Claire Hooks

Claire has been a practising midwife for 15 years, with a particular interest in vulnerable women and drug misuse. Her expertise is in physiology, pharmacology, substance misuse, safeguarding and medical law and ethics and e-learning.

[email protected]

Background

Claire trained as a midwife in 1998 following completion of a degree in Biomedical science, where she studied subjects such as physiology, reproductive physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, neuropharmacology and toxicology. She has practised locally as a passionate midwife since this time in a range of settings; midwife and consultant led, with a particular interest in pregnant drug using women and vulnerability.

Claire's doctoral research used case study methodology and explored education as a tool in improving negative attitudes toward substance misusing women. Complementing her research she is a volunteer recovery worker at a local drug and alcohol charity; open road, where she has been involved in running a joint project with Essex probation service for women. Alongside the research Claire has an active role in both the undergraduate and postgraduate Midwifery courses and is currently course leader and admissions tutor for the MSc Advanced Midwifery Practice.

Research interests

• Substance misuse in pregnancy
• Vulnerability
• E-learning pedagogy for healthcare
• Physiological and mammalian birth
• Health inequalities and stigma
• End of Life legal decisions involving neonates

Claire’s doctoral research area looked at education in reducing stigmatisation of pregnant drug users by student midwives. During her first degree she studies reproductive physiology in depth, with a particular interest in mammalian birth and in her Masters degree her research was titled 'End of life decisions in neonates: judicial inconsistencies’.

Areas of research supervision

• A range of Masters-level supervisions including public health and midwifery; including systematic review, primary research, data review and literature review. Topics include; obesity in pregnancy, maternal mental health, MEOWS scoring, access to health care in developing countries, low risk midwifery care, substance use in pregnancy.

Teaching

• Teaching experience has been on a range of courses and levels including;
• Level 4: Foundation Degree Health Care, health awareness module:  BSc Midwifery, Birth and Beyond, Essence of midwifery care,
• Level 5: BSc Midwifery, Enhancing well-being through public health, Nurturing parenting through health promotion, Medical Challenges in Midwifery.
• Level 6: BSc Midwifery, Substance Misusing Parents, Health Promotion for Midwives, Professional Midwifery Practice, Undergraduate Major Project,Safeguarding: A Collaborative Approach.
• Level 7: MSc Advanced Midwifery Practice, Promoting Normal Birth, Facilitating Complex Childbirth, Major Project: MSc Safeguarding Children and Young People, Interprofessional Safeguarding module: MSc Public Health, Major Project

Qualifications

• BSc (hons) Biomedical Science (pharmacology), Kings College London
• BSc (hons) Midwifery, Anglia Ruskin University
• LLM Medical Law and Practice, Anglia Ruskin University
• PgCert Higher Education, Anglia Ruskin University
• NLS (Newborn Life Support) Provider, Resuscitation Council UK

Memberships, editorial boards

• RCM, Royal College of Midwives
• UCU, University and Colleges Union
• FHEA, Fellow of Higher Education Academy
• NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council, UK), Registered Midwife
• NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council, UK), Registered Teacher
• Book Reviewer, Sage.

Selected recent publications

Hooks, C. and Galloway, F., 2015. A Day on the Farm. Midwives, December 2015, pp48-49. Royal College of Midwives. Redactive publishing, London.

Hooks, C., 2015. Paranoid or Persecuted? The stigmatisation of pregnant drug users: a literature review. The Practising Midwife, 18(1), pp14-18.

Hooks, C., Bartholomew., 2011. Consent to student participation in treatment. In RCM.

Recent presentations and conferences

Hooks, C., 2017. E-Learning Pedagogy in Healthcare. Higher Education Academy Conference Generation TEF: Teaching in the Spotlight. 5-7 July, Manchester.

Hooks, C., Galloway, F., 2017. Improving Student Engagement and Retention Through Field Trips. Higher Education Academy Conference Generation TEF: Teaching in the Spotlight. 5-7 July, Manchester.

Hooks, C., 2016. Education to reduce stigmatisation of Pregnant Drug Users. Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) managing substance misuse in primary care conference. 4 November 2016, Euston, London.

Hooks, C., 2014. Paranoid or Persecuted? The plight of pregnant drug users: a review of the literature. ’We don’t want to talk about it NIPE International conference’ May 2014, Anglia Ruskin University.

Hooks, C. and Bowman, J., 2014. Substance Misuse and Mothering; what's the big issue? Interprofessional Safeguarding conference, July 2014, Anglia Ruskin University.

Hooks, C., 2012. Substance Misusing Parents; a world of opportunity. Collaborative safeguarding event. 16 March 2012, Anglia Ruskin University.