School of Law

B.A. 1985, (Sussex). Solicitor of the Supreme Court.

I am a qualified solicitor (non practising). Before joining Keele I lectured at Wolverhampton University and before that I was employed as a local authority solicitor specialising in Social Services work, including child protection, adoption, mental health and community care, as well as some education and planning work.

I have maintained links with the public sector and am regularly engaged to speak at conferences aimed at practitioners and to deliver bespoke training for local authorities, health authorities and other special interest groups.

I hold a PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and am committed to developing varied and engaging teaching materials. I have written e learning materials on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 which have been used for training by numerous local authorities.

Currently developing a new M level course, Adult Safeguarding: Law and Practice

Chair of a large primary school governing body.

My main areas of interest relate to the interplay between law and social work practice – a theme which is fully explored in my book, Social Work Law.

I am interested in two particular aspects of that interplay, the law relating to child care law and practice and the law relating to adult safeguarding, as well as the comparisons between both areas of practice. I have a longstanding interest in the application of law to the relatively recently recognised phenomena of adult abuse, whether this is located in private or institutional settings.

Current projects include analysis of tribunal reports which evidence abuse in residential settings for vulnerable adults; regulation of social work and practice at conduct hearings, the role of carers under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Undergraduate Teaching:

BA Social Work
Introduction to legal processes

Area of Practice: Adults, Year 1 and 2

Area of Practice: Children and Families, Year 1 and 2

Postgraduate Teaching:

MA Social Work
Introduction to legal processes
Area of Practice: Adults, Year 1 and 2
Area of Practice: Children and Families, Year 1 and 2

MA Child Care Law and Practice
Module leader and teaching input to modules:
Foundations and Principles
Contemporary Issues
Looked After Children
Research Training

Dissertation supervision in year 2.

MA Medical Ethics and LawMental Health law

External Examiner, Child Law LLM, Northumbria University.

Legal Editor of the Journal of Adult Protection.

Consultant to the Open University on development of their new Law and Social Work Programme.