Maxine Birch The Open University

As an academic manager I am committed to enhance academic practice for Associate Lecturers. A core component of my current role is to provide staff development opportunities to extend teaching and learning scholarship . I also support the delivery of health and social care courses and evidence the teaching and learning needs that arise from practice focussed and practice based courses. I currently chair K221: 'Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine', a role that reflects my long term research interest in health and wellbeing beyond formal understandings and health care practices. I have several publication in research methodology and in 2011 a second edition of 'Ethics in Qualitative Research.' Mauthner, Birch, Miller and Jessop (2002) is due. I have developed teaching and learning across many health and social care areas and my discipline areas are underpined primairly with a sociological apporach. I previously worked on course production for mental health and mental health practice. Here I completed substantial lead author and editing roles that progress service user involvement, professional practice and raise the OU profile with other agencies and professional services.