Role
I joined NTU in July 2024 as Head of Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. My role is to have oversight of the strategic direction and development of the department. We have Criminology and Policing courses delivered at City Campus and Criminal Justice delivered at Mansfield campus.
Career overview
My first career was in the care sector, first as a nursery nurse and then in social care. I started university in my mid 20s, studying History and Social Policy. I continued to work in the care sector managing and training care workers, during and after gaining my first degree. Once I had completed my Masters degree I moved into working in further education and then higher education, teaching Social Policy. I completed my PhD which looked at the development of the Sure Start programme, in 2014. I moved into Higher Education management in 2017 and since then have managed a range of subject areas in the social sciences and humanities.
Research areas
My research interests have been centred around policy, the policy making process and outcomes for disadvantaged groups. Understanding the decisions that are made around problem identification and definition, policy formulation and front line implementation are the threads that have run through the projects I have been involved in.
My role now is to facilitate and support research growth and development and ensure that research knowledge has local, national and international impact.
External activity
I work as an external validation advisor for the Open University and as an external examiner. I am also a school governor for a primary school and a trustee with Dudley and Wolverhampton Citizen’s Advice.
Publications
Morgan, A., Williams, C. Stonard, K., (2020) An Evaluation of the ‘Making Change Happen’ in Wolverhampton. Commissioned by Wolverhampton City Council, Funded by The Home Office
Iafrati, S. and Williams, C. (2017) Policing the Threat: ‘Implied hate crime’, homophobia and behaviour change, British Journal of Community Justice, Vol. 14, No.3 pp25-35
Williams, C., Stonard, K., Morgan, A. (2016) Experiences of Gender Based Violence and Help Seeking at the University of Wolverhampton, A report for University of Wolverhampton Human Resources.
Report of an Evaluation of Pearl House, Specialist Domestic Violence Mental Health Refuge, Wolverhampton August 2016
Combining concepts. Using Kingdon and Lipsky to explore the importance of agency at central and local levels of policy making. Research seminar at the Centre for Communities and Social Justice, Coventry University May 2015
Experiences of behaviour change and hate crime within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community in Dudley. Co-authored with Dr Steve Iafrati commissioned by Summit House Support February 2015 |
Redefining poverty in an age of austerity and retrenchment. Joint paper with Dr Steve IafratiSocial Policy Association Annual Conference July 2014
Perfect Policy Implementation and the Children’s Centre Programme in England, Social Policy Association Annual Conference July 2013
Analysis of Wolverhampton City Council citywide community hubs consultation, October 2012
Professional Affiliations and roles
2015 – 2019, Chair of the Social Policy Association Convenors Group
2016 – 2019, External Examiner at the University of St Mark and St John, Plymouth
2017 – 2021, External Examiner Open University (Calderdale College BA (Hons) programme)
2019 - 2024 External Examiner MA Social Policy UCLAN