Ruth Emily Handley

I am an experienced academic leader with over 18 years in Higher Education, underpinned by a strong clinical and professional background in mental health nursing. Throughout my career, I have developed a leadership profile centred on student success, academic quality, inclusive practice, and strategic innovation, with a clear focus on delivering measurable outcomes aligned to institutional and sector priorities.

My progression through roles including Programme Director, Principal Lecturer and now Deputy Head of School has equipped me with the experience and insight required to contribute at both a strategic and operational level within a complex and contemporary Higher Education environment.

In my current role as Deputy Head of School for Nursing and Midwifery, I provide leadership across key strategic priorities, particularly the student success agenda, ensuring alignment with institutional KPIs, OfS conditions, TEF metrics and PSRB requirements including the NMC. I lead and coordinate programme revalidation across the School, ensuring compliance with curriculum frameworks, regulatory standards and apprenticeship requirements, while maintaining a clear focus on quality, inclusivity and workforce relevance. This reflects the expectations of the role in providing strong oversight of performance, compliance, and continuous improvement across the academic portfolio.

A central element of my leadership is the translation of strategy into impactful operational delivery and I am very proud of this. I lead the implementation of the School’s student success strategy, using data-informed approaches to monitor progression, continuation and attainment, and to design targeted interventions that improve outcomes. I have led NSS action planning and TEF case study development, and APP working group; ensuring that evaluation and enhancement processes are embedded across programmes and that performance is continuously monitored and improved. This aligns directly with the requirement to lead on performance monitoring and drive delivery of KPIs across the School.

Working closely with the Head of School, I contribute to portfolio review and strategic target setting, ensuring that the School’s provision is sustainable, future-focused, and responsive to both workforce and market needs. This includes identifying opportunities for growth, innovation and income generation, particularly through the expansion of apprenticeships, CPD, and partnership provision. I have also led initiatives that support knowledge exchange and enterprise activity, developing relationships with external stakeholders, including NHS partners, professional bodies and lived experience networks, to enhance interprofessional education and simulation-based learning. This work supports the strategic expectation to drive growth and develop market-responsive programmes and partnerships.

I bring extensive experience in academic leadership, line management and staff development, currently leading and supporting a diverse academic team across all career stages. I always promote collaboration and an inclusive approach to leadership, focusing on creating a culture of shared purpose, accountability and continuous improvement. I am committed to developing leadership capacity in others through coaching, mentoring and structured development opportunities, including supporting colleagues to engage in research, scholarship and enterprise activity. This aligns with the role’s emphasis on leading, motivating and developing staff to deliver high performance and contribute to strategic priorities.

I play a key role in School and Faculty governance, representing the School at a range of faculty committees; ensuring effective communication, transparency and alignment of decisions with institutional strategy. Through this, I contribute to a culture of accountability and evidence-based decision-making, supporting the School in meeting internal and external quality benchmarks. My experience in governance and quality assurance reflects the requirement for strong oversight of academic standards, compliance, and continuous monitoring processes.

Alongside this, I lead on recruitment strategy and pipeline development, working collaboratively with academic teams, marketing, admissions and compliance colleagues to strengthen recruitment across undergraduate, postgraduate and international markets. I use a strong understanding of the regional and national landscape to identify opportunities for growth, while ensuring that processes for access, conversion, onboarding and induction are inclusive, effective and student-centred. This supports the School’s responsibility for achieving recruitment targets and enhancing the student lifecycle experience.

My broader leadership portfolio includes significant contributions to curriculum innovation and enhancement, particularly in the development of interprofessional education, simulation strategies, and inclusive teaching practices. I have led and contributed to projects that strengthen the integration of lived experience and peer education and co-production in education, ensuring that programmes are both academically rigorous and responsive to contemporary practice. My commitment to innovation is underpinned by a strong engagement with research and scholarship, including my work on peer-led education and successful OfS bids and income generation related to this.

Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a sustained commitment to the values of inclusivity, accountability, ambition and resilience, creating environments where both staff and students can thrive. I bring the experience, leadership capability and strategic insight required to support the School in delivering its objectives, enhancing its academic provision, and contributing to the wider Faculty and University vision.

I am motivated by the opportunity to continue contributing at a senior level, supporting the School as we create a new faculty with ambitious and creative opportunities for TEF, KEF and REF. I am looking forward to the opportunity in achieving excellence across teaching, research, and enterprise, and ensuring that it remains responsive to the evolving needs of students, the healthcare workforce, and the wider community.

Advance HE: Aurora Leadership (07/2020) - Aurora is Advance HE's leadership development initiative for women. It is run as a unique partnership bringing together leadership experts, higher education providers and research institutes to take positive action to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the sector. The programme covered Core Leadership, Identity, Impact and Voice, Politics and Influence, Adaptive Leadership, Mentoring and Action Learning Sets

Advance HE : Senior Fellowship (05/2019) - Senior Fellowship is awarded to professionals who demonstrate they meet the criteria the Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. senior fellows are awarded following demonstration of comprehensive understanding and effective practice of leading and influencing the learning and teaching practices of others; supporting high quality learning 

• AFASIC: Supporting Students with Communication and Language Disorder (05/2024) -To understand about DLD and how it applies to children and adults, To develop an understanding of DLD in education, To develop strategies to support your those with DLD , To learn how students can support their own learning
• ASPIH: Designing Inclusive simulation (02/2018) Association for Simulated Practice In Healthcare Principles of simulation and roles required to deliver Why do we pre-brief? Practical debriefing Designing a simulation scenario

Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2019 - The role of peer educators: A mutually beneficial endeavour? 

ASPIH - BMJ 2019 - DEVELOPING INTER PROFESSIONAL AND INTER AGENCY LARGE SCALE SIMULATION USING A ‘HANDS OFF’ FACILITATION STYLE

British Journal of Nursing 2013 - Can simulated practice learning improve clinical competence?

• Dominic, Mccutcheon (Head of School Nursing and Midwifery) , D.Mccutcheon@wlv.ac.uk, 07766524212, University of Wolverhampton
• Professor Sharon Arkell, (Associate Dean, Strategic Health Partnerships), Sharon.arkell@wlv.ac.uk, 07966 920208
• Terri, Rapson (Principal Lecturer for Practice and Simulation) Mrs, terri.rapson@hotmail.co.uk, 07896498295, Staffordshire University

• Ruth Emily Handley
• Date of birth: 13/03/1981
• Driver

• NMC RMHN
• NMC Approved Teacher
• Advance HE Senior Fellow
• Advance HE Aurorian
• ASPIH Member
• UCU Member
• RCN Member
• RADLD Ambassador

Netball

Allotment/ gardening

Raising awareness of DLD ambassador

Walking