Claire
Areas of expertise:
- Attachment-focused assessment and intervention
- Adoption and permanence planning
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
- Therapeutic parenting and caregiver support
- Fostering and adoption services
- Trauma-informed practice with children, young people and families
- Child and adolescent emotional wellbeing
- Relationship-based social work practice
- Sleep support and behavioural interventions for children
- Mindfulness and wellbeing approaches for children and young people
- Assessment of children’s developmental, emotional and relational needs
- Training and education within social work and therapeutic practice settings
Experience:
- Over 14 years’ experience as a registered Social Worker across adoption, fostering and therapeutic services
- Former Adoption Social Worker with Barnardo’s Yorkshire and Bury Council, supporting children, adoptive families and permanence planning
- Former Fostering Social Worker with Redcar Borough Council, providing assessment and support to foster carers and looked-after children
- Associate Therapist with Aspire Psychological Services since 2022, delivering therapeutic interventions to children, young people and families
- Senior Lecturer at Teesside University since 2019, contributing to the education and development of future practitioners
- Extensive experience integrating attachment, trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches into assessment and intervention
- Experienced in supporting adopted, fostered and care-experienced children and their families
Bio:
Having worked with children and families for over 20 years, I now divide my time between teaching, research, and independent therapeutic practice. Through a trauma- and attachment-informed lens, I provide bespoke training, therapeutic support, and multidisciplinary psychological assessments. I am a certified DDP Practitioner and PACE Trainer, an Intensive Interaction Practitioner and Trainer, a Children’s Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor, and a Forest Schools Leader. I also volunteer by running perinatal mental health peer support groups and children’s activity sessions.
I co-facilitate a DDP Special Interest Group for North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley, as well as the UK-wide Association of Child Protection Professionals Care Experienced People Group. I serve on the Editorial Boards of two journals, chair the Teesside University Social Work Research Network, vice-chair the Gender Focus Group and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) Research Committee, and sit on the Teesside University Psychology and Social Work Ethics Committee.
I completed my BSc (Hons) in Psychology and MA in Social Work at the University of Manchester, an MSc in Professional Practice in Health and Social Care at the University of Salford, a PhD at the University of Sheffield, and a PGCLTHE at Teesside University. I am an Advance HE Fellow and have taught across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. I have undertaken course leadership roles and currently supervise several doctoral candidates. Since 2014, I have led research projects and managed funded bids. My research interests focus on equity and inclusion for marginalised communities.
