My research focuses on what works to reduce offending behaviour and victimisation. Contexts include individual characteristics, evidence-based interventions, and system/organisational-level approaches for children, young people, adults, and older adults across the criminal justice and related (e.g. mental health, education) systems. My recent research includes an interaction across these contexts; the individual characteristics of children and young people permanently excluded from schools, evaluation of the evidence base for keeping children in full-time education, and recommendations for how systems and services around a child or young person might work more effectively to keep the child in education and out of the youth justice service. Similarly, previous research has included identification of the key characteristics of women in prison with a traumatic brain injury, how the prison system responds to these women, and how multiple agencies and services might work better to identify and provide treatment for traumatic brain injury, with a view to reducing further victimisation and offending. Additionally, I was part of a research team that identified key characteristics of victims, perpetrators and help-seekers of elder abuse, with a view to recommending how front-line health and third sector staff might more readily identify abuse victimisation, intervene and prevent. 

Current funded projects include an evaluation of the Criminal Justice Department of Surrey Police and a comparison of offending behaviour and police practice before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a view to enhancing operational police activities, reducing victimisation and offending behaviour. 

Previous research collaborators include:

Surrey County Council, the Office of the High Sheriff of Surrey, Surrey Police, Surrey Youth Justice Service, the Police Federation of England and Wales, the College of Policing, the National Offender Management Service, Disabilities Trust, the Missing Persons Bureau of the National Crime Agency, the charity Missing People, Multi-Systemic Therapy Services UK and Ireland, The Counseling and Psychotherapy Center Inc. (California, USA)

I am a Chartered and Registered Forensic Psychologist with over 20 years experience of research and practice in the areas of forensic mental health and reducing offending. I worked for 10 years conducting clinical assessments and delivering therapeutic interventions in a high secure hospital for men with personality disorder and/or mental illness and I continue to be involved in the psychological assessment of risk of re-offending presented by male prisoners. I also supervise trainees towards the professional doctorate level qualifications in forensic and clinical psychology. 

I welcome enquiries from PhD candidates. 

I teach on the Departmental undergraduate programmes (Research Methods for Psychologists, Data Analysis for Psychologists, final year option on Prisons, Interpersonal Violence and Harm, Dissertation), and the MSc Forensic Psychology programme (Forensic Psychology Practice with Adults, Forensic Psychology Practice with Young People and Families, Forensic Psychology and the Legal and Criminal Justice System, Skills for Professional Practice). I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate empirical research for students on the BSc Criminology and Psychology and MSc Forensic Psychology courses, as well as PhD and DClinPsych students.

I am the Director of Postgraduate Research in the School of Law and Social Sciences. 

I have extensive experience of doctoral thesis supervision and examination and welcome opportunities to continue this work. 

Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society; BPS); Associate Fellow of the BPS; Member of the Register of Applied Psychology in Practice Supervisors (BPS); Registered Practitioner Forensic Psychologist (Health and Care Professions Council); Chartered Scientist; Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; Member of the Register of Qualifications in Test Use - Forensic Testing Contexts (BPS)

I am a member of the Advisory Board for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, ESRC Peer Review College, Deputy Head of Supervision for the British Psychological Society Qualification in Forensic Psychology, and Assessor for the Science Council/British Psychological Society Assessment Team. Prior to these roles, I was an active member of the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology Committee and the Division of Forensic Psychology Training Committee. 

BSc Psychology (Mdx); MSc Forensic Psychology (Surrey); Phd (Surrey)