Andrea Collins

Andrea Collins is the Head of Social Work and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Care and Social Work at Manchester Metropolitan University's Faculty of Health and Education. With over 15 years of experience as a qualified social worker, she specializes in statutory and legal interventions, curriculum design, and professional standards development.

• BA in Sociology, University of Salford
• MA in Social Work and DipSW, University of Manchester

Her research interests focus on legal frameworks in social care, including the Care Act 2014, assessment methodologies, and complex cases involving self-neglect and hoarding. She has led national initiatives to reform social work apprenticeship standards and served as Chair for the Social Work Subject Benchmark Statement review.

Andrea is actively involved in professional networks through:

• Trailblazer Group for Social Work Apprentices
• UVAC Social Work Knowledge Network
• Education and Training Advisory Forum for Social Work England

She holds a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy and contributes to institutional governance through external examinations, fitness-to-practice panels, and mentoring programs for academic leaders.