Helen Batty MSc, PGCert, FCSP, PFHEA
Associate Head
Summary
Helen is a Physiotherapist by background, with over 20 years experience in Higher Education. She is currently the Associate Head of the School of Health & Social Care responsible for student recruitment and outreach. Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. She has extensive expertise in curriculum development and design. Helen's key interests include widening participation, inclusive educational delivery, practice-based learning, and simulation.
About
Helen qualified as a physiotherapist in 1989 and worked in the musculoskeletal field for many years. She joined Ï㽶ÊÓƵ in 2002 and has extensive teaching, learning and assessment experience across the pre and post registration curriculum. Helen is currently serving as the Associate Head of School for Recruitment and Outreach in the School of Health and Social Care at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Throughout her career, Helen has remained deeply committed to the development of future health professionals, focusing on the intersection of clinical practice, teaching, and the integration of innovative learning strategies. She gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in 2002, followed by an MSc in Manipulative Physiotherapy in 2006.
In 2024, Helen was honoured to be awarded both Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and a Fellowship of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (FCSP), recognising her leadership across teaching and learning in the field of healthcare education.
Helen's expertise spans across inclusive educational delivery, curriculum enhancement, widening participation, placement expansion and innovation, simulation and staff development. Helen led the development and implementation of practice-based learning across the 4 pillars of practice (clinical practice, education, leadership, and research) and simulated placements across the Allied Health pre-registration curriculum at SHU. Helen has led research projects and presented at numerous conferences on these topics, advocating for their importance in preparing students for real-world healthcare environments.
Helen is passionate about widening participation and creating an inclusive, supportive educational environment for all students. Helen’s goal is to continue to ensure that the next generation of healthcare professionals is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for success in the dynamic and evolving healthcare landscape.
Specialist areas of interest
- Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
- Exercise Prescription
- Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Teaching
School of Health and Social Care
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ projects include:
Experiences of pre-registration students on placements across the 4 pillars of practice
The impact of practice-based learning in education on graduate skills
Evaluating the impact of simulated placements on pre-registration students
Subject area
Physiotherapy
Courses taught
BSc & MSc Health and Social care courses
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Publications
Key Publications
Batty, H., & Mottram, L. (2023). . International Journal of Healthcare Simulation.
Batty, H., Scott, G., & Stevens, K. (2022). . Physiotherapy, 114 (Supp 1), e72.
Journal articles
Ager, E., Kibble, S., Pong, C., Batty, H., Bendall, C., & Leyland, D. (2025). . Physiotherapy, 126 (Supp 1), 128-129.
Cadman, V., Batty, H., & Ward, J. (2024). . Journal of Perioperative Practice.
Batty, H. (2024). . Synergy.
Batty, H., Scott, G., Stevens, K., & Cassidy, K. (2024). . Physiotherapy, 123, e120-e121.
Batty, H., Patel, E., & Meppem, G. (2024). . Physiotherapy, 123 (Supp 1), e182-e183.
Smith, R., Tudor, B., Mullins, R., & Batty, H. (2024). . Physiotherapy, 123 (Supp 1), e216.
Conference papers
Corscaden, T., Milton, F., & Batty, H. (2024). . Physiotherapy, 123 (Supp 1), e253.
Batty, H., Hughes, J., & Shute, E. (2024). Building autonomy - evaluating the impact of a simulated placement for final year diagnostic radiography students. In UKIO Imaging and Oncology, Liverpool, 10 June 2024 - 12 June 2024.
Batty, H., Hughes, J., & Shute, E. (2024). . In UKIO Imaging and Oncology Congress 2024, Liverpool, 10 June 2024 - 12 June 2024.
Stevens, K., Batty, H., & Mallett, R. (2023). Simulated Physiotherapy Placement: An alternative to clinical placement for first year undergraduate Physiotherapy students. In Association for Simulation in Practice in Healthcare, Brighton, 9 November 2023 - 11 November 2023. International Journal of Healthcare Simulation:
Batty, H. (2023). The Implementation of Practice-Based Learning Across The 4 Pillars of Practice at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. In National Association of Educators in Practice, Birmingham, 19 October 2023 - 20 October 2023.
Other activities
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Education Consultant
Leader of the AHP Practice-Based Learning Community of Practice (@AHPpracticeCoP) - an online community of practice for health professionals interested in practice-based learning innovations.
Member of UKAT (UK Advising and Tutoring Association)