Phil Watson

I joined the University of Sunderland in February 2021 after spending ten years working at Teesside University. I was the module leader for a range of undergraduate modules and a postgraduate module in contemporary social work practice.

I am a Registered Social Worker and qualified in 1988. I have worked in a range of settings in the statutory and voluntary sector since that time and have worked with children and families and different groups of adults. I have a particular interest and enthusiasm for community work and working with groups around issues to do with poverty and the environment. In 1998, I completed an MA in Community Work Studies at Durham University.

I am actively involved in developing initiatives around poverty and campaigning for social justice. I currently Chair the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle Justice and Peace Co-ordinating Council whose work includes a project for people seeking asylum and supporting the work of Tyne and Wear Citizens. I also still work in a voluntary capacity with people who have learning disabilities and I am a Trustee of a regional charity that seeks to alleviate the impact of poverty on families.