Professor Tony Evans appointed as director of research

The Department of Social Work has appointed Professor Tony Evans as the new Director of Research within the department.

Professor Evans, who took up his post in January, will be focusing on areas of professional discretion and the use of knowledge in social work practice.

He said: “One of the areas I’m very interested in developing is practice research—in the sense not only of research to inform practice, but also of looking at the way research methods can learn from practice and be adapted to engage with practitioners better."

These research interests will complement and build on the department’s existing work focusing on social work education, practice and service delivery, including decision-making; race, ethnicity and mental health services; and the teaching of cultural competence.  

Professor Evans brings a wealth of experience to the department. During his varied career, he has worked for Islington and Salisbury Community Health Councils and worked on the implementation of the Disabled Persons Act in Berkshire. He was also a member of the community mental health teams in Hampshire and Wiltshire and took up a post as a senior forensic social worker at Rampton Special Hospital.

Professor Evans' first academic post was at Oxford Brookes University, where he maintained his experience of practice teaching by supervising a group of placement students at MIND. He went on to work at York, Southampton and Warwick universities, where his teaching focused on mental health and community care, reflected practice and practice skills, and research for practice.

“I’m delighted to be joining the Social Work team at Royal Holloway and to working with colleagues across London,” he said. “In the course of my research at Royall Holloway, I hope to meet many of social workers face to face and find out first-hand about their experiences and work.”