Diane Simpson

Diane Simpson is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Sunderland, affiliated with the Faculty of Education & Society. Her work focuses on social work education, mentoring programs, and issues affecting marginalized communities. She has led projects like the Buddy Up! mentoring initiative and contributed to research on self-harm in youth, discrimination against Eastern European women post-Brexit, and the role of e-portfolios in field education.

Her research spans topics including professional identity development in social work students, carcerality in academic institutions, and the impact of Brexit on immigrant communities. She has published in journals such as Journal of Gender-Based Violence and Foucault Studies, and presented at conferences like the European Conference for Social Work Research. Key collaborations include work with the Your Voice Heard Project on youth mental health policy and studies on hate crimes against Eastern European women in Tyne and Wear.

Dr. Simpson’s contributions extend to academic leadership, including co-authoring the textbook Your Social Work Practice Placement: from Start to Finish and advising on practice teaching methodologies. Her work emphasizes social justice, community integration, and innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education.