The Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) recognises and celebrates collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning. Each award recognises a team which has enabled a change in practice for colleagues and/or students at an institutional or discipline level. The competitive scheme awards up to 16 CATEs each year, nationally.
The social work team, led by Donna Jones, consists of twelve members of staff. The strength of the core team is that all members are permanent staff which ensures long-term collaboration and meaningful relationship-building with the wider team, especially students, People with Lived Experience of social work and employer agencies. The team’s collective approach emphasises staff/student partnership, student voice and empowerment, staff/Student belonging and cultural capital, and excellent teaching practices incorporating critical creativity.
Using the model of ‘engaged leadership;’ they recognise the importance of social and communal processes that strengthens both collective and individual skills within the core and wider team enabling on-going dialogue to positively influence organisational culture and transgress traditional boundaries. Therefore, it is not only what the team do/teach, but how the team does/teaches that is transformational and has a lasting impact.