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A dream sailed away, makes way for social care solace

Photograph of OU Social Work student Natalie Pither accompanied by her two childrenWhen Natalie’s medical discharge ended a seven-year stint serving as a skilled Operator Maintainer on Type 23 frigates in the Royal Navy – her dream job – she developed an aspiration to follow a new career path in social care.

9th March 2021

Women in WELS: Challenging the Status Quo

We caught up with WELS academics Dr Jenny Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Health Promotion, and Kate Lister, Lecturer in Education Studies, to hear more about their personal experiences of gender bias in academia and to find out how being a woman in research has impacted their career in a positive way.

5th March 2021

Zambian teacher training project thrives during pandemic

By changing the way teachers access learning materials and taking advance of smartphone technology, OU Zambian teacher training project ZEST is emerging from the pandemic stronger, and potentially more sustainable.

3rd March 2021

WELS leads community education in Zimbabwe during COVID-19

A young, black African girl sits on a step outside writing in a note book.Research conducted by WELS colleagues during the pandemic-enforced school closures in Zimbabwe explores the complexities of remote learning for many children in low-income countries who are offline.

24th February 2021

An inspired journey for social worker Karon

Photograph of social worker Karon ReidHeartened by her mother’s career in social work, Karon sets out to advocate for positive change.

24th February 2021

A path forward for social care and social work

 The path forward for social care in England report coverA panel of experts have come together to discuss the findings of a new report published by The Open University.  The report, The path forward for social care in England, is based on a survey of 500 leaders from across adult social care and social work, and culminates in five recommendations for the future of the sector in England.

16th February 2021

Call for content: Narratives of Death, Grief and Loss during Covid-19

Close up of a woman's face. She is wearing a surgical mask and staring into the distance. A tear is running down her face. A team of academics from the Faculty of WELS are creating a book to capture first-hand accounts of loss during the pandemic, that reflect the things which have challenged us, and those which have helped us to cope, and are inviting submissions from the OU family.

9th February 2021

Applauding apprenticeships: National Apprenticeship Week 2021

A social work degree apprenticeship student making study notes

From 8 – 14 February, The Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies will be shining a spotlight on our apprenticeships to mark the 14th annual National Apprenticeship Week. For over 50 years, it has been the OU’s mission to open up education for all.  Since our first degree apprenticeships launched in 2016, our apprenticeship offer has continued to expand.

8th February 2021

SAGE learning materials adopted by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education

Four female participants in the Zimbabwean SAGE project are shown sitting in a line,

Up to two million out-of-school learners will benefit from new learning materials now approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe.

5th February 2021

WELS assists FIFA in creating Safeguarding in Sport Diploma

A football coach is crouched down with a stopwatch in one hand and a blue clipboard in the other. He is observing a football player who is kicking a ball around some cones. We can only see the player's legs and feet. A team from the OU's Faculty of WELS and FIFA have today announced the launch of the FIFA Guardians Safeguarding in Sport Diploma – a major new global education programme designed to strengthen and professionalise safeguarding standards across football.

28th January 2021

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