As an Associate Professor, Lynette is an experienced academic with a track record of successful senior leadership in departmental (Head of Subject; Deputy Head of Department), faculty (Director of Access and Participation) and university wide (Interim Dean of Apprentices) roles. Her expertise is underlined by the award of Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2023.
As Interim Dean of Apprentices between November 2023 and January 2025, Lynette joined the university senior executive leadership team with responsibility for the apprenticeship portfolio of 31 programmes spanning all four faculties. The portfolio is complex and subject to rigorous internal and external governance, including by the DfE and Education and Skills Funding Agency. During her tenure, the portfolio underwent a full Ofsted inspection with the outcome of Good, and Lynette was pivotal in developing and implementing the Post-Inspection Action Plan which brought about improvements to regulatory compliance and enhancements to the student journey.
Lynette has sustained sector wide global and national strategic leadership impact as an appointed member of the Advance HE Strategic Advisory Group for Teaching and Learning, where she works with 11 other senior leaders to shape the activity and direction of Advance HE. She is also a member of the Council of Deans Strategic Policy Group for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion where she consults and advises the Council on important issues influencing the education of healthcare students across the United Kingdom.
Lynette’s work on breastfeeding education and workforce development has had both sustained and widespread impact and is both nationally and internationally recognised. A key indicator of esteem is the inclusion of her work in UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Training, which is the most high-profile breastfeeding education package globally and is recommended in key NHS policy e.g. The NHS Plan. Through externally funded research and high-quality journal publications she has demonstrated how her work has shaped policy and practice widely across the breastfeeding workforce and is increasingly invited to present this work nationally and internationally at conferences and as an invited speaker.
Another key strand of Lynette’s work focuses on understanding and addressing educational inequality, particularly in relation to care experienced students. Here, leading funded research by the Welland Trust, she currently works with regional stakeholders (The Regional Care Leaver Steering Group) and with Become (The National Charity for Care Leavers) to advance knowledge and practice in this area.
Lynette’s work in education is both underpinned by and aligned to her professional background in nursing and health visiting and she retains current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
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