About me

 

I qualified as a Social Worker from the University of Bath in 1999.  Prior to qualified practice I worked for many years in the social care arena including within adult care residential settings (with adults with learning disabilities), and within the third sector in relation to mental health, women's services and homelessness.  Areas of practice since qualifying have been varied including with adults in the following statutory fields: Drugs and Alcohol, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Hospital and most recently within a Safeguarding Adults Team as a Senior Practitioner. 

Since qualifying, I have achieved a Post Graduate Certificate in (Adult) Education as well as various post-qualifying awards related to social work.  From early in my qualified career, I combined practice with teaching/training including for the main universities providing social work courses in the Southwest (i.e. UWE, the University of Bath and the University of Bristol).  I continue to be positively involved as a Specialist Lecturer, Tutor and Practice Educator. 

I now concentrate on training within the social care sector.  My specialist area is around Safeguarding Adults and I currently provide training at various levels on this topic to Local Authority Social Workers and Managers as well as to staff within the third sector and the private sector.  I keep up-to-date and in touch with multi-agency and multi-disciplinary perspectives by returning to practice yearly within various Safeguarding Adults Teams in the Southwest as well as attending conferences and other CPD events.

I also undertake Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs).  My Services page provides a link to my recent SAR publication.  

In terms of style, my philosophy is based around validation and constructive feedback.  Anti-oppressive practice is at the heart of all of my work which enables me to build and maintain positive and constructive relationships with those I work with whether it be via training, teaching or mentoring/coaching and supervision.  I encourage self reflection and critical analysis.  I cater to a range of learning preferences and ensure engagement with the subject which results in learning that can be practically transferred to the realities of social care practice and which facilitates academic, professional and personal development.

I was proud to be a Trustee for 'WISH for a brighter future' from 2015 - 2016.  WISH was a Bristol based organisation that worked with young people aged 11-17 and their parents affected by parental abuse.

I am interested in the inter-relationship between Safeguarding Adults and Domestic Violence and Abuse.  I have presented on this topic at conferences for NHSEngland, CoPPASouthWest and the LSCB/LSAB for B&NES.  I have also written about this topic:

Winter, M.  (2014)  Domestic Violence and Abuse. In Teater, B.  (Ed)  Contemporary Social Work in Practice : A Handbook for Students.  Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw Hill.

My qualifications include: Bsc (hons) Sociology and Social Work, DipSW, PQ Award, PGCE and PEPS.  I am HCPC Registered, a Member of the British Association of Social Work (BASW) and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

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