Ian Browne is the placement lead for the Social Work Masters and Apprenticeship Programme at the University of Chester. His role is predominantly focused on practice and skills development.

Ian has been at the University of Chester since March 2022 and prior to this was a Child Protection Social Worker for over 9 years working in both Leeds City Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council as both a social worker and a Senior Practice Lead. During his professional career as a social worker Ian was involved in a variety of complex child protection cases. Ian is vastly experienced in both assessing and supporting Newly Qualified Social Workers and overseen the development of the wider work force through social work development sessions, delivering training and facilitating peer reflection. Ian's excellent social work practice was nationally recognised in 2016, when he was a member of the Social Work Team of the Year at the Social Worker of the Year awards.