Carol Batchelor

Background

About Carol Batchelor

I am a qualified social worker, registered with Social Work England, and I hold a BA (Hons) in Social Work from Coventry University, earned in 2014. I am an accredited social worker specialising in Children and Families and a trained Practice Educator, having completed Practice Educator Stage 1 at the University of Birmingham in 2020 and Stage 2 at Birmingham City University in 2021. Prior to my career in social work, I dedicated 15 years to the leisure industry in various leadership positions. My desire to effect meaningful change prompted my transition into children's residential care services in Staffordshire in 2011, followed by a role as Project Manager for an Independent Visitor Project serving the Black Country and Shropshire. With over ten years of frontline experience in Local Authority Children and Families Social Work, I have cultivated significant expertise in safeguarding, care planning, and navigating both public and private family court proceedings. In 2021, I stepped into the role of Senior Practitioner during the inaugural year of the Birmingham and Solihull Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC), where I contributed to building and supporting innovative practices in complex care proceedings working directly with parents. Currently, I serve as a Team Manager for the Liverpool FDAC service, where I leads a multi-disciplinary team focused on reflective practice and child-centered decision-making. The team's mission centers on collaborating with parents to foster change within complex care proceedings. As a qualified Practice Educator (PE2), I am dedicated to nurturing the learning and development of my team throughout their careers and enhancing the skills of practitioners within my service. Uniquely, I offers the invaluable perspective of having lived experience as a Care Experienced Person. I take pride in my background and leverages my personal journey to drive positive change in practice, mentoring others, and advocating for the preservation of family connections for children whenever feasible. I am passionate about advancing high-quality, compassionate social work and empowering both professionals and families to thrive.