Mr Mick McCormick

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Wellbeing, Education & Language Studies

mick.mccormick@open.ac.uk

01908654257

Biography

Professional biography

Mick McCormick is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Academic Lead for the Access and Open Programmes in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education, Languages and Sport (WELS).

As a senior lecturer in social work at the Open University, Mick began practising in 1986. Mick has worked mainly in the field of adult care, predominantly in mental health, learning disability, and substance misuse. After nearly 20 years as a social work practitioner and manager, he joined The OU in 2004.

Mick has provided expert academic input into two, one hour OU/BBC programmes on mental health - 'Sectioned' and 'Mental: a history of the madhouse', and more recently (2018) into the award winning ‘Addicted Parents: Last Chance to Keep my Children’.

Mick is an external examiner for Robert Gordon University (RGU).

Research interests

Research interests in employability and career progression, Access to Higher Education, social work education, mental health & substance misuse.

Recent research undertaken:

PRAXIS funding (2024): Evaluating the student and tutor experience of online skills development workshops

HEFC funded project: Promoting diversity in the social work workforce through the degree apprenticeship Project - social work for everyone; Office for Students and The Open University.

PRAXIS funding (2023) Exploring the impact of Y032 on WELS students:

OfS funded research and resource development - Social Work Apprenticeships - Promoting diversity in the social work workforce through the degree apprenticeship (2018 - 2019) ;

PBPL-CETL funded project - working in collaboration with Charles Sturt University looking at 'Sustainable Professional Practice' - a cross-cultural interrogation of social work practice settings: http://oro.open.ac.uk/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint%3A%3AView&eprintid=34249

PBPL -CETL funded project - exploring and evaluating the first six months of post-qualified practice in social work http://oro.open.ac.uk/23098/

Collaborating with Dr Jonathan Leach - investigating different perspectives, ideas and approaches to mental health and distress that exist in society: http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-studies/mental-healthcare-services-survey-the-results

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

McCormick, Mick and Strang, Jo (2024). Teaching Social Work Knowledge, Skills and Values online. In: Leading the Future of Learning: Proceedings of the Innovating Higher Education Conference 2024., 23-25 Oct 2024, Limassol, Cyprus, European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), pp. 220–230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14220974

Butcher, John; Bhandari, Renu; Foley, Karen; Mccormick, Mick and Curry, George (2024). Preparing to succeed: the impact of an access module. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 48(7) pp. 639–653. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2024.2381530

Seden, J., Matthews, S., McCormick, M. and Morgan, A. (2010) Professional Development in Social Work: Complex Issues in Practice. Abingon: Routledge. http://oro.open.ac.uk/20913/

Reynolds, J., Muston, R., Heller, T., Leach J., McCormick, M. Wallcraft, J. and Walsh, M (2009) Mental Health Still Matters. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. http://oro.open.ac.uk/11175/

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS:

‘Reflections on values and ethics in social work practice’ in Seden, J., Matthews, S., McCormick, M. and Morgan, A (2010) Professional Development in Social Work – Complex issues in practice. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN: 9780415553353 &978041555360. http://oro.open.ac.uk/28374/

‘Policies and practice with ‘vulnerable’ adults’ in Seden, J., Matthews, S., McCormick, M. and Morgan, A (2010) Professional Development in Social Work – Complex issues in practice. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN: 9780415553353 &978041555360. http://oro.open.ac.uk/28375/

‘Caring for yourself, being managed and professional development’ in Seden, J., Matthews, S., McCormick, M. and Morgan, A (2010) Professional Development in Social Work – Complex issues in practice. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN: 9780415553353 &978041555360. http://oro.open.ac.uk/28376/

BLOGS:

‘Support is the key’. CICRA – The Insider, Spring 2017, Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association, Sutton.

Guest Editor – SW@OU:

‘Legislation in mental health practice’ Academic, Platform, 14 May 2010. http://www.open.ac.uk/platform/blogs/academic/use-legislation-detain-people

‘Having a choice: mental health services’ OpenLearn, 7 January 2011. http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-studies/having-choice-mental-health-services

BROADCAST INTERVIEWS:

BBC Three Counties Radio – 17th May 2010 – ‘Mental – A History of the Madhouse’

BBC Radio Leeds – 17th May 2010 - ‘Mental – A History of the Madhouse’

Teaching interests

Employability, Career Progression, Lifelong learning, Access to Higher Education, Mental Health, Complex Needs, Dual Diagnosis, Learning Disability, Adult Care.