Ms Edith Lewis

Edith Lewis (DipSW, RNLD, BSc, MSc) has over 21 years of experience in higher education. She joined The Open University (OU) in October 2023, initially on a part-time basis, after 15 years at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU).

At the OU Edith is an academic regional Staff Tutor- Social Work and Cluster Manager for the Social Work Law Module in England.

Career Background

At CCCU, Edith held several key roles, including:

• Senior Lecturer in Social Work within an interprofessional education framework
• Course Director for the BA (Hons) Social Work programme
• Principal Lecturer
• Social Work Recruitment and Admissions Lead
• Faculty Learning Developer
• Faculty Director of Learning and Teaching
• Faculty Equity and Inclusion Lead

Prior to CCCU, Edith worked at two other universities as a Senior Lecturer. She also led a strategic project funded by the Department of Health in a London Borough to improve access to health services for people with intellectual disabilities and managed a short break service.

Research Interests

Edith’s research has consistently focused on social justice and equity for marginalised groups. Key areas include:

• Explored out of borough experiences of young people with learning disabilities in a London Borough(late 1990s–early 2000s)
• Access to higher education for global majority students in early 2000s.
• Sense of belonging for Black students and academics in majority-white institutions.
• Experiences of Black students in health and social work practice education.
• The impact of menopause on higher education workforce and students.

Her work has been published in Times Higher Education Campus (2022), offering practical tips on creating a sense of belonging for Black students in majority white academy. In March 2024, she authored a blog for International Women’s Day titled: “As we celebrate International Women’s Day … let’s talk about the menopause and prioritise institutional response.”

Teaching Interests

Edith’s teaching expertise spans:

• Sociology for Social Work
• Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion
• Anti-oppressive and Anti-discriminatory practice
• Child and Human Development, Identity, and Cultural Context
• Social Policy for Social Work
• Neoliberalism agenda and social work
• Leadership and Professionalism in Social Work and Health Care
• Skills for Interprofessional Development
• Culturally Competent Practice in Mental Health

Key Achievements

• Led a Department of Health-funded strategic project improving healthcare access for people with intellectual disabilities in a London Borough
• Published tips on fostering belonging for Black students in higher education
• Initiated research on menopause and its implications on academic workforce and students.
• Senior Fellowship (Advance HE) – 2019
• Academic Teaching Excellence Award – 2022
• Extensive experience in quality assurance, fitness-to-practice panels, and external examining.
• Published a book chapter 
• Conference speaker on anti-racist practice, impact of neoliberalism agenda on social work practice and importance of fostering sense of belonging of black students in majority white academy.