Researcher Profile - Andrew Murphy
Andrew Murphy
Promoting mental health wellbeing and supporting people to have fulfilling lives
Andrew Murphy is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Social Work and UG Admissions Tutor for BA Social Work.
Something I encourage students to do is to move beyond thinking of service users and professionals as ‘them and us’. Actually we are all human: more unites us than divides us.
How would you explain your research?
I qualified as a social worker at the University of Nottingham in 2001. I then worked in community based mental health services as a social worker and Approved Mental Health Professional. More recently, I worked in a local authority Learning and Development Service. I started work at the University of Nottingham as Assistant Professor in 2016.
What inspired you to pursue this area?
Like lots of people, I became a social worker because I wanted to make a difference by supporting people who are excluded and marginalised within society. I was drawn to mental health social work because I am keen to promote mental health wellbeing for everyone and to support people to have fulfilling lives through relationship-based work.
How will your research/work affect the average person?
It's estimated that one in four people will have mental health problems in their lifetime. Often, we only think about 'mental health' in relation to illness. But we all have mental health and can do things which promote our mental wellbeing and can help us cope with life’s adversities.
How does your research/experience influence your teaching?
Something I encourage students to do is to move beyond thinking of service users and professionals as 'them and us'. Actually we are all human: more unites us than divides us. I've learnt from practice that you are more likely to motivate people to change if you are genuine and treat them with respect. I try to model this with students in the hope they will do likewise in their professional relationships.
What's been the greatest moment of your career so far?
It's hard to choose one. But one occasion that has stuck with me is the person that I helped to appeal against a benefits decision. He won his appeal and as a result he could go on holiday with his partner for the first time.
What's the biggest challenge in your field?
Social work as a profession is changing all the time and you have to work to keep up with the pace of change.
What advice would you give to someone considering an undergraduate degree in social work?
Find out as much as you can about what social workers do: talk to social workers, look on social media, read Community Care. And consider being flexible in your career options: you may start the course convinced you want to work with adults and find out through your placements that you actually have a vocation for work with children.