About

As a lecturer on the BA (Hons) Health and Social Care degree. I teach, supervise and support students across this programme. 

I joined the University of Derby in 2019 straight from Social Work practice and I like to bring this experience to my teaching.

I am a qualified Social Worker which I gained at the University of Derby in 2005. I also gained a PG Cert in Systemic Thinking & Practice at the University in 2010. It is my experience of studying at the University that has brought me back to teach here. 

I now have a PGCert HE & am a fellow of HEA. I want to be involved in creating a great learning environment which enables students to grapple with difficult concepts, learn from each other as well as the academic team, grow and develop as individuals, and ultimately be filled with enthusiasm for their subject and learning as a whole.

Teaching responsibilities

• Module Lead for Safeguarding Children
• Module Lead for Public Health & Health Promotion
• Module Lead for Independent Study
• Personal Academic Tutor to students across each year group
• Independent Study Supervisor
• Placement Supervisor for both placements on the programme
• Lead for Inter-Professional Learning
• Lead for Marketing

Professional interests

• Child Protection and Safeguarding Children
• Working with Children and Families
• Inter-Professional Working
• Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Exploitation
• Domestic Violence - in particular in young people's relationships
• Therapeutic ways of thinking and working
• Systemic Thinking and Practice and Family Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Trauma and Trauma-focused working
• Language and bias
• Victim-blaming
• Anti-oppressive practice and addressing our own and others' biases
• Reflective Practice

Membership of professional bodies

• Social Work England
• Association of Family Therapy
• Fellow Higher Education Academy

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Applied Social Work incorporating DipSW - University of Derby
• PG Cert Systemic Thinking and Practice - University of Derby
• PG Cert HE
• Level 7 Academic Professional Apprenticeship at Distinction

Experience in industry

I have worked in the social care sector since the late 90s, first working as a care aid in an older people's residential home and then moving to work as a Residential Care Worker in a children's home in 2000.

I began studying for my social work qualification whilst I worked in the children's home. My interest in therapeutic ways of working also developed during this time, as we made use of therapeutic ways of thinking and working in our approach to the children and young people we were looking after. I also gained experience and knowledge of working with young people with harmful sexual behaviour and sexual exploitation during my work at the home & this sparked an interest in this area of work.

I moved to work for the NSPCC in 2007 where I provided a number of services to young people and families in the area such as; advocacy for children in the child protection system, counselling support to young people and in schools, delivering sexual health groups in schools, working with children and young people who went missing from home and care. I also undertook participation projects with young people in order to change how child protection conferences looked, and how they were run to make them more accessible for children and young people's involvement.

I spent my most recent years at the NSPCC (before I left to work at Derby University) working in sexual abuse; through working with young people who were being sexually exploited, and undertaking group work with women whose partners were sex offenders. I also recruited, trained and supervised volunteers as part of my role.

Whilst at the NSPCC I was seconded to the Nationwide Training Team and delivered all different levels of child protection and safeguarding training to a multitude of organisations from dentist surgeries to the Cadet Association; it was during this time that teaching became an interest to me.

I have worked in private and voluntary sectors.