I am a Senior Lecturer in Social Work (Teaching Focussed) in the Department of Law and Criminology. I am a registered social worker with Social Work England. I have practised in range of adult social care setttings, community mental health settings, forensic mental health settings as a social worker and an assistant team manager.

I completed my Masters in Social Policy and Administration at Brunel University in 1999, specialising in Comparative Social Policy.

I trained and practised as an Approved Social Worker and latterly a Approved Mental Health Practitioner throughout my social work practice career. In 2002 I was awarded a Post-Graduate award in Social Work and the Practice Teaching Award in 2004.  I've trained and practised as a Best Interests' Assessor (BIA) training under the Mental Capacity Act (2005) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Since 2009 I have worked at Royal Holloway University of London. I am currrently the Subject Head for Social Work in the Department of Law and Criminology.

I teach on the MSc in Social Work and lead the Knowledge and Skills for Social Work, teach on the Law and Policy for Social work module and lead teaching on mental health policy and practice.  I also teach on the BSc Social Sciences course, specialising in Law in the Social Context, Madness and Society, Contemporary Welfare States and Social Care in Action. 

My research and scholarship interests include mental health policy and practice, mad studies, mental capacity law and practice issues, dementia studies, equality and diversity in higher education, race and social policy.

My PhD thesis title was Social Work perspectives on Mental Capacity Act decision making in the context of practice with people who have young onset dementia.

I am part of the Department of Law's Health and Social Care research cluster and Crime and punishment cluster. 

I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).