Katherine Ward

Kath qualified as an occupational therapist in 1998 and worked in a variety of mental health settings. This included a high dependency unit for people with severe and enduring mental health needs, acute mental health services, psychiatric intensive care units and a medium secure unit for offenders with mental health disorders. In the medium secure unit, Kath was an occupational therapy team leader for the long stay wards. Kath’s interests were in the use of evidence-based practice and theoretical models of practice in forensic occupational therapy services. This led her to undertake an MSc in Professional Practice (Development and Evaluation) with us.

In 2005, Kath took up a post as Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Cumbria. In 2019 she because Course Leader for our new BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy course here. Since working in higher education, Kath has developed an interest in educational research and is currently undertaking a PhD programme in Educational Research in Higher Education at Lancaster University. She is particularly interested in the topic of assessment for learning.

Kath also supervises MSc research projects relating to mental health in occupational therapy.  Since working as a senior lecturer, Kath has developed interests in educational research in higher education with a focus on how assessment can support learning in students.