefit.

I hold a Professional Doctorate in Social Care Education, in which I examined admissions decision-making in social work education in England. My academic work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections, and I am a co-editor of two forthcoming international handbooks on criminal justice social work and human rights social work. I regularly contribute to conferences, policy discussions and practitioner learning spaces in the UK and internationally.

Alongside my research, I have extensive experience in teaching and curriculum development across undergraduate and postgraduate social work programmes. My teaching is grounded in critical reflection, ethical practice and social justice, with a strong emphasis on inclusive pedagogy, professional identity and lifelong learning. I am particularly interested in distance and online education as a means of widening access to professional education and supporting students to combine study with work, caring responsibilities and lived experience.

I am available for collaboration, research supervision, public engagement and media commentary on social work education, criminal justice social work, brain injury-informed practice, and inclusion within regulated professions.