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Teaching

I contribute to the MA and BA Social Work programmes.

I am Module Leader for:

 Social Care Organisations and Inter Professional Working.

 Critical Social Work.

 Human Growth and Development.

 Social Work Law and Ethics.

 Social Work Research.

I contribute to a variety of other modules within the faculty.

I coordinate the use of service users and carers within social work education at the University of Chester.

I am BA Social Work Admissions Tutor

I supervise postgraduate dissertations and Prof Doc/PhD students.

I am external examiner at the University of Coventry BA/MA Social Work.

Research

My research interests are many and include family carers and caregiving and issues relating to learning disability.

I am interested in Auto-ethnography as both process and method and have recently established a North West Auto-ethnography Group.

I am interested in research to do with family carers and have established a carer support group at the University of Chester.

I have carried out several research projects exploring the above areas as well as examining the contribution of service users and carers to student education.

I am interested in international social work and am a member of the European Social Work Research Association and have presented at several international social work conferences.

Published Work

Journal Articles

Gant, V. & Bates, C. (2019). ‘Cautiously optimistic’: Older parent-carers of adults with intellectual disabilities–Responses to the Care Act 2014. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 23(3), 432-445.

Gant, V. Cheatham, L, DiVito, H, Offei, E, Williams, G & Yatosenge, N (2019) Social Work Through Collaborative Auto-ethnography. Social Work Education http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1570109

Gant, V. (2018) Siblings of Adults with Learning Disabilities. Social Work and Society Vol 16(1)

Gant, V. (2017) Understanding of the Care Act 2014 among carers of adults with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Practice, 20(3), 28-33.                                                                                          

Gant, V. & Bates, C. (2017). Retrospect and Prospect: What are the future possibilities in the Care Act (2014) for older parent-carers of adults with learning disabilities? A discussion paper. Journal of Health and Social Care Improvement 2017 Jan vol (2) 1-13

Gant, V. (2016). ‘Reflections on a birthday’: An auto-ethnographic account of caring for a child with a learning disability. Qualitative Social Work, p.1473325016661407.

Gant, V. (2015). International Journal of Palliative Care. Language Use and Dignity in Hospice Care.

Gant, V. (2012). An exploration of the motivations of service users and carers involved in student social work education and the challenges that such involvement brings. Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education vol 4, No 1 (2012)

Gant, V. (2010). Older carers and adults with learning disabilities: Stress and Reciprocal Care Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice Volume 7 Number 2 Autumn (2010)

Book Chapters

Gant, V (2020): 'Disability and Impairment' (Chapter 14 in Hothersall, SJ & Bolger, JL (Eds): Social Policy for Social Work and Related Professions: Scottish Perspectives). Abingdon, UK. Routledge.

Gant, V & Hothersall, SJ (2020): 'Patterns of Care' (Chapter 8 in Hothersall, SJ & Bolger, JL (Eds): Social Policy for Social Work and Related Professions: Scottish Perspectives). Abingdon, UK. Routledge

Books

Gant, V. (2018) Working with Family Carers.  St Albans, UK Critical Publishing.                                

Recent Conference Presentations

2019. Care and Caregiving. Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work. Salisbury. UK

2018. Collaborative auto-ethnography University of Chester Teaching and Learning Conference. Chester. UK

2018.  Collaborative auto-ethnography. Teaching and Learning with Students. Global Partnership for Transforming Social Work. Vermont. USA

2018. Assessment matters The use of collaborative auto-ethnographic research to support student assessment. Learning and Teaching Conference. University of Chester. UK

2017.  The role of auto-ethnography in social work practice and education.  Voicing Experience. University of Sussex Brighton UK.

2017. Harmful Caring? A scoping review. University of Chester Warrington Works Conference Warrington UK.

2015. Enduring Relationships? Siblings of Adults with Learning Disabilities. EASSW. Milan. Italy

2014 Decisions Assessment Risk and Evidence in Social Work. University of Ulster UK

2014 Social Work Research Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. Research in Social Work as a Participative Learning Process

2013 Social Work Education, Pune, India. An Exploration of the Motivations of Service Users and Carers involved in Student Social Work Education and the Challenges that such involvement brings.

Qualifications

2012 PGCert HETL Edge Hill University. UK

2008 PhD Older Carers of Adults with Learning Disabilities: Reciprocal Care and Service Needs-Liverpool John Moores University. UK

1997 MA University of Warwick

1997 Dip SW University of Warwick

1995 BA (Hons) Social Studies University of Warwick

Registered with Social Work England

Senior Fellow of HEA

Member of BASW

Member of ESWRA