Justine has been Professor of Mental Health and Social Care at the University of Nottingham since 2004. She was previously Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Applied Social Studies at the University of Durham (1998-2004) and a Non-Executive Director, County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust. Her previous employment includes seven years as a Research Fellow at the Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent at Canterbury (1991-98), two years of voluntary work in Lima, Peru, and several years of professional social work practice in London and the south east.