Ms Susan Watson

I am an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Care at Kingston University. As a dual-qualified social worker and lawyer, I bring over three decades of frontline experience, academic leadership, and interdisciplinary expertise to my role. I joined Kingston University in 2013 and has since held a range of leadership positions within the Faculty, including Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship.

My professional journey began in child and family social work, and evolved to include legal practice,  and higher education. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an accredited mediator, with a strong commitment to inclusive education, ethical practice, and community engagement.

My research has included particularly in areas such as stalking advocacy, sex work exit strategies. I have co-authored commissioned reports and peer-reviewed publications that reflect Kingston University’s commitment to real-world impact and social innovation. Currently I am engaged in doctoral research studying Higher Education Teachers of Social Work experiences of race and racism in the classroom.

“At Kingston, we don’t just teach social work—we live it. Our department is built on the belief that education should transform lives, not just careers. We prepare our students to lead with compassion, think critically, and advocate  for those who need it most.”

• Accredited Mediator, Mediation, Regents University
• MRes, Law, Culture and Identity, Birkbeck College
• PgCert, Higher Education, Kingston University
• Legal Practice Certificate, Law, College of Law, Guildford
• LLB (Hons), Law, Kingston University
• PgDip, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Roehampton Institute
• PgDip, Social Work, University of Aberdeen
• BA, English, University of Stirling