The citizens’ journey: an exploration of the term lay’ in four inspectorates

Mordaunt, E. (1998) The citizens’ journey: an exploration of the term lay’ in four inspectorates. Research Papers in Education, 13(3), pp. 277-290. (doi: 10.1080/0267152980130304)

Abstract

Many inspectorates use lay people in their teams but how the term ‘lay’ is understood varies significantly across inspectorates. A typology of the term's use is proposed, drawing specific operational examples from four inspectorates: the Office for Standards in Education, the Social Services Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Prisons. This leads into an exploration of the concept of the term ‘lay’, that is what it means to be a lay inspector rather than what lay inspectors actually do. An examination of the term's historical roots in relation to the professions, particularly the Church, reveals some abiding features, including the notion of common sense. Although it is recognized that the term ‘lay’ can be defined as non‐professional, a more positive and distinctive definition is offered based on the research data. This definition sees the fact that to be lay and, therefore, outside the professions, as enabling lay people to bring a fresh perspective and added value to the process of inspection and to the working of the team.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mordaunt, Dr Enid
• Authors: Mordaunt, E.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Law
• Journal Name: Research Papers in Education
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0267-1522
• ISSN (Online): 1470-1146