Rate My Professor Aaron Wyllie

Dr Aaron Wyllie is a Lecturer in the Division of Social Work and Social Justice within the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Essex. He graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Doctor of Philosophy in social work from Monash University in Australia. He joined the University of Essex in 2018 as a lecturer and has served as Programme Lead and Course Director for the BA Social Work programme since 2020. His research focuses on three main areas: the role of place and space in shaping experiences of disadvantage and community connectedness among older people, drawing on his prior practice experience; the history of social work as a profession, including an edited volume published in 2023 with Professor Vasilios Ioakimidis exploring incidents of complicity and resistance with oppressive practices; and creative and participatory research methodologies along with research ethics and integrity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he collaborated on projects examining the rights and wellbeing of older people in care homes. He has held additional roles at the university including Departmental Ethics Officer and Academic Offence Adjudicator. His publications include journal articles on topics such as criminal records in social work admissions, COVID-19 and mental capacity in care homes, and human rights during the pandemic, as well as book chapters and the co-edited book Social Work's Histories of Complicity and Resistance.

Dr Wyllie supervises doctoral and master's students in social work and related fields. He teaches modules covering sociological and psychological frameworks, interpersonal skills, research methodologies, legislation and ethics, and dissertation work. His contributions extend to conferences and presentations on social work education, criminal records in admissions, and related topics.