Cardiff University’s 500th Fellow

Daniel Wilcox, a lecturer at the School of Healthcare Sciences, has been awarded a Fellowship as part of Cardiff University’s Fellowship Programme.

Our AdvanceHE-accredited Cardiff University Education Fellowship Programme helps colleagues develop their learning and teaching skills and gain recognition for their professional practice. The programme, which began in 2021, is designed to be engaging, light-touch, and practice-focused. It equips staff with the necessary skills to become effective educators and has been co-developed by both staff and students to meet the needs of its participants and the university.

Daniel Wilcox’s Fellowship is particularly significant—it marks the 500th fellowship awarded at the university since the programme began. To celebrate this milestone, we asked Daniel about his career, his reflections on the programme, and his advice for future fellowship applicants.

Career history

“I registered as a mental health nurse in 2005. For most of my career, I worked in secure mental health services for people with serious mental health problems who have offended or are at risk of offending. Through this work, I developed skills for working with people who have difficulties forming and maintaining relationships. My experiences working within the NHS cemented a passion for mental health nursing, which is founded on the core values of hope, fairness and compassion. Establishing myself as a skilled and experienced clinician naturally led to increasing responsibilities as an educator. There was little formal training for this, but I developed some skills, which were modelled on the teaching practices of other, more experienced colleagues.

In 2022, I joined Cardiff University as a Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing. In this role, I contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of the mental health nursing programme. I am currently the deputy programme manager and the academic placement lead.”

Experience of the Fellowship Programme

“Emerging from the pandemic, I was fortunate to join with a programme that was delivered in person, which suited my learning style. The programme fostered a collaborative learning community where the diverse skills and experiences of the cohort broadened my learning. The programme utilised diverse and engaging teaching methods. I was allocated a mentor, who was encouraging and supportive, helping me to consolidate my learning and to apply new skills and knowledge to my teaching.

The Fellowship Programme provided a new perspective on learning and teaching that exposed my biases and challenged my preconceptions. I learned about the value of diverse and inclusive teaching methods and developed practical skills to create more accessible and engaging learning opportunities for a diverse student population. Although this was challenging, it has been rewarding. A tangible motivation for continual improvement.”

Advice for future participants

“The Fellowship Programme provides the structure and support for achievement. Wherever possible, follow the suggested timescales and complete the blogs as you progress through the workshops. This will help you to stay focussed and keep the workload manageable.

The Fellowship Programme is a great opportunity to work with people from across the university. Build lasting relationships with others in your cohort. Start with your reflective sharing group and commit to regular contact, perhaps set up a Teams group to share ideas.

Get in touch with your mentor and arrange to meet with them. This really helped me to stay focussed on the portfolio and align my learning to the professional standards framework.

Finally, enjoy it!”