James Sandham
For a period of eight years whilst I was a lecturer on Oxford University’s MSc in Applied Social Studies/Diploma in Social Work, Harold Sewell and I co-led the course element covering issues of race and ethnicity, and anti-discriminatory practice. During that time I came to know both him and his approach to work very well. In total I taught on the MSc programme for 16 years and I was clear that Mr Sewell was the most successful teacher we engaged in that challenging area.
The feedback on his teaching was consistently excellent. This reflected his skill in continuing to engage the students while covering very challenging issues. He was always well prepared and his experience in mental health social work and his wide reading on race and ethnicity gave credibility to his teaching. However it was his sensitivity, charm and obvious decency that created a safe environment in which difficult issues and feelings could be explored and attitudes changed. This was the real key to his success with the students.
Mr Sewell was clear about the learning outcomes he wanted the students to achieve. He adopted a Kolb Cycle approach to his teaching, working from personal experience, to reflection, to theory and finally to practice implications. He gave students an intellectual context for their thinking, an empathy for different human experiences and a way to measure outcomes for service users.
At a personal level, working with him was always a pleasure. He was completely reliable in both the planning process and in the delivery of teaching, but he was also a collaborative and enabling co-teacher. Teaching with him was fun!
As a lecturer and then as Director of the Oxford University Social Work Programme, I worked with many practitioners, but Mr Sewell was one of the few who former students consistently mentioned as having influenced their practice.
I retired from University of Oxford in September 2004. I am currently Director of JP Partners Oxford, a company offering training to staff in a wide range of service settings.
James Sandham
BA, Liverpool, MA, London, MSc Oxon, CQSW)