Mrs Vicky Soutar

I am a qualified and registered Social Worker since 2002 and moved to teach at the University of Stirling in Autumn 2022. I have worked in a variety of practice settings since qualification, primarily as a Senior Practitioner and Mental Health Officer, and latterly in a Senior role within Adult Support and Protection and as Edinburgh Suicide Prevention Lead. I am a Practice Educator, and worked with the University of Edinburgh between 2016 and 2021 co-ordinating the PG Cert Advanced Social Work Studies (Mental Health) (MHO Award) where I gained my Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. My main areas of interest and expertise are in mental health law, human rights, safeguarding/adult support and protection, citizenship and assessment of decision-making abilities. However, I also retain a strong interest in staff and student support, the impact of vicarious trauma within social work and the importance of value based, compassionate supervision, management and leadership.
I sit as a General Member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland and continue to undertake a small number of MHO assessments each year for a local authority.

I am currently Pathway Lead for the Management and Leadership Pathway of the Advanced Professional Studies programme within Social Work. I co-ordinate and teach on the Professional Supervision, Workplace Critical Inquiry, and Leadership & Management modules.